Caries, a slow and progressive process that leads to the literal destruction of the tooth, requires a specific dental treatment (filling) even when it attacks a milk tooth: as we will see in the course of the article, a carious and untreated tooth can anticipate the fall. physiological treatment of the tooth, thus laying the foundations for a future dental misalignment.
or any other permanent tooth, it doesn't matter. It is proven that caries are always favored by the same causes. They are always "them" responsible: the bacteria of the oral cavity that hide in the dental plaque, a milky and sticky patina that adheres like glue to the surface of the teeth.
The hundreds of germs that attach themselves to bacterial plaque feed on the glucose present in food residues, forming lactate as a waste product. Due to its acidity, this substance is able to dissolve the dental enamel a little at a time, attacking the dentin.
We have therefore seen that the causes of caries in milk teeth coincide with those that trigger cariogenic processes in adult teeth. What makes the difference is the astonishing speed at which bacteria corrode the enamel of baby teeth. The explanation is quite obvious: milk teeth are much smaller than permanent teeth, and their enamel is less mineralized; therefore, the bacteria of the oral cavity are able to destroy it more easily, reaching the underlying dentin and thus triggering a terrible toothache.
Curiosity
Some parents are convinced that the destruction of the dental enamel of their children's milk teeth occurs so quickly because the dental infectious process began even before the tooth eruption. The above, however, does not find any scientific confirmation, given that a tooth it can become decayed only after it erupts through the gum Totally included teeth cannot decay.
to "promote sleep" they are much more at risk of caries than other babies who are not given it (bottle caries). From here we understand how it is necessary to avoid accustoming the child to falling asleep with the sweetened pacifier: a newborn who acquires this habit will almost certainly continue to request the pacifier with honey even after the eruption of the milk teeth.
The bacteria that populate the oral cavity tend to stick tenaciously in some points of the dental surface; fed by sugars that are not removed, germs begin to "colonize" the milk teeth, forming real clusters of plaque.
Unfortunately, children are attracted like magnets to sweets and candies: the over-sugared goodies remain in the mouth for a long time, thus favoring tooth decay. If foods containing a lot of sugars are consumed several times during the day (an incorrect habit not only from a dental point of view), the risk of onset of caries further increases.
Young children are unable to brush their teeth on their own with a toothbrush and toothpaste, and it is precisely poor dental hygiene that undermines the health of their teeth.
Dairy and in need of filling should be treated like permanent teeth. A commonplace to dispel is the false belief that decayed milk teeth should not be treated because they are destined to fall: remember that a "dental infection can anticipate what should be the physiological fall of the milk tooth, thus laying the foundations for the growth of crooked teeth or, even worse, for a future dental malocclusion.
In some cases, the cariogenic process in deciduous teeth manifests itself so quickly that, when you go to your dentist to try to heal the infection, it is too late to prolong (by a few months or a few years) the physiological fall. the filling was not sufficient to cure a cavity that has gone beyond the dentin, invading the pulp of the tooth, it is necessary to intervene with more drastic methods: extracting the tooth from decayed milk can sometimes be the only conceivable solution.
Other articles on Milk Teeth and their care
- Caring for baby teeth
- Teething of the newborn (or deciduous dentition)
- Milk teeth
- Fall of the Milk Teeth
