Bravery for Your Root Canal

You always tell your kids how important it is to eat right and exercise. They understand that they need to eat from the right food groups and exercise every day. Unfortunately, there is not as much emphasis on the importance of oral hygiene as there is for physical health.

The Importance of a Child's Oral Hygiene

As we all know, if a cavity goes untreated, it can cause serious decay on the infected tooth. This can cause children to experience:

• Extreme discomfort & pain

• Trouble chewing and eating

• Difficulty going to sleep

• Stomachaches

• Headaches

• Problems with their speech development (especially if cavities appear at a very young age)

These are just a few examples, and you should not expect these problems to go away when their baby teeth fall out. Your mouth is the entry way for infections, meaning that any infection you have in your mouth may spread to the rest of our bodies.

Pediatric dentists say that cavities on one baby tooth can easily spread to other teeth, not to mention that a child's baby tooth cavity can cause damage to their permanent teeth. This means that their permanent teeth may have trouble growing in. And, if the infection is severe enough, it can spread to the bone of the jaw. The only solution to such severe cases is a bone graft. This is only one example of what can happen if a child's oral care is neglected. As one of the most common chronic ailments children experience, tooth decay can also affect more than a child's teeth.

Overall Problems Associated with Bad Oral Care

Bad oral care can also cause children's social well-being to suffer. Children start to lose confidence in themselves as they grow concerned about the appearance of their teeth. Pediatric dentistry experts say that there are associations between chronic oral infections and:

• Issues with self-image

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Low self-esteem

Children might begin to withdraw from any or all social contact because of their tooth decay. They feel embarrassed having missing, misaligned, or discolored teeth. This makes it hard for them to reach out to their peers socially because they fear being bullied by the other children. These issues can only grow worse the longer their oral infections go untreated. As children's tooth decay causes more pain, they may begin to get temperamental. They may even develop unhealthy habits, such being defiant or undereating. This is why a good pediatric dentistry regimen is so important. 

Contact a dental office like Dentistry For Children to learn more.