Dental Decay

Establishing good eating habits by limiting sugary snacks and drinkscan help your child avoid tooth decay. Regular visits to the dentist at an early age should also be encouraged.

It's important to teach your child how to clean their teeth properly and regularly. Your dentistcanshowyou how to do this. Younger children should use a children's toothpaste, but make sure to read the label about how to use it.

Children should still brush their teeth twice a day, especially before bedtime.

 

Once cavities have formed in the enamel, the plaque and bacteria can reach the dentine (the softer, bone-like material underneath the enamel). As the dentine is softer than the enamel, the process of tooth decay speeds up.

Without treatment, bacteria will enter the pulp (the soft centre of the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels). At this stage, your nerves will be exposed to bacteria, usually making your tooth painful.

The bacteria can cause a dental abscess in the pulp and the infection could spread into the bone, causing another type of abscess .