Appledore Dental Clinic
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Dentist Milton Keynes
    • Meet the team
    • Patient Success Stories
  • Smile Gallery
  • Cosmetic Treatments
    • Straight Teeth Braces
      • Fixed Braces
      • Invisalign Aligners
        • What is Invisalign?
        • How does Invisalign work?
        • Invisalign FAQs
        • Invisalign Milton Keynes
        • Invisalign Retainer
      • Myobrace Treatment
      • Braces for Children
      • Removable Braces Treatment
    • Dental Veneers
    • Dental Implants
      • How much does a dental implant cost?
      • Can I replace all my teeth with implants?
      • Dental Implants FAQs
    • Smile Reconstruction
    • Teeth Whitening
    • Dentures
    • Cosmetic Dentistry
    • Cosmetic Bonding & Contouring
    • Face & Beauty Treatments
      • Smooth Skin & Muscle Relaxants
      • Dermal Filler Treatment
  • Dental Treatments Services
    • Stress Free Dentistry for Nervous Patients
    • AirFlow Stain Removal
    • Emergency Dentist Milton Keynes
    • Family Dental
    • Anti snoring treatments
    • Mouth Cancer Checks
    • Oral Hygiene
    • Additional Treatments
    • Smile Investment Guide
    • Appledore Bonus Club
  • Blog
  • Smile Advice
  • Contact Us
  • Menu Menu

MILTON KEYNES
FIND US

01908 230 209
CALL US TODAY

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

myobrace dentist milton keynes

Dental Problems In Children – Thumb Sucking, Tongue Thrusting And More

10th July 2019/in News /by Yvonne Poole

The early years are probably some of the most important when it comes to dental hygiene and overall oral health. The way children’s teeth erupt, grow and are cared for can have a lifelong impact, from determining where their adult teeth will sit in their jaw, to their colour and strength. Unfortunately, there are a number of problems that can affect the oral health of children including tooth decay, thumb sucking and early tooth loss. These conditions can impact the strength of their adult teeth, cause pain and even lead to speech difficulties as they grow up. So even though baby teeth are eventually replaced with permanent adult teeth, it’s still important to keep baby teeth healthy. Today, we wanted to share the 3 most common dental problems that occur in children, and some tips to avoid them.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay – Baby bottle tooth decay is pretty much what it sounds like – tooth decay in very small children. It’s also known as early childhood caries, nursing caries and nursing bottle syndrome, and happens when a baby’s teeth are in regular contact with sugars. These sugars can come from any number of things, from fruit juices and milk, formula, diluted fruit juice, sugar water or any other sweet drink. It can set in with very young children – even those who are being breastfed. Often a baby will fall asleep with un-swallowed milk in its mouth after feeding, and this provides a breeding ground for the bacteria that feed on sugars in the milk and cause tooth decay. If baby bottle tooth decay is left untreated, it can cause pain and difficulty chewing and swallowing in the short term.

In the long term, it can cause problems for adult teeth growing in. A child’s baby teeth are essentially acting as ‘space savers’ for the adult teeth. But if those baby teeth are damaged or destroyed, then they can’t guide the adult teeth into the right position. Best case scenario this means crooked adult teeth that will cost money to straighten, and at worst it can cause an abscessed tooth, and that infection can spread elsewhere in the body.

Luckily there are a few ways to avoid baby bottle tooth decay. To start with, during the day try to avoid giving your baby milk or sugary drinks to calm it – instead give plain water of a dummy. If you are giving a dummy, make sure you don’t dip it in sugar, honey or any other kind of sugary liquid to make them take it. If your baby is nursing at night, make sure to remove your breast from the baby’s mouth when it falls asleep, and use a wet cloth or gauze to wipe the baby’s teeth and gums after each feeding to reduce the risk of plaque build-up.

When a child no longer requires a night feed, only allow water in a bottle as a pacifier at night.

Thumb Sucking – This one has been plaguing parents for decades, and probably will for decades to come, because there is no easy answer. It’s common and actually healthy for infants to suck their thumbs, dummies and even toys. Sucking on objects is a key part of learning to self-comfort, so it shouldn’t be discouraged altogether. The problems happen when thumb sucking continues past the age of around 5, when the adult teeth are coming in and the sucking can cause real damage. Depending on how often, hard and long your child is sucking their thumb, their teeth could be pushed out of alignment (giving them an overbite), the roof of the mouth could become malformed or the upper and lower jaws could become misaligned, which will lead to pain and speech problems in later life.

