SOME DENTAL FAQs

Should cavities in baby teeth be filled (as they’re going to eventually fall out)?

  • Yes, because your child won’t have all of his or her adult teeth
    until around age 12-13.
  • Baby teeth are the only teeth children have to chew with and
    cavities can cause pain, hence it can affect their nutrition.
  • Milk teeth help children form words and learn to speak properly.
  • Baby teeth preserves space and also create a path for adult teeth
    to come in correct position.
  • It helps children smile freely which helps in psychological
    development.

Is pulpectomy (RCT) in children necessary?

  • Pulpectomy is performed when tooth decay is so deep that it
    reaches and affects the nerves of the tooth.
  • During pulpectomy, the deeply infected innermost portions of
    teeth are removed and the entire tooth is filled to retain it till its
    normal exfoliation(falling out) time.
  • If left untreated, leads to periapical abscess( infection) which can
    cause extreme pain, swelling and fever.
  • This abscess( infection) may spread and affect the permanent
    tooth bud. In some cases if the abscess doesn’t drain, the
    infection may spread to your jaw, head and neck. You might even
    develop sepsis- a life threatening infection that spreads
    throughout your body.

SOME DENTAL FACTS

  1.  A person’s smile is the most important feature for his/her personality.
  2.  The second most common disease in the world is tooth decay.
  3.  Fluoridated toothpastes when ingested habitually by kids can lead to
    fluoride toxicity.
  4.  Just like fingerprints, toothprints are unique to each individual.
  5.  Children have one set of 20 primary (baby) teeth that start coming in
    around 6 months of age.
  6. Soft drinks are the one of the leading causes of tooth decay.
  7. Humans have 4 different types of teeth: incisors to cut, canines to tear
    and premolars and molars to grind.
  8. Less than half of your teeth are visible. The rest is hidden inside your
    gums.
  9. Cheese can protect your teeth. It creates a protective layer around your
    teeth which neutralizes the acid in plaque.
  10. If left untreated, tooth decay in children can lead to severe
    infection, malnourishment, problems in speech and learning and lot
    more.
  11. The tooth is the only part of the body that can’t heal itself
    completely.