All About Tooth Decay in Kids

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States reports that one in five children between five and 11  have at least one untreated decayed tooth. That tooth decay is common does not mean it’s insignificant, though. Tooth decay causes cavities that can cause pain and infections that interfere with kids’ comfort while eating, playing, speaking and even attending school. The good news, though, is that tooth decay is preventable. Here is what you need to know to understand how tooth decay is caused and prevented.

What causes tooth decay in kids?

There are five primary ways that children can develop tooth decay.

Every mouth — including every kids’ mouth — contains millions of bacteria, but the higher the levels of bacteria are in a kids’ mouth, the more likely that child will develop tooth decay.  Combined bacteria, acid, food and saliva produce plaque and acids that destroy the enamel on teeth. Harmful bacteria reproduce much more rapidly in children with xerostomia, a condition that causes lower levels of saliva in a person’s mouth.

When your children are exposed to sufficient fluoride in water, toothpaste or from their dentist in St. Albert, that fluoride combines with phosphate and calcium in the enamel of their teeth to produce another substance called fluorapatite. Fluorapatite is a substance that is highly resistant to tooth decay. On the other hand, a child that receives inadequate levels of fluoride is more vulnerable to tooth decay.

Those bacteria in your child’s mouth produce higher levels of plaque and acid than usual depending on your child’s diet. A diet that contains lots of sugar and starch — think of foods like milk, soda, bread, cereals, sweetened fruit juice, candy and cake — is more likely to contribute to the production of plaque than otherwise. That’s especially true if your child isn’t extremely diligent in their daily dental hygiene habits including brushing their teeth twice a day, flossing daily, having their teeth cleaned every year and getting all dental treatment recommended by their kid dentist in St. Albert.

How can kids’ tooth decay be prevented?

There are six ways to prevent the development of tooth decay in children:

• Start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as their first tooth appears. Develop and support habits of brushing at least twice daily.
• Start flossing your child’s teeth when they are two years old to ensure the removal of food particles and sugars. Develop and support a habit of flossing daily.
• Parents should avoid sharing saliva of their own with their children. Your mouth contains bacteria that could be potentially harmful in your child’s mouth. Be extremely careful when kissing and feeding your child not to transfer saliva from your mouth to your child’s
• It’s not realistic to say you should eliminate all sugars and starches from a child’s diet, but try from their youngest age to establish a well-balanced diet
• Bottle-feed with water rather than with sweetened juice
• Use a toothpaste with fluoride and ask a kid dentist near you if it’s appropriate for their staff to apply fluoride to your child’s teeth at checkups. Along the same vein, make sure your child’s teeth are professionally cleaned by the hygienist at a dental clinic in St. Albert at least annually. 

How can you know if tooth decay is developing on your child’s teeth? It will be much easier for your child’s dentist than you or anyone else to detect the emergence of decay on  your child’s teeth. Here’s what to watch for, though: a white band on the surface of your child’s teeth around the lines of their gums; that band turning brown, yellow or black as decay gets worse; and blackened or browned teeth if the decay is allowed to progress.

If you see any of these signs of tooth decay, get in touch with a dentist. Your dentist will intervene to eliminate the infection before it progresses further and causes preventable harm to your child’s teeth.