If your child is sucking their thumb past the age of around 5, you should try to encourage them away from it. But remember that thumb sucking is a security mechanism, so negative reinforcement like telling off or punishment won’t work. Instead, try giving rewards and praise for successfully avoiding it the habit. For children who need reminders, you can try covering the thumb with a plaster, and make sure you take your child’s thumb out of their mouth once they’ve fallen asleep. If the sucking continues, look into why your child is doing it. Find out what stresses they are facing and try to remove them – the habit will often disappear when the stress does!

Tongue Thrusting – Tongue thrusting is less common and is the habit of sealing the mouth for swallowing by thrusting the top of the tongue forward against the lips. Just like thumb sucking, this puts pressure against the front teeth, pushing them out of alignment and causing an overbite or speech problems. If you see your child doing this, we advise you speak to a dentist (to check there is no dental reason for this), and if that’s all clear, a speech pathologist, who will help develop a treatment plan to strengthen your child’s chewing muscles and develop a new swallowing pattern.

Tongue thrusting is a retained infantile tongue movement. It should be corrected early on with Myobrace otherwise it can affect how the jaw grows.

Good Oral Health – Of course, there are many more dental and oral health problems that can occur in children. Some are basic oral hygiene and healthcare related, while others can be indicators of underlying conditions. The important thing is to ensure you are promoting good oral health to your children from an early age.At Appledore we work with children’s teeth every day, and can give you advice on caring for their teeth, teaching them to brush and floss properly and even spot early signs of dental problems. If you’d like to know more, just book your appointment today.

Tags: baby bottle tooth decay, braces for children's teeth, dental problems in children, family dental practice, myobrace, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://cosmeticdentistmk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/shutterstock_305327297-e1605525384342.jpg 600 900 Yvonne Poole https://cosmeticdentistmk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Appledore-Dental-Clinic-Logo-HiRes-1.png Yvonne Poole2019-07-10 17:43:082019-08-02 16:28:27Dental Problems In Children – Thumb Sucking, Tongue Thrusting And More
You might also like
Invisalign invisible teeth straightening for teens in Milton Keynes Invisalign for Teens in Milton Keynes
Does it matter what toothpaste I use? Does It Matter What Toothpaste I Use?
could cold and flu medicines damage your teeth? Could Cold And Flu Medicines Be Damaging Your Teeth?
Flossing Myth Busting: Flossing Edition
Invisalign MK “The most modern and almost invisible way to straighten your teeth”
Braces for childrens teeth Milton Keynes Straight teeth for 5-15 year olds, NO braces, NO extractions
Invisalign Milton Keynes Why Invisalign for teeth straightening?
Invisalign Milton Keynes Straight Teeth Selfie with Invisalign

Recent posts

Recent
  • teenager dentist Milton KeynesWhy Invisalign for your teen?11th January 2020 - 8:25 pm
  • invisalign milton keynes win a £500.00 voucherInvisalign Milton Keynes Win £500.00 Towards Your Straight...14th January 2021 - 12:24 pm
  • Emergency dentist milton keynesEmergency Dentist Milton Keynes22nd December 2020 - 11:28 am
  • Dentist milton keynes openMilton Keynes Dentist Open During Covid Tier 419th December 2020 - 5:34 pm
  • Dentist Milton Keynes Christmas Hourspexels-anthony-shkraba-5853907Dentist Milton Keynes Working Days Christmas 202017th December 2020 - 1:28 pm

Facebook

Interested in finding your best smile?
Call for a free Best Smile Consultation on 01908 230 209

SITEMAP

  • Dentist Milton Keynes
  • Meet The Team
  • Smile Gallery
  • Success Stories
  • In The News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Information for Patients
  • Cookie Policy
  • Contact Us

OPENING HOURS

Monday – 09:00 – 17:00
Tuesday – 09:00 – 17:00
Wednesday – 09:00 – 17:00
Thursday – 09:00 – 17:00
Friday – 08:00 – 15:00

Find It Hard To Find The Time?
We Are Now Open Saturdays
By Appointment Only

GET IN TOUCH

01908 230 209
smilesmk@appledore.co.uk

376 Midsummer Blvd
Milton Keynes
MK9 2EA

Your friendly & local dentist in Milton Keynes.

Find us Appledore Milton Keynes

Day’s Clinics Limited trading as Appledore Dental Clinic with its registered address at 376 Midsummer Boulevard Milton Keynes, MK9 2EA. Appledore Dental Clinic is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is entered on the Financial Services Register, reference number 926713.

© 2020 All rights reserved

Invisalign for Teens in Milton Keynes Invisalign invisible teeth straightening for teens in Milton Keynes Invisalign Milton Keynes Why Invisalign for teeth straightening?
Scroll to top