Periodontal Disease In Children: When It Can Occur And How A Pediatric Dentist Treats It

4 June 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Despite your intentions to instill good hygiene practices in your children, you could still have a child that develops periodontal (gum) disease. This serious inflammation of gum tissue needs to be caught and treated early, or your child could lose his or her teeth. If you want to know when it can occur/ how it is possible, and how your pediatric dentist will treat it, that information follows.

When Pediatric Periodontal Disease Can Occur

Periodontal disease in young children occurs for a couple of reasons. Usually it starts as a lack of oral hygiene or infrequent brushing, but a lack of vitamin C in a child's diet may also contribute to gum disease. Other vitamins and minerals that contribute to a healthy mouth may also be missing from your child's diet, especially if he or she is a very picky eater.

If you cannot get him/her to eat certain foods, a multivitamin may be necessary. It can help reverse some of the gum disease. If you also want to give the multivitamin a boost with its healing powers, remove and/or restrict sugary drinks and sweets. The sugary drinks and sweets can cause more inflammation in already inflamed gums, so by removing these foods, you give the multivitamin a chance to really work.

Periodontal disease in teenagers is quite common, since there are so many bodily changes occurring all at once. It is of greater importance during the adolescent years for your child to brush and floss often. Not only will it improve their breath and appearance, but also decrease the risks of bad gum disease.

How Your Pediatric Dentist Treats Your Child's Problem

The good news is, most periodontal disease in children is reversible. Increased brushing and flossing, multivitamins and a better diet and medicated mouth rinses to kill some of the bacteria causing the gum disease are all treatments and recommendations used by pediatric dentists for this exact issue. As your child's dental hygiene routine becomes more regular, and as the medicated mouth rinse works its magic, you should notice a healthier smile and less swollen gum tissue and blood on your child's toothbrush. If your child has difficulties brushing his or her teeth by him/herself, you may need to do it for him/her until he/she is willing and able to do it alone. If your child does not brush well because of pain and sensitivity, ask your dentist for some products that could help.

To learn more, contact a pediatric dentistry clinic like Kids Dental Tree