How to prevent children’s teeth from growing crooked?

Children will experience tooth replacement during the process of growth and development. Having white and neat teeth is very important in their future life. If a child's teeth grow crooked after tooth replacement, appropriate dental correction should be carried out in time. In daily life, we should prevent children’s teeth from growing crooked during tooth replacement and avoid them developing bad eating habits. They should eat more foods containing calcium.

1. Correct bad habits

It is necessary to correct some bad habits of children in time, such as sticking out or biting the tongue, biting fingers or pencils, licking teeth with the tongue, etc. These bad habits will affect the growth of children's teeth and cause deformed and uneven teeth.

2. Eat foods rich in calcium

Teeth are bones, and what bones need most is calcium. Children need a lot of calcium during the period of tooth replacement. If calcium is not absorbed enough, it will cause uneven teeth and make the teeth more susceptible to caries and other symptoms. Therefore