Showing posts with label Teeth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teeth. Show all posts

How do you encourage your little one to brush his teeth?

Tips to encourage your child to brush his teeth:

No one denies that brushing teeth is one of the best habits that you must accustom to children in order for them to be beautiful and healthy, so how do you encourage your child to brush his teeth?

- Do not force your child to putty:

If your little one hates toothpaste or spits it out, don't force him to use it, he can only brush until he gets used to it.

- Make brushing your teeth a priority.

Some mothers ignore brushing teeth in case of delay, or on some days, and this makes the child understand that brushing teeth is not a priority, so whatever the reason, do not ignore brushing teeth.

- Do not threaten your child:

Don't threaten your child to go to the dentist if he doesn't brush his teeth, and make brushing a fun time, you can play a song that the child loves while brushing teeth.

- Give it enough time:

Experts recommend that the brushing process take two minutes, if your child enjoys brushing his teeth, there is no harm in continuing for another four or five minutes.

- Be the best role model.

From a young age, take the child with you while brushing your teeth, as children love to imitate their parents.

- Organizing time:

You can use a small hourglass or timer, or even find a child's favorite song that is two minutes long and play it. Explain to the child that once the clock or song stops, he can finish brushing his teeth, and if the child is in a hurry to finish, this will help him understand the time.

The reason for the delay in the appearance of teeth in infants

Delayed eruption of children's teeth:

Some mothers may notice a delay in the appearance of their children's teeth after six months, and thus they may begin to feel some anxiety and stress, and search for the reasons that led to the teeth not appearing at their normal time.

It is worth noting that the absence of teeth does not mean that they are not present, as it is very possible that they are present inside the jaws, except that there are some natural reasons that impede their exit, and it is not possible to talk about the existence of a problem in the infant when the delay in the appearance of his teeth until after the expiration of thirteen months, i.e. a year and a month of his age without her appearing.

Reasons for delayed tooth eruption:

There are some factors that affect the appearance of teeth, including:

Genetic factor:

The genetic and biological factors of the infant play a major role in the time of their appearance, so the reason for the delay in the appearance of teeth is often due to the fact that one of the parents may delay the appearance of his teeth when he was an infant.

Thyroid problems:

An imbalance in the function of the thyroid gland and its secretions leads to disturbances in the natural growth process in general, and thus affects the timing of the emergence of teeth.

Malnutrition:

Failure of the diet to contain healthy elements suitable for the growth of the infant, such as calcium, leads to a delay in the appearance of the infant's teeth.

Vitamin D deficiency:

It is known that vitamin D is very important for the growth and health of bones and teeth, and a deficiency in it will affect the appearance of teeth.

If the delay in the appearance of teeth continues in the infant beyond thirteen months of his life, he must be taken to the doctor to carry out the necessary examinations, to find out the reason for the delay, in addition to the importance of checking the level of calcium and vitamin D, then giving the infant the appropriate treatment, but if the doctor cannot determine the cause of the delay Parents should wait until the teeth appear alone.

Steps to eliminate the habit of sucking fingers in children.. Reasons why children suck their fingers and the negative effects of this problem

sucking fingers in a child:

The first time that ultraviolet rays were directed at the wombs of pregnant women, we discovered a completely new world that had been hidden from us for many years, when we knew that the habit of sucking fingers is initiated by children while they are in their mothers' wombs. They may continue this habit until they become adults or stop it at a young age.. Is it a wrong habit as much as it is annoying to us? Should we prevent them from practicing it? And how?


How do I prevent my baby or toddler from this habit?

Let us first agree that the habit of sucking fingers in infants is normal, and therefore it does not require any interference or prevention from us; Because the child turns away from this habit from the age of two to four years, and one study showed that 94% of children stop this habit by the day of their first birthday.

Steps to eliminate the habit of sucking fingers in a child:

As for your toddler who is still clinging to this habit when he is still in the age of talking, try the following steps with him:

  • Ignore the matter completely.. Studies have shown that all children who suck their fingers at this stage have one thing in common, that their parents waged a fierce war against them to remove their fingers from their mouths whenever they noticed that.
  • Occupy him with a game or other activity to distract him from sucking fingers.
  • Talk to your child about this, and explain to him that it is a bad habit, because, for example, he transfers germs from his hand to his mouth, and it is also a habit that is not suitable for adults like him, and when you see him do it, you can alert him to that, so he may do it without knowing, and try also Determine this habit by making him understand that it is a sleep-related habit only.
  • Encourage him at times when he does not suck his finger, and you can, for example, reward him for the days he did not suck his finger.
  • Determine the situations and experiences that prompted him to this habit due to his feeling of anxiety or tension as a result of his feeling of neglect. This feeling can be alleviated through other methods, including some kind words or cuddling, as well as offering him alternatives such as a soft doll or a pillow to suck on instead of his finger.
  • Wait until he masters some skills and becomes indispensable for this habit. A child who sucks his finger because he feels hungry will soon be able to open the refrigerator and pick up what he likes without having to suck.

