Early childhood caries, also known as ECC, is a common disorder affecting 6-year-old children. It is characterized by the emergence of several cavities in the initial set of teeth.
On an infant’s upper front teeth, these cavities are likely to develop but they can impact other teeth too. If you were to examine the disease more closely, you would see that it initially appears as white patches near the child’s gum line. Even though they are difficult to perceive, a pediatric dentist near you can detect them early on and stop them from developing cavities.
Causes of Early Childhood Caries:
- Poor oral hygiene: Children who do not consistently brush their teeth or who do not have an adult brush their teeth for them are more likely to develop ECC.
- Sugary meals and beverages frequently consumed: Regular eating of sugary foods and beverages can cause the development of ECC. This is because the bacteria in the mouth turn the sugar in these meals and beverages into acid, which subsequently damages the teeth.
- Bottle-feeding: Giving a baby a bottle of formula, milk, or juice before bed or during a nap might result in the liquid pooling around the teeth, which can cause tooth rot.
- Use of pacifiers or sippy cups for a long time: If pacifiers or sippy cups are used for a long time and are loaded with sugary beverages or are not cleaned correctly, children may develop ECC.
- Genetics: Genetic factors may make certain kids more likely to develop ECC.
- Lack of dental care: Children who do not receive routine dental exams and treatments may be more likely to develop ECC.
Way to Prevent Early Childhood Caries
Avoiding placing a bottle of milk, juice, or other sweet drinks next to your child’s bed is one of the simplest strategies to prevent early childhood caries. Additionally, pediatricians advise you should take your children to see a pediatric dentist near you at age 1 when the upper and lower front teeth first start to erupt. Pediatricians claim that children who are seven or eight months old no longer require nighttime feedings. Similarly, giving your child a bottle while they are lying down puts them at risk for developing early childhood caries.
Other preventative strategies include:
- Make it a habit for your kid to drink from a bottle throughout meals. Additionally, don’t allow them to drink from it all day long.
- Serving nutritious foods that don’t have a lot of sugar as snacks and beverages can reduce the chance of developing ECC.
- Use a gentle toothbrush or cloth to brush your child’s gums.
- Teach your kid to begin consuming liquids from the cup as soon as feasible. Due to the potential for liquid to collect around the front teeth when drinking from a cup. According to studies, children who start using bottles after they turn 15 months old or who consume a lot of sugary drinks and snacks are more likely to develop ECC.
- Using fluoride toothpaste and scheduling routine dental appointments helps lower the incidence of early childhood caries.
Searching for a Dentist in Livonia?
You can reach Majestic Dentist if you are looking for a pediatric dentist in Livonia.
Our dentist in Livonia understands the importance of baby teeth for speaking and chewing, which is the most notable point. Your child’s permanent teeth may erupt unevenly if they lose teeth as a result of ECC. So, with the assistance of parents and dentists, early childhood caries are entirely ignorable and preventable. A lifetime of healthy smiles is guaranteed by good oral habits.
From the information above, it is clear that early childhood caries is an oral condition that may be treated and avoided by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Please call us today; our staff is excited to meet with you!