Cavities are common tooth problems among children and adolescents which are due to piled up bacteria that owe its presence to plaque. The food consumed is converted to acid by the plaque that sticks on the teeth which erodes tooth enamel leading to cavities. Pediatric dentist might recommend fillings or dental crowns to treat cavities as the severity of situation might demand.

Dental filling is common for toddlers where tooth decay is removed and replaced with composite with a view to preserve the tooth and avert improper development of permanent tooth. Pediatric dentist may also execute fluoride treatment in early stages to control erosion of enamel before it is too late. Children require two to four fluoride treatments per year and the frequency depends upon oral health condition and susceptibility to develop cavities.

The fluoride treatment includes highly concentrated rinse, foam and gel which are applied with swab, brush and mouthwash. Flouride restores minerals lost during erosion of enamel and prevents further cavities.

Plastic dental fillings or bonding is done for kids by the pediatric dentist to solve issues like cavities, discolouration, broken teeth and to close gaps between teeth. Dental bonding is a non invasive approach for many dental issues in kids which is also cheaper than crowns and veneers and requires just a single visit. It does not require local anaesthesia and does not require exclusive care after bonding except for good oral hygiene.

However dental bonding is not advisable if the fallen tooth is likely to be replaced by adult tooth. It is a temporary solution and not a permanent one.

Pulp capping is done by the pediatric dentist when the decay is severe and reached proximity to the nerve before filling is done. The pulp comprises tissue, nerves and blood vessels when exposed leads to pain and inflammation. Pulp capping is done to preserve the supporting tissue and preserve health and integrity of the tooth. The pulp treatment might be pulpotomy or pulpectomy.

The affected pulp is removed in pulpotomy, given that the pulp root is healthy and unaffected. Pulpectomy is performed when entire crown and root canals are affected leading to removal of entire diseased pulp. After cleansing and disinfecting the canals, the crown is placed to give support to the tooth.

Placing porcelain or stainless steel crowns, root canal treatment and dental extraction are other treatments employed on kids to treat cavities and tooth decay. Children need crowns since they enable permanent teeth to grow in right place and besides filling the place, they ensure oral health and promote speech development. Stainless steel crowns are easily customized, strong and durable and are cost effective.

Defying the myth that root canal is only for adults, the procedure is also performed for kids when the tooth is damaged by accident or due to infection. When tooth loss threatens speech, eating and functionality of jaws, root canal is executed.

While executing treatment for kids, one must be aware of the numbness that local anaesthesia might cause and should cautiously prevent children from sucking or chewing numb area which in turn might result in laceration.

Most people are aware that an orthodontist treats problems like overbite, underbite, openbite, crossbite, upper front teeth protrusion and difficulty breathing, speech impairment, abnormal wearing of teeth and enamel for instances.

While toothache in such conditions is treated with over the counter medications, scratches and ulcer occurring due to braces are treated during initial phase with orthodontic wax.

As with intervention in any other body parts, orthodontic treatments pose risks which the dentist deals with diligently owing to experience. The dentist has a thorough discussion with patients about the complications in the treatment before going ahead with it.

While oral hygiene is advisable for any normal person, it is mandatory for those seeking orthodontic treatment. Lack of hygiene may lead to gingivitis which while wearing orthodontic equipment causes infection and ends up in irreversible consequences.

Brace in presence of sugar demineralises tooth enamel and initiates decay which develops as cavities and stains the teeth in yellow shades. Besides minimizing sugary food, the patient is advised to brush and rinse with fluoride paste and mouthwash respectively.

While through the procedure, the dentist faces many problems like debonding of orthodontic braces. The dentist removes modules and archwire, grips the debonded bracket and eliminates excess composite from the mesh and bonds the bracket back on tooth surface.

While the patient is expected to maintain oral hygiene, material alba is around the brackets encourages plaque content due to sticky food and results in debonding. When the patient visits the clinic in such a situation, gingival is in highly inflammatory condition.

While the orthodontist opts to scale tooth thoroughly in order to clean the tooth completely. The gingival blood in the tooth oozes for which Chlorhexdine mouthwash is locally applied to improve oral hygiene. Sometimes Zingisol or Pyosan is applied in case of gingival swelling and offers relief from irritation that occurs due to chemicals like thymol, menthol and iodine.