Reasons why babies suck their fingers:

  • The need for sucking, sucking in infants is an involuntary reaction.
  • To hypnotize himself, and he may resort to sucking his finger when waking up at night to go to sleep again.
  • To calm himself down and feel relieved.
  • To attract attention, or when he is bored that he is not receiving enough attention.
  • To deal with challenges he may face or new situations such as the first day of daycare.


The negative effects of finger sucking:

Of course, I have heard about the deformities of the mouth and teeth caused by sucking the fingers, especially the thumb. Here's the real thing:
The American Dental Association states that the habit of thumb sucking does not cause any deformities of the mouth and teeth until the permanent teeth erupt at about the age of six.
At this age, with violent and excessive sucking, the upper jaw and roof of the mouth may be affected, causing the upper teeth to mismatch with the lower ones, and it may also cause speech problems.

For these reasons, your baby's teeth appear early.. Genetic factor. Decreased calcium

Baby teeth appearing:

Did your baby's teeth appear early and you wonder about the reasons and factors that led to this? Concentrate, then, on this topic, as we will explain to you the most prominent causes associated with this common condition among children, with reference to the most important symptoms that accompany the teething stage in children.

Why do baby teeth appear early?

Infant teeth often appear between the sixth and tenth month, but they may appear at an early stage and during the third month of his life in particular.
The genetic factor is one of the most important reasons for the early appearance of the infant’s teeth. If one of the parents’ teeth appear early, it is likely that the child’s teeth will appear at the same stage. Some infants suffer from low levels of calcium in their bodies due to the mother's malnutrition during her pregnancy, which automatically promotes the early appearance of the infant's teeth.

How do you know that your child is teething?

  • The teething stage is often accompanied by pain at the level of the gums, which prompts the infant to rub it and use his toys to put pressure on it.
  • The redness and swelling of the gums, in addition to the infant's high body temperature and exposure to diarrhea, are symptoms that generally indicate teething.
  • Your baby's drooling significantly and frequently is one of the most prominent symptoms that indicate the onset of teething.

Causes and symptoms of tooth decay in children.. Poor dental hygiene. milk bottle. poor nutrition

Tooth decay in children:

Tooth decay is a common problem in children, and it is caused by bacteria that, when mixed with sugar in foods, create acid that erodes the tooth, and if left untreated causes many problems, so it is important to know the causes and symptoms of tooth decay in children.

Symptoms of tooth decay:

In children, tooth decay refers to a permanently damaged area on the surface of a tooth. Since some cavities are undetectable without showing any symptoms, it is essential to schedule regular dentist visits, where the dentist can identify and treat tooth decay early to stop further decay.

The problem of tooth decay occurs in infants and young children as well as adults, and the symptoms of tooth decay in children are usually the same as those in adults, but they may also include swollen gums, irritability, and fever, which indicates the presence of infection.

If your child seems nervous and unable to articulate the location of pain or discomfort, check his or her mouth for signs of a problem.

An untreated cavity can become larger and gradually affect the deeper layers of the tooth along with a hole.
Symptoms of general dental caries in children or adults include:
  • Toothache.
  • Sensitivity to heat or cold.
  • Brown, black or white spots on the tooth.
  • Bad breath.

Causes of tooth decay in children:

There is no single cause of tooth decay, but rather a range of possible causes. Understanding the factors that cause tooth decay in children can help you prevent dental problems in the future:

Poor dental hygiene:

It is necessary to clean the teeth to maintain the strength and health of the teeth and prevent decay, which is one of the most important consequences of not maintaining dental hygiene.

Baby milk bottle:

Tooth decay can occur at an early age if your child falls asleep with a bottle of milk or juice in their mouth, or if you cover your child's pacifier with sugar or honey, either way the sugar can collect around the teeth and lead to tooth decay.

Poor nutrition:

Eating a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates can also contribute to tooth decay, because these foods cling to the teeth.

How do you deal with your child's refusal of food during teething?

Child refusal to eat:

A child's refusal to eat is one of the most prominent symptoms associated with his teething stage, and the mother often searches for appropriate ways and steps to deal with this problem. If you are facing this problem with your child, we will provide you with a set of ideal tips to encourage him to eat during the teething phase.

  • Make sure to mash the foods you offer to your child, especially boiled fruits and vegetables, which helps him eat them without feeling pain at the gum level.

  • Focus on providing a sufficient amount of milk that provides his body with a noticeable percentage of the vitamins it needs, in addition to fluids that protect his body from dehydration. We refer here to the difficulty of your child eating solid food due to the redness and irritation of his gums, which makes milk and liquids ideal for him during this stage.

  • Do not hesitate to consult your pediatrician if you do not notice any improvement after following the above-mentioned steps, and he will specify for you the steps to be followed in this context. He may also prescribe a specific cream or medication to relieve gum pain, which will encourage your child to eat more.

  • Avoid completely forcing your child to eat, as this step will lead him to refuse to eat in most cases, even after the end of the teething stage. Patience here is one of the main points that will help you convince your child to eat despite his gum pain and the discomfort he feels during teething.

Dental problems in children and methods of treatment

Among the dental problems in children are caries and early tooth extraction.

Causes of tooth decay:

The main causes of tooth decay:
  • Not cleaning it regularly and improperly.
  • Food quality: mainly sugars and pastries, because it is difficult for some children to clean them.
  • Genetic reasons.
  • Caries prevention methods.

The most important way to protect the teeth is to brush them regularly at a rate of 3 times a day after eating in a vertical way and from the gums towards the teeth.

And the process of brushing the teeth starts from the age of 6 or 7 months, i.e. since it appears through a piece of cloth after the process of feeding or breastfeeding, and the process lasts until the age of 3 years, and when the child is able to hold the spoon to eat, he can be trained to hold the brush and brush his teeth, and the child gets used to this Habit since childhood and maintains it when he grows up.

And children should avoid eating colorful foods that contain significant amounts of sugars. Encouraging him to eat solid food ingredients such as uncooked vegetables and grains, which helps the teeth to perform their functions, as well as the growth of the upper and lower jaws and the bone that contributes to the regular growth of teeth.

Early visit to the dentist:

It is about 3 years old, and it is a normal visit, and it is not because of a problem in the teeth, to get to know the dentist and his clinic only, and so that the child is not surprised by any diagnosis in the future.

This visit also helps to identify any problem in the child's teeth that the parents did not notice
There is a black color that appears sometimes in some children at the level of the teeth, and it is not due to decay, but rather due to a type of bacteria that protects the teeth.

Early extraction of teeth in children:

Early extraction of teeth in children is a result of their decay. When diagnosed late in tooth decay, the only solution is extraction.

Parents believe that there is no problem with early extraction of teeth in the child, but it represents a major problem because the deciduous teeth have a certain age when they fall out, they give way to the permanent teeth to emerge straight, but when the deciduous teeth are extracted early, this contributes to the delay in the emergence of the permanent teeth as a result of the closure of their place Because of the rest of the teeth in the mouth, with the passage of time, and when the time comes for the permanent tooth to emerge, it finds its place closed.

But when it is necessary to extract the milk tooth early in the child, something must be put in place to preserve the place of the permanent tooth until it emerges, and in this case, les mainteneurs d'espace fixe must be used so that the child does not tamper with it, and that is in the event of one tooth being pulled out, but when a number of Teeth removable space maintenance devices can be used.

Preventive orthodontics in children.. Avoid placing machines for a long time or surgery

orthodontics:

Orthodontics can be initiated from the age of four years to avoid putting machines that last for a long period of time or surgery.

the reasons:

Children should not eat solid foods that contribute to strengthening the teeth and helping them grow, such as dry bread, meat, apples, carrots...
And not chewing well to digest the food, and therefore the teeth do not find a place to emerge

Some people are unable to breastfeed naturally, which helps to strengthen the jaws and leave a place for the emergence of teeth
A child's breathing through the nose only affects the development of the nasal bone and fatigues his respiratory abilities in the long run

Breastfeeding a child with his finger since childhood contributes to crooked jawbones, so the child must be helped to give up this habit with the help of a psychiatrist, because these practices indicate the existence of a void that the child suffers from.
Excessive use of artificial feeding.
The disturbing scoliosis remains the scoliosis of the jaw bone

Diagnosis:

The diagnosis is made when noticing any unusual behavior of the child on the part of the family, but in all circumstances, a visit to the doctor must be made at the age of four or five years to notice the extent of the distortion, which is sometimes at the level of the lower and upper jaw.
And the monitoring continues after that every 6 months or a year until the limits of 12 years, because at this stage the process of emergence and change of milk teeth with permanent teeth takes place.
And treatment must be early because after the age of 12 it becomes difficult

treatment:

The treatment is through machines to straighten the teeth, and they are not permanent. They are extracted from time to time when there is a slight crookedness in one of the teeth, which can be treated to avoid the child eating improperly.

The presence of a “shakal” in the tongue disrupts the process of bone growth, and when it is extracted through surgery at the age of between 7 and 8 years, the tongue returns to performing its basic function.
With regard to difficulty breathing, respiratory allergies can be treated, and in some cases, nasal polyps are removed if they are present

The progression of the lower jaw for children must be treated at an early age to avoid the difficulty of straightening when they grow up.
The straightening machine is used for about 5 or 6 months, which is a sufficient period for treatment

It is necessary to treat the problems of crookedness of the upper and lower jaw at the age between 4 and 5 years, because after the age of 12 years, the matter becomes difficult and the solution becomes mainly surgical. When the milk teeth fall out early, their place must be preserved until the permanent teeth emerge.

Oral hygiene in children.. Learn good oral hygiene habits from an early age

Children's teeth cleaning:

Brushing children's teeth affects future oral health. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to dental hygiene and brushing from an early age. It is very important to encourage oral hygiene in children because their dental health depends on it. Thus, according to some data published in 2017, cavities affected 33% of children under the age of five.

The best way to fight this problem is to prevent and learn good oral hygiene habits from an early age. How do you take care of children's oral hygiene?

What is oral hygiene in children?

Taking care of your children's teeth means more than preventing them from turning yellow. As adults, this problem worries and disturbs us from an aesthetic point of view, but in children, hygiene goes beyond this issue. When we talk about cleaning the mouth, we are referring to the teeth, cheeks, and tongue. Oral health can be summarized as follows:
  • Healthy and white teeth, without food residue or plaque.
  • Pink gums that don't bleed when you brush your teeth and don't hurt.
  • Good breath.

What does a child need to take care of his teeth at home? Is it necessary to buy other than brush and toothpaste?


Oral hygiene accessories for children:

Dentists recommend that adults brush their teeth, floss, and use mouthwash at least twice a day. What about the kids? Let's see what they need to maintain a clean and healthy mouth

Toothbrush:

It must be appropriate for their age. For this, you can ask your dentist for advice. In addition, it is imperative that children learn to brush their teeth manually, even if they have an electric toothbrush.

toothpaste:

Choose a toothpaste that matches the age of the child. Your dentist can recommend the best brand.

Flossing from the age of four:

It's good if the kids start to floss with your help. Then, around the age of eight or nine, they'll be ready to do it themselves.

Oral hygiene tips for children:

Good oral hygiene in children requires prevention! Obviously, the first step in ensuring our children have healthy, white teeth is to take care of them before problems arise.

Start brushing from an early age:

In general, children's oral hygiene is thought to revolve around taking care of their teeth. But this is not the case. This is why it is essential to keep your children's mouths clean once they are babies.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day:
Ideally, children should brush their teeth 3 times a day: when they wake up, after lunch and after dinner. In addition, good brushing means that you, don't forget to brush your tongue if your children are over 4 years old, you can start flossing, being careful not to damage the gums. Be patient as it will probably be difficult the first few times.

Avoid excess sugar:

Sugar is the enemy of good oral hygiene in children Children can eat sweets, but always in moderation. For example, candy sticks to the teeth, and if the child does not brush his teeth after eating it, this sugar can damage the teeth and cause tooth decay.

Eat a balanced diet:

Healthy eating is beneficial not only for health in general, but also for oral health in particular. They include foods rich in calcium, phosphorous and fluoride so that your children will have strong and healthy teeth.

Make water your main drink.

Sugary drinks can harm your teeth. Imagine that your child does not brush his teeth after drinking a cup of fruit juice. These sugars then remain in his mouth and can cause various problems.

Going to the dentist regularly:

Children should have a dental check-up at least once a year. Take advantage of this advice to learn the best care for your child's mouth.

Finally, children's oral hygiene is key. Not only for her present, but also for her future. If you have any doubts about brushing, ask your doctor for advice. No one will be in a better position to give you recommendations.

Teething.. Tips to soothe sore gums

How do I treat my baby's itchy gums?

Many parents whose nervous children cannot sleep ask, "How do I treat my child's itchy gums?"
Teething is the process in which teeth begin to appear in the baby's gum tissue.

This process can begin around six months of age, although some babies start it earlier (and others later). Symptoms such as excessive drooling, the need to chew things, irritability or bad mood, pain or tenderness of the gums, and a slight increase in temperature tend to appear at the same time.
Relieving the itchy gums of a baby is a delicate task for parents to do. We give you some tips.

Tips for relieving itchy gums in children:

Teeth coming out can be an uncomfortable step for some children. For others, not so much. The bottom two incisors are always the ones that come out first. Then the upper front teeth come in. However, every baby has a different growth pattern, so if they don't come out in that order, you don't have to worry.

If your child is going through this stage, here are some tips for relieving itchy gums. However, if he seems very upset, becomes fussy, and has trouble eating or holding a bottle, it's best to see a pediatrician.

- Scrub the gums:

Use a finger or damp gauze to rub your baby's gums. Just be sure to do it with the tip of one finger.

Refresh the baby's gums:

Use a cold spoon or a cool rattle to soothe your baby's gums. However, it should not be soaked in sugar or any other substance such as honey or juice.

Give something to chew:

The chewing object must be large enough so that it cannot be swallowed. Likewise, it should not be broken into small pieces to avoid the risk of suffocation. If you choose rubber teething rings, avoid those that contain liquid to prevent accidents. You can put it in the fridge for 30 minutes beforehand.

Cold foods to relieve itchy gums:

Teething cakes and cold foods should only be offered to babies who can eat solid foods. Otherwise, it is better to abstain. Likewise, always supervise your child to avoid the risk of choking.

See a doctor:

If your child is very irritable, embarrassed or in pain, talk to your doctor about doses of paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve the itching.

What not to do during the teething process:

There are some things that should be avoided during teething so as not to endanger the baby's health:

  • Do not put aspirin on a child's teeth or rub alcohol on his gums.
  • Do not hang the teething ring around the baby's neck, or anywhere else, to prevent the baby from latching on and putting him at risk of choking. Also avoid amber teething necklaces because the beads can enter baby's mouth if they come out.
  • Teething gels or aids should only be used with a doctor's prescription.
  • Do not cut the baby's gum tissue to help the tooth come out as this can cause infection.

Other symptoms of the teething process:

Teething is a stage full of myths surrounding symptoms and treatments. Drooling is caused by increased salivation. This is because the glands have made their job faster as the body adapts to foods other than milk:

  • Gingivitis can lead to a slight increase in temperature. In addition, the immune system may weaken and illness may present with fever.
  • With regard to diarrhoea, no link has been established between persistent loose stools or colitis and the appearance of teeth. In the case of fever, mucus and diarrhea, it is best to go to the doctor.
  • Another symptom that can be seen with teething is a lack of appetite. Indeed, babies do not lose the desire to eat, but the pain in the area makes it difficult to feed them.

How do you take care of a child's teeth?

It is important to take care of baby teeth because cavities can accelerate their fall out and leave holes for the next ones to grow in. Therefore, before they appear, clean your baby's gums daily with gauze or a clean, damp cloth and water.

When the first teeth appear, wash them with water. When they come out, you can use a little fluoride toothpaste, making sure that the child does not swallow it. Once all the teeth are extracted, brush them at least twice a day after meals.
In addition, it is best to avoid leaving a bottle of milk or juice in the baby’s bed as this can promote the appearance of cavities.

How should children take care of their mouths, and does it really start from the months of pregnancy?

The importance of oral care:

Oral care in children is a very big issue that can be summarized in a number of points, the first of which is whether the way children eat sugar is healthy or not. Is it rich in sugars or not? In particular, saccharose, which mainly causes tooth decay, is found in sugary products, sweets, chocolate, candy and chewing gum.

Compared to fructose, which is the sugar found in cereals, it is nutritious, protects teeth, and does not cause any health problems.

When does the process of dental care in children begin?

The child’s dental care process begins since the months of pregnancy in his mother’s womb in order for him to be born with healthy teeth, as a pregnant woman who suffers from a deficiency of vitamin D or calcium will negatively affect the growth of the child’s teeth because it is the stage of fetus formation that is the stage of growth of milk teeth. Where he is born in this condition with weak teeth and suffering from calcium deficiency. And you can get cavities easily.

The mother should also avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. From the first months, breastfeeding is very important for the development of the baby's mouth and for strengthening the teeth. Since birth, it is necessary to maintain their cleanliness.

When does the brushing process begin?

The process of cleaning the teeth begins before the emergence of the first tooth. This is done through a piece of cloth through which the tongue and gums are cleaned to facilitate the process of the emergence and growth of teeth. Also, brushing it at the age of 6 months, i.e. with the emergence of the first tooth. And the process is through a toothbrush intended for children and with water only, until the child reaches the age of two years.

When does the child visit the dentist?

The child can visit the dentist at the age of 6 months, that is, with the emergence of the first tooth, but in general, this must be done at the age of one year, that is, 12 months. To detect the process of tooth protrusion, is it normal or are there some problems?

In the most extreme cases, the child can be taken to a dentist at the age of 3 years, when most of the teeth have emerged in their place, and in these cases, any problem, if any, can be detected at an early age.

Tips for protecting baby teeth:

  • Breastfeeding caries (carie de biberon) is very early caries in children and they get it between the ages of one and two years and they suffer a lot from it. And this decay is the result of the baby sleeping all night with the breast-feeding box without removing it from his mouth, and the contact of the milk substance with the teeth for long hours. It causes lactic acid to form throughout the mouth, which can lead to cavities. In this case, it is advised to remove the feeding tray after the age of one year.
  • The child should drink only water before going to bed.
  • Teeth should be brushed with a toothpaste that contains fluoride.
  • The child must be accompanied in brushing his teeth according to proper methods until the age of 6 years.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and risk of dental hypomineralization

Paracetamol and changes in tooth enamel:

These nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) classified, like paracetamol by the World Health Organization (WHO) as first-line analgesics, can cause, children can cause alterations in the dental enamel, even a fracture of the tooth, when taken too frequently. These effects, revealed by a team from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and documented in Scientific Reports, call for limiting the use of certain NSAIDs in young children.

Effects on children of using analgesics:

It is precisely the use of the NSAIDs celecoxib and indomethacin that appears to be associated with dental enamel defects, effects observed in as many as 20% of children worldwide. In recent years, the dentists of the dental clinic attached to the Ribeirão Preto Dental School (FORP-USP) had observed a sharp increase in the number of children needing treatment for pain and presenting with white spots or yellow on the teeth, sensitivity and dental fragility. In some cases, simple chewing could trigger a fracture of the tooth. These observations led the team to look at the effects, in children, of the use of these analgesics.

NSAIDs and hypomineralization of tooth enamel:

Hypomineralization promotes the development of dental caries, in the form of carious lesions that are particularly difficult to restore. Studies have in fact shown that these lesions require 10 times restorations during life than “classic” caries.

The very young age of the patients has drawn the attention of researchers:

these carious lesions which form during the first years of life are generally frequent in affected children and are often accompanied by high fever. "These cavities are usually treated with NSAIDs, which inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX, a key inflammatory enzyme) activity and reduce prostaglandin production, which also promotes inflammation," says lead author Dr. Francisco de Paula-Silva, Professor of Pediatrics: "However, COX and prostaglandin are known to be involved in the formation of tooth enamel, and we therefore wondered if these drugs could interfere with normal tooth formation".

The study conducted on mice, models that have continuously growing incisors, treated with celecoxib and indomethacin for 28 days, reveals:

  • the absence of difference on the teeth visible to the naked eye,
  • but a very increased fragility on analysis after extraction: these teeth fracture more easily;
  • observation by imaging and analysis of their chemical composition suggests that dental mineralization has been affected;
  • the levels of calcium and phosphate, 2 important minerals for the formation of tooth enamel, and the mineral density are much lower than average.
 

What process is involved?

The researchers identify alterations in the proteins necessary for mineralization and cell differentiation and confirm that NSAIDs have indeed affected the composition of dental enamel.

A new factor in dental caries in children:

this discovery will lead to a study on the medical history of children with these carious lesions. If the relationship were confirmed, new recommendations for the use of NSAIDs could emerge, or at least new treatment protocols in children.

A result similar to that of tetracycline, an antibiotic not recommended for children because it causes tooth discoloration.