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Child dentist Geneva

Prevention and care

Dental caries

What is tooth decay?

Tooth decay, also known as early childhood tooth decay, is an aggressive infection of the baby teeth that begins just after tooth eruption in children aged 0 to 5 years.

Without proper oral hygiene, cavities go unnoticed because they appear as a white line near the gums and are often covered with plaque.

The bad habits that are responsible for this disease:

- Allow the child to sleep with a bottle containing milk or sweetened drinks.

- Breastfeeding on demand at night

- Give a diet high in sugar (> 3 times a day)

- No tooth brushing or unsupervised brushing. As a guideline, until a child writes his or her name correctly, he or she does not know how to brush effectively.

- Do not use fluoride toothpaste

- Encourage oral bacteria transmission from mother to child by kissing her child on the mouth or eating from the same plate.

How to avoid cavities in children?

Certain rules should be followed to prevent the appearance of cavities:

Practice good oral hygiene

From an early age, your child should be well educated in oral hygiene. As soon as the first tooth appears, Baby's tooth should be brushed, without toothpaste, once a day. You can use a suitable compress or mini toothbrush, making circular movements. From the age of two, you should brush your teeth twice a day - morning and evening - for at least 2 minutes, with suitable toothpaste. If your child is reluctant to brush his teeth, you can try using a connected toothbrush, which will give him access to games or small cartoons.

Choosing a toothbrush and toothpaste adapted to your child's age

The child should have his own toothbrush, to be changed every three months as soon as the teeth appear in the mouth. Soft bristles are recommended. In order to be well advised on the choice of the right toothbrush and on the right brushing technique, it is important to consult a Dental Hygienist who will give you all the necessary instructions.

Limit sugar

For many health issues, including dental health, it is important to monitor your child's sugar intake. If it is not a question of depriving him of sweets, it is necessary to reserve it for special occasions. Sweets, sodas, sweet fruit juices must be foods for exceptional consumption!

Make regular monitoring visits

A first check-up with the dentist and/or a dental hygienist is recommended from the age of 2 years. Thereafter, an annual control is essential but if necessary, closer visits may be indicated.

How do you treat cavities?

The dentist can also prevent cavities in the teeth by applying a resin to the surface of the teeth. This technique, mainly for children, is called crack sealing.

Cavities that have not had time to reach the tooth pulp are easily treated and require only a simple composite resin filling. Once cleaned, the cavity is plugged, so the tooth pulp is preserved and the tooth is alive. The result is immediate and aesthetic.

Sometimes when the decay is too deep and too close to the nerve, it is necessary to do a devitalization of the tooth.