To stop gingival bleeding and obtain clean operating field without debris, the orthodontist could apply soft tissue lasers. Not only do soft tissue lasers control bleeding but also produce haemostasis and dispose tissue tags and clear the field for dentists.

In another context, children experience difficulty in breathing when jaws reduce size of airway due to improper positioning. This not only leads to lifelong respiratory problems but also affects facial development and ends as long faced syndrome. Rapid Palatal Expander helps the upper jaw to expand properly and increases nasal cavity size so that patient could breathe through the nose.

Disorders in bone, blood and endocrine, habits like smoking and prescription and non prescription medicines, problems in temporomandibular joints (TMJ) influence orthodontic treatment. If time for treatment exceeds estimated time due to faulty appliances and postponed appointments, the lengthened treatment time might affect the quality of treatment.

On a concluding note, orthodontist is prepared for adverse effects like root resorption, pain, pulpal changes, periodontal disease, temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) and all of the above mentioned risk factors as placed before for discussion after which the treatment is executed.

About us

Toothsi pioneers at-home smile makeover service and have designed more than 25,000 smiles since inception in 2018. With more than 1000 staffs they are expanded over 11 cities, Toothsi uses world class 3D technology to customize and digitally print aligners in industrial grade machines with CE and FDA approved sheets to ensure consistent and precise moulds.

Modus Operandi

Superlative smile correction is done within 6 months, thanks to the insistence on customization and a well equipped team which has mastered treatment planning protocols and in-depth domain knowledge.

The 3D machine rotates around the head to take pictures of teeth, jaw and skull and produces around 100 to 600 images, where one is exposed to minimum radiation. The assessment is done at the comfort of one’s own residence.

A virtual image of how the teeth might look after being straightened enables the client to edit and control how they want the teeth to appear. Customization is optimized when one could move a single tooth in desired direction in a desired distance. The software is sent to manufacturing centre which makes aligners accordingly. The 3D visual assessment is free and one could pay only after approval and in instalments.

The aligners are painless, light weight, transparent, flexible, durable, tasteless, stain resistant and BPA free with no irritation whatsoever.

Dental monitoring minimizes visits to the clinic and shows results in a quicker pace. The tooth is monitored weekly and one could also travel abroad while on treatment. The regularly uploaded image ensures that the treatment is moving on the right track and ensures comprehensive communication with the orthodontist.

Benefits

Besides aesthetic appeal, it treats overbites and underbites and creates corrections to avert health complications such as teeth damage during grinding, jaw pain and headaches, difficulty in conversation and possibilities of teeth and gum disease.

It is sometimes possible to remove cavities using some home remedies when the cavity is at the pre-cavity(early) stage..These remedies include:

Oil- Pulling – belongs to the ancient system of alternative medicine called Ayurveda. A teaspoon of sesame or coconut oil is swished around the mouth for a prescribed time and spitted out.

Aloe Vera tooth gel may help to fight the bacteria causing tooth decay according to a few researchers. But more information is needed regarding the remineralisation capacity of aloe vera.

Avoid phytic acid

Phytic acid can damage the tooth enamel and some studies have proven a link between cavities and a diet high in phytic acid. Phytic acid is commonly found in :

• Cereals
• Legumes
• Maize
• Wheat
• Rice
• Rye
• Kidney beans
• Pinto beans
• Haricot beans
• Broad beans

Vitamin D supplements have proven to reduce the incidence of dental caries significantly.

Avoid sugary foods and drinks

Eat liquorice root

The antibacterial properties of liquorice root target the cavity causing bacteria . However more research is needed before dentists can recommend liquorice sweets for cavity prevention.

Sugar free gum

Research has proved that chewing sugar free gum after meals have reduced the level of bacteria that damage the enamel.

Our 8 tips for a speedy recovery after a root canal includes:

• Keep your head elevated and please don’t eat anything immediately
• Take a pain medication
• Gargle with warm salt water
• Avoid anything that can cause inflammation – abstain from hot food for the first few days , no smoking, do not drink from a straw and do not eat hard foods or foods that you need to suck.
• Eat icecream and use a cold compress
• Relax after your root canal for a couple of days..

You should be prepared for what you might expect after a root canal . This could be sensitivity to hot or cold food, sensitivity to biting and a dull persistent toothache around the area.

And finally.. call your dentist if you are worried..