Dr. Fahd bin Hammoud Al-Qahtani begins the formation of tooth buds in the fetus inside the womb with the onset of pregnancy, and from here we must start caring for those buds, which will be the teeth, and that is by eating the pregnant mother for a good and complete diet, and it must contain sufficient quantities of calcium and phosphorus required for the construction and growth of those buds. As well as taking care of the health of the pregnant mother and treating her from diseases that may affect her and affect her health and thus the health of the fetus.
Teething: is the implantation of the milk teeth into the child''s mouth.
Within the jawbones, tooth buds grow naturally until the end of the fifth month after birth, as the teeth inside the jaws begin to press on the jawbone layer that is above them, and these bones are gradually eroded until the tooth becomes covered with the gum layer, and then the tooth begins to penetrate the gums until it penetrates and thus The tooth appears inside the child''s mouth and the baby teeth appear in the end of the sixth month of life and until the end of two and a half years of life until the twenty milk teeth (ten teeth in each jaw) are completed and our care for our children''s teeth begins from the emergence of the first tooth in the oral cavity, by the child''s mother By cleaning her baby''s teeth after feeding with a piece of gauze moistened with water.
And it gradually begins with the growth of the child''s awareness of using the brush and putty, and the appropriate brush and paste for children is chosen, and the parents must be a good example for their children. The child, as we all know, imitates his parents.
The period of teething in children is of great importance, as there are many problems associated with teething, including the inability of some children to eat and their inability to it, and there are other symptoms that appear on some children during teething, including diarrhea, fever, tonsillitis, increased salivation, and other symptoms that may worry the mother and father and should Parents see a dentist to reduce these symptoms.
Diseases that affect the child''s mouth and teeth
1- Caries
One of the most common diseases that affects children is tooth decay in early childhood. The reason for this is due to several factors, including:
A- The dependence of some mothers on breastfeeding their children industrially instead of breastfeeding, and this has a great impact on the health of the child''s teeth and general health, as this sometimes results in weak teeth that do not bear the surrounding external factors (the importance of calcium in breastfeeding), as well as leaving (breastfeeding) in A child''s mouth for a long time and sleeping and feeding in his mouth lead to an increase in the percentage of caries in children.
B - Eat sweets and increase their consumption, especially those that stick to the tooth wall, and leave food that contains natural fibers such as fresh vegetables and fruits.
C - Neglect in dental hygiene and irregular brushing of teeth after each meal, which leads to the accumulation of foods in the mouth and between the teeth.
Here I would like to point out an important thing, which is that some parents do not distinguish permanent teeth from milk teeth, and usually the first permanent molar tooth suffers from decay in children and parents come asking for tooth extraction, believing that it is a milky tooth.
Parents should be careful not to confuse the milk and permanent teeth, and the permanent teeth must be very careful to remain healthy throughout life and consult the dentist when any discoloration appears in the teeth or a tooth cavity and before the onset of pain, the dentist has the necessary treatment to preserve the milk and permanent teeth to keep the milk teeth longer. A possible period of time until it is necessary to change them naturally in time and the permanent teeth remain throughout life. And the milk teeth are of no less importance than the permanent ones, as some decay and eroding or taking them off early may lead to major problems and deformities of the permanent teeth.
Likewise, the pain and suffering that the child suffers from may lead to the child''s reluctance to eat, which leads him to emaciation and extreme weakness, except for the psychological factor and the pressure that the child may be exposed to in the vicinity of his family, school or peers due to tooth decay or deformation, which may cause the child to lose a lot of Self-confident.
As well as removing the anterior milk teeth early may affect the child''s pronunciation of some letters in a wrong way that will continue with him for longevity.
2- Mouth infections and pus foci
In early childhood, the tissues of the mouth are very thin and delicate and easy for microbes to penetrate and infiltrate. As the proportion of (keratin) overlying the oral tissues decreases, which is the first line of defense for these tissues. Negligence in oral and dental hygiene sometimes results in mouth infections or pus pockets between the teeth, and it develops into a gum abscess, and upon delay in treating such cases, and with an increase in the number of microbes, they may transfer into the blood and the child becomes infected with what is called (blood poisoning) Bacteremia.
There are some infections that appear in the mouth of some children during teething, and that is the inflammation of the part of the gums that covers the teeth before their eruption and during eruption. Children putting foreign and polluted things inside the mouth may lead to scratching of the oral tissues and may lead to infections of the oral tissues. Also neglecting decayed teeth and leaving them without treatment early leads to the arrival of caries to the internal tissues of the tooth and the nerve of the tooth, and this may lead to severe pain, inflammation and abscess under the affected tooth, and thus children enter the stage of dental pain and the accompanying problems.
3- Injuries and accidents
The child may be exposed during the stages of his life to any accident such as falling or hitting solid objects or falling from his bicycle or even as a result of car accidents and this may lead to the fall of some teeth or their entry into the jawbone or it may lead to a fracture in one or more teeth and in some Cases may progress to tearing of the tissues of the mouth, tongue and lips.
In such cases, the first procedure to be taken is to visit the dentist as soon as possible, and if there is a tooth or more that has fallen off, it must be washed and put in cold water and brought to the dentist to restore and fix it.
In such cases, the speed of reviewing the dental clinic, the child avoids many risks and distortions.
4- Birth defects in the child''s mouth
Some birth defects may appear in the child''s mouth immediately after his birth, such as cleft lips (cleft lip), especially the upper lip, and it may be on one or both sides and it may extend to the roof of the throat or be associated with or without cleft lip.
This congenital defect must be treated and fixed as early as possible.
There are other congenital defects such as the small or large size of the mouth or tongue, as well as the adhesion of the teeth or their inclination and changing their positions or the non-appearance of some of them, as well as cases of the knotted tongue and in these cases the tongue is attached to the bottom of the mouth, which limits its movement, and this defect may not be discovered until the child begins to speak Or during breastfeeding or coincidence upon examination. Treatment of such cases is easy in the beginning and before the child begins to speak. If not, it will be a reason for the child''s inability to speak or eat easily.
Methods of prevention and dental care
A- Healthy and complete food
It should be eaten as little as possible to eat foods containing sugar (chocolate, sweets, candies, soft drinks ... etc.), especially between meals, and eat healthy food that contains all important nutrients (milk and its derivatives - yogurt, cheese, labneh, cream, as well as eggs) Fruits, vegetables, fish).
B - Maintaining the regular use of brush and paste
Cleaning the mouth and teeth is very important for the cleansing of the mouth, and to remove the plaque layer that causes decay and to keep our teeth healthy, we must clean our teeth after meals (breakfast, lunch, and before bedtime) using the appropriate brush and toothpaste in the right way.
C - Visit the dentist periodically and regularly
It is preferable to visit children every three months to check the mouth and teeth and check on their safety, as it can stop tooth decay and treat any defect in the mouth and teeth before it worsens. Advice and guidance for us and help us protect our mouth and our teeth from diseases. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the importance of caring for our children''s teeth, as it is the responsibility of all of us, mother and father at home, teacher and teacher in kindergarten and school.
