Namma Baby Dentist

 

Dear parents when it comes to children’s oral health, all of us have an impression that tooth decay is the only issue that we need to address.

But there are many more dental related serious problems which get ignored due to lack of awareness. Namma Baby Dentist ( Bangalore ) would like to create awareness & spread the light of knowledge on some of those for the better growth & development of children.

So here is the checklist. Observe your children if they have this findings as it can alter their speech , Jaw development, breathing etc.

Tongue tie

Tongue tie, also known as ankyloglossia is a condition in which child is born with a short lingual frerum below their tongue, restricting the mobility of tongue.

Children with tongue tie face various issues since the beginning of their life, such as difficulty in breastfeeding, abnormal speech, difficulty in maintaining oral hygiene, spitting while talking , low self esteem & other social concerns.

It is always better to be identified & corrected as earlier as possible as it can hamper the growth & development of child. Minor oral surgical procedures such as frenotomy or frenectomy can correct the condition.

Recently with the advanced technology of Laser, it is all the more simpler to correct a tongue tie.

High frenal attachment causing space between front teeth.

Although space between front teeth is normally seen during the developing stage of dentition, we must rule out if there is thick frenal attachment in between teeth.

Various other problems caused by a high frenal attachment are gum recession, speech difficulty, difficulty in oral hygiene maintenance.

Even this condition can be corrected by frenectomy procedure.

 

 

Crossbite resulting in abnormal jaw growth

 

Crossbite is a malocclusion ( bite problem ) wherein the teeth of lower jaw are placed outside covering the upper jaw teeth.

This can happen with one or more teeth in the jaw. In growing children & teens this condition can affect the way face & jaw grows resulting in an unbalanced facial appearance.

Symptoms we can observe in crossbite cases are receding gums, tooth wear , uneven jaw growth, jaw shifting to one side, Temporomandibular Joint disorder, enamel breakdown & loose teeth.

Crossbite must be corrected the moment it is observed. Hence early identification of the problem is very important.

Pedodontist can advise the best orthodontic appliance for its correction in the early age itself.

Once it is corrected, soon you will observe the balanced growth in jaws of children.

 

Abnormal Jaw Growth

Normal growth of upper & lower jaw are affected by the soft tissue muscles around the mouth, tongue & their function.

Whenever there is any alteration in the symmetrical growth of jaws we must first check & confirm, if there is any abnormal functioning of soft tissue around.

Overgrowth or undergrowtrh of any jaws can result in abnormal appearance , breathing pattern, swallow pattern, malaligned teeth , teeth grinding , speech impairment & many more long term health impacts such as obstructive sleep apnoea.

Early interceptive orthodontic treatments such as Jaw growth guidance appliances , Myofunctional orthopaedic appliances given at the right time can correct a developing abnormality in jaw growth.

Thumb sucking, lip biting & tongue thrusting habits

According to functional matrix theory of growth & development, form of hard tissue component ( jaw & teeth ) is highly influenced by the function of soft tissue component around it.

Going by this very relevant theory of growth, whenever there is pressure exerted on the jaw by the above mentioned habits, the formation of jaw gets affected resulting in abnormal appearance & alignment.

Thus habits must be corrected as early as possible with a combined effort with psychological counselling & habit breaking reminder oral appliance.

Namma Baby Dentist highly Recommends & promotes preventive orthodontic therapies like this so that full fledge orthodontic corrections can be minimised in future, also giving the best esthetic as well as functional effects.

Bruxism ( Tooth grinding Habit )

Bruxism is unconscious grinding, gnashing & clenching of teeth. Bruxism can lead to tooth wear, tooth sensitivity & pain , jaw pain, headache, loosened teeth & sleep disorders.

What causes bruxism?

• Stress & anxiety
• Abnormal bite
• Missing teeth
• TMJ disorder
• Intestinal parasites ( worms )

How to correct bruxism?

To treat this condition, it is very important to first diagnose the reason why this habit has developed. An etiology based treatment planning is done. Dentists can provide a custom made mouth guard which will protect your teeth from grinding at night & also reduces the jaw pain associated with it.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep related disorder that involves a decrease or complete halt in airflow despite the ongoing effort to breathe resulting in a abrupt reduction in blood oxygen saturation , with oxygen level falling as much as 40% or more in severe cases.

Symptoms

• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Loud snoring
• Observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep.
• Abrupt awakening in between sleep along with gasping & choking.
• Dry mouth
• Morning headache
• Lack of freshness as you awake
• Difficulty in concentrating in studies
• High blood pressure
• Obesity

Causes of obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much during normal breathing of sleep. When the muscle relaxes , your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in, in turn halting your breathing for 10 seconds or longer. This can lower the oxygen level in blood & also cause a buildup of carbon dioxide.

Treatment

• Weight reduction
• Continuous positive airway pressure. (CPAP )
• Oral appliances ( Mandibular advancement )
• Surgery ( Uvulapalato pharyngoplasty/ Adenotonsillectory )
• Position therapy ( patients are advised to avoid sleeping on their back & also to raise the head of the bed to reduce symptoms ). Depending on the severity of condition, a multidisciplinary approach is required to manage obstructive sleep apnea.

Conclusion

Namma baby dentist is an exclusive Center for paediatric dentistry & orthodontic treatments. When a child comes to us with any dental problem, we treat them with utmost care to give the best treatment outcome.

Our pediatric experts provide a comprehensive diagnosis & treatment plan for growing kids & teens, resulting in the best overall growth & development & Well being.

FAQs

Which is the best Kids dentist in Bangalore ?

Namma Baby Dentist is the best kids dentist in Bangalore.

 

What happens if a thumb sucking habit persists in children?

A persistent thumb sucking habit can alter the growth of jaws resulting in development of forwardily placed upper teeth and other bite issues.

 

Can Tongue tie cause speech problems in children?

Yes, Tongue tie is an abnormality in which mobilty of tongue is restricted due to its attachment to the floor of the mouth. This can hamper the normal speech development in children. It can be corrected at earlier age itself with minor oral surgical preocedure called frenectomy.

 

Can bite problems cause sleep disorders in children?

Common bite problems such as bruxism, crossbite, abnormal jaw alignment are also associated with airway obstruction resulting in major sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a condition which can cause major metabolic health issues in future. Hence it is better to identify and correct the bite issues as early as possible.