Big Teeth Troubleshooting
Fillings
Hopefully, with a good diet,
careful brushing with a fluoride toothpaste and regular visits to the
dentist, your child will never have to get a filling. But if they do, here’s what to expect.
First, the dentist will give your child an anaesthetic so they don’t feel any pain. Then he’ll go to work drilling out the decayed bits. After cleaning and preparing this area, he’ll then fill the tooth with a bonding agent (a little bit like cement), and finally put in and shape the filling itself.
These days, there are a choice of fillings. Amalgam (which is silver in colour) is very strong which makes it perfect for back teeth where most of the chewing goes on. Whereas, white fillings are popular for front teeth because they match the colour of the teeth a bit better.
Braces and crooked teeth
Teeth don’t always grow the way we want them to. They can overlap or point in the wrong direction. So sometimes your dentist will recommend you straighten them by wearing braces.
Braces can either be removable or fixed. Removable ones have a plastic plate that can be put into the mouth with wires and clips and can be taken out for cleaning or playing sport. With fixed ones, the orthodontist glues a metal bracket to each tooth and then runs a wire over them.
Whichever ones you choose, they require extra special cleaning. As well as brushing twice a day, a fluoride mouthwash such as Aquafresh Big Teeth Mouthwash can help keep them nice and clean.
Knocked out teeth
The amazing thing about knocked out teeth is that they can often be put right back in again. Just hold the tooth by the bottom (not the root), clean off any dirt and gently push it back into the socket. Then get your child to bite on a handkerchief to hold it in place.
If this doesn’t work, don’t worry. Just put the tooth in a cup of milk or keep the tooth in your child’s mouth between the cheek and the gum. It can still be fixed back in later as long as you don’t let it get dry.
Fissure sealants
The flat chewing surfaces of the teeth at the back of our mouth aren’t actually all that flat. They’re full of little dents called ‘fissures’.
If your dentist feels your child needs extra protection from tooth decay, he may recommend sealing them up.
This is a simple and painless process, which can be performed on their big teeth. A layer of plastic coating is applied which then hardens into a protective layer.
Mouth ulcers
These are small red or yellow sores that can appear on the gum or the inside of your child’s cheek and can be quite uncomfortable.
The good news is they usually only last about seven days and you can get special antiseptic mouthwashes to clear them up even quicker.
Your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day don’t just help your children to stay healthier but they can help protect them against mouth ulcers too.
Find a dentist near you
Finding the right dentist for your child can be very important – and it’s good to bear in mind that the one you go to might not be the best one for your child. So it pays to do a bit of research. Similarly, if you’re not satisfied with the treatment your child is receiving at their dentist, or your child is consistently uncomfortable going there, it’s completely fine to change to a different one.
Find an NHS dentist in your area