Tooth sensitivity is unpleasant for children and can impact them in various ways. Children with sensitive teeth may experience mood swings, irritability, and the inability to eat certain foods. You can help your child avoid these symptoms by understanding what causes dental sensitivity and how to prevent and manage it.
Significant Causes Of Teeth Sensitivity In Children
Tooth sensitivity in youngsters is caused by a variety of factors, including poor oral hygiene. It is critical to start teaching your child good dental practices as soon as possible. Here are some of the causes of teeth sensitivity in children, as well as what the pain may be trying to tell you.
Improper Brushing Routine
Children’s teeth and gums may become more sensitive than they should be as a result of improper brushing. This is because food particles are not removed from the teeth. Hard food items, in particular, can get stuck between your child’s teeth and require brushing and flossing to dislodge. Otherwise, the meal will irritate the gums, causing bad breath, tooth decay, and infection. Brush your children’s teeth regularly from the time they are babies.
Decay And Cavities
Cavities are tiny pockets of dental decay that begin on the surface of the enamel and progress within the tooth. The deeper the cavity, the more likely it is to affect the tooth’s pulp. The pulp is where the nerves and blood supplies that maintain teeth healthily and robust are located. If the deterioration has reached the pulp, either a root canal or a pulpotomy will be required.
It is almost usually painful for a child with a cavity that has progressed to this stage. The tooth may become sensitive even before the decay reaches the pulp. The tooth’s structure is weakened by the cavity, leading to sensitivity to cold and hot temperatures.
Too much acidic fruit juice and too much sugar-laden sweets are two typical food items that erode the enamel of a child’s teeth. When this happens, the teeth may become more sensitive to external stimuli, such as ice cream or a cold glass of water.
As parents, it’s critical to keep an eye on how much acidic food and drink your children consume and, if possible, restrict their intake. Cola products are one of the most common causes of enamel degradation. Phosphoric acid and citric acid, both of which contribute to enamel degradation, are found in most cola products. When it comes to your child’s dental cleaning practices and fluoride treatments in the office, you should also follow your dentist’s advice.
A simple sinus infection, believe it or not, can make your child’s teeth feel painful and sore. This is because the sinuses press against the top teeth, impacting both the nerves and making the mouth uncomfortable and sore. The best method for your child to avoid sensitivity due to sinus infection is to treat it as soon as possible.
Cracked Or Loose Filling
Fillings are used to restore decayed regions on one or more teeth. Although composite resin fillings are highly durable, they may not usually endure indefinitely. It’s possible that the filling will break or come free as it ages. When a child eats anything crunchy, chewy, or gummy, it’s also usual for a filling to shatter or fall out entirely.
When a filling breaks, your child may experience sensitivity when drinking hot or cold beverages or biting into a hard piece of food. If the nerve of the tooth gets exposed as a result of cracked or loose fillings, your youngster may avoid chewing on the side that hurts.
Development Of Permanent Teeth
You’ll notice that your child’s mouth becomes more sensitive as the baby teeth fall out and the permanent teeth emerge. This is due to the new teeth displacing the baby teeth, and the mouth has to adjust. Your youngster will often favor the other side of the mouth as the permanent tooth pushes the baby tooth out of the gums. If your child is in excruciating pain, it could be something other than permanent teeth coming in, and you should see a dentist as soon as possible.
We hope that you now understand the major causes of tooth sensitivity in children. In case of any such issue, get in touch with us. The dentists at South Airdrie Smiles are just a phone call away.