During childhood, your teeth constantly move, grow, and shift, making it a pivotal time for oral hygiene. While you always want to ensure your children have the best dental health to set them up for success, they can experience dental problems that may need treatment. With our preventative and proactive care at Rockland Dental Specialists, we work to protect your child’s teeth and do everything we can to ensure any dental problems receive unmatched treatment.
We take pride in our top-notch services and always prioritize your safety. While we do see and treat children we do not specialize in pediatric dentistry. However, we understand the dentist can be a frightening place for children, so we take every step to make the process as comfortable as possible to address their dental needs.
6 Common Dental Problems in Children
As children’s teeth move and they lose their baby teeth, they can develop issues that may need a professional’s attention. Depending on their habits, children often experience the following dental problems:
Cavities
Sometimes, children are not the best at thoroughly brushing and flossing their teeth without adult supervision. Along with a sugar-heavy diet, this can cause sticky plaque to build up on the teeth, which eats away at the enamel and the tooth. If a cavity develops, we will need to drill the tooth and fill it. The best way to prevent cavities is to watch your children while they brush their teeth and ensure they are brushing correctly.
Sensitivity
Children can have sensitive teeth for many reasons, including cavities, but the problem can come from other sources too. Teeth grinding, new permanent teeth, and acid erosion can also cause sensitivity. If your child experiences this problem, we can see if it is dental-related and develop the best solution to prevent their sensitivity from worsening.
Gingivitis
While gum disease is often present in adults, it can also affect children. Symptoms of gingivitis include red, swollen gums and bleeding when they brush their teeth and floss. This can result from improper brushing and flossing or crooked or crowded teeth that prevent children from brushing correctly. This can be quite painful, but it can be prevented with improved oral hygiene, supervision while brushing, and daily flossing.
Thumb Sucking
Babies and toddlers often suck their thumbs as a means to soothe themselves. While this is not a significant problem when they are little, as their teeth grow in, thumb sucking can affect the way teeth can develop. Thumb sucking and excessive pacifier use can cause an open bite in which the top and bottom front teeth don’t touch when the mouth is closed, making it difficult to chew and speak correctly.
Orthodontic Problems
Most children’s teeth do not grow perfectly straight, so they often run into orthodontic problems that require treatment from our experienced team. These issues are often genetic, as the size and shape of the teeth typically cause these problems. Some orthodontic problems we can treat include the following:
- Overbite
- Underbite
- Open bite
- Overcrowding
- Spacing issues
- Misalignments
These problems can lead to further issues like jaw issues and cracked teeth. With our state-of-the-art technology, we can find the best solution for your child with orthopedic problems.
Teeth Grinding
Children also may grind their teeth in their sleep or when they feel anxious. This can wear away at their enamel, exposing nerve endings and causing sensitivity. They may also experience jaw pain and headaches. If your child has this problem, we can come up with a solution to protect their teeth from further damage.
Consult a Trustworthy New York Dentist at Rockland Dental Specialists
If you see your child developing a dental problem, one of the best steps you take is to see a dentist. This prevents the problem from worsening and allows a professional to investigate and solve the issue. At Rockland Dental Specialists, we take all adolescent dental issues seriously and do everything we can to make your child feel safe and comfortable while we find the best treatment possible.
Our highly skilled and qualified providers prioritize your child’s health and safety, regardless of their previous dentist experiences. Our comfortable offices and caring team can make their experience less stressful. We also offer payment plans to make their treatment work for your budget. Give us a call at (845) 809-0109 or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation.