More and more parents are nowadays taking a keen interest in their children’s overall health. Most, however, still think that dental visits for their kids should begin after their children have finished shedding their milk teeth. They erroneously assume that this is the time to start as they can take care of the children’s permanent teeth. To them, milk teeth are insignificant since they will be gone at some point.
Gleaning from kids’ dentists in Utah County, milk teeth issues can be the primary cause of poor health in your child. As such, your child’s dental visits should start after his or her first birthday. These visits will help in the prevention of the following diseases associated with poor oral health in children:
Cardiovascular Conditions
One of the leading cardiovascular diseases in children nowadays is rheumatic heart disease. The condition is characterized by the inflammation of your child’s cardiac arteries. It is caused by bacteria from the oral cavity. The bacteria enter the child’s systemic circulation through the broken lining of the mouth and reach the heart. Rheumatic heart disease characterized by fever and painful joints is hard to treat and causes long-term damage to your child’s cardiac valves.
Respiratory Diseases
Respiratory infections might not be directly correlated to the bacteria in your child’s mouth at first. Some of the bacteria that thrive in mouths with tooth cavities and gum disease have been linked to various respiratory infections in children. As such, they might be the ones responsible for chronic respiratory issues, such as pneumonia, in your children.
Anemia
Low levels of iron have also been linked to poor dental health. The anemia might result from the constant bleeding gums in advanced periodontal disease even with non-aggressive brushing. It might also follow poor nutrition since poor dental habits lead to premature tooth loss and tooth sensitivity. These make it hard for your child to eat food. The poor diet will also limit your child’s growth.
Diabetes
Children are currently at an increased risk of diabetes because of their diet. Poor oral health increases your baby’s risk of contracting diabetes. If your child already has diabetes, poor oral hygiene will make it hard to control his or her sugar levels. This is because in both cases, the bacteria in your child’s mouth make his or her body insulin-resistant.
Other than the health issues above, poor oral health will affect your child’s self-esteem and might cause impaired speech or delayed speech development. You should understand that poor oral health might be the cause of your child’s constant poor overall health. Dental cavities, gum disease, and premature tooth loss are some of the common dental problems in kids. Fortunately, these have several solutions in pediatric dentistry, such as dental sealants, space maintainers, fluoride therapy, and tooth fillings. If you notice that your child suffers from one or more of these oral problems, you should bring him or her to the dentist immediately. Otherwise, your child’s condition might become worse. Addressing the problem without delay will spare you and your child from much stress.