Contents:
- Medical Video: Dental Health Check for Kids
- Why do vulnerable children have tartar?
- What is the procedure for scaling to remove tartar?
- Then, at what age can children clean tartar by scaling?
Medical Video: Dental Health Check for Kids
Dental health is not only done by adults. Ideally, teeth and gums should be treated as early as possible since they were children. That is why you may begin to invite your child to routinely visit the dentist. One of the dental treatments offered by dentists is scaling, aka tartar cleansing. Children are vulnerable to tartar because of their eating habits, but when are children allowed to do scaling?
Why do vulnerable children have tartar?
Tooth tart or calculus is a hard mineral that accumulates and then hardens on the surface of the tooth, between the teeth, and also below the gum line. According to the American Dental Hygienists Association, generally tartar appears in childhood and the risk will increase with increasing age.
The tartar is formed due to the leftovers that are tucked between the teeth and not cleaned properly. The rest of the food then mixes with other substances to form plaques that harden and form corals. The hard plaque coats the teeth with a layer of brown, black and black. Long-standing coral in the teeth will damage the child's teeth.
This condition can also cause gum disease called gingivitis. Some studies even link bacteria that infect gums due to tartar with the risk of heart disease and other health problems.
If the coral has already been formed, it needs the help of a dentist to remove or clean the tartar. This procedure is called scaling.
What is the procedure for scaling to remove tartar?
Scaling is a procedure performed only at the dentist, aiming to clean the tartar using a mini drill tool called ultrasonic scaler. The tool works to clean between the deepest parts of the teeth from the tuft of tartar and the gum line that is usually difficult to reach with a toothbrush.
Scaling teeth doesn't hurt.
Then, at what age can children clean tartar by scaling?
The tartar can appear at any time after your baby has complete milk teeth. At the age of two to six or seven years, usually the teeth of children are more susceptible to problems such as plaque or tartar. At this age also children have a high risk of caries or tooth decay because they have usually been introduced to sweet foods and high sugar levels.
If the child's teeth are found in tartar, he may just do scaling at the dentist. Scaling teeth do not have a certain age limit. Your child may be scaling from any age, provided that your child already has teeth and his teeth need cleaning.
Of course this decision will be even wiser if it is done at the suggestion of a child's dentist. The doctor will find out if your child really needs scaling, and if yes, tell you what the process looks like and what the risks are (if any). The doctor also first looks at the health condition and dental history of the child.
For that, it is important for you to diligently check your baby's teeth even before his teeth grow completely. You can start taking your child to the child's dentist when his first teeth begin to grow. Next, you can schedule six months to go to the child's dentist to regularly check the condition and cleanliness of your baby's teeth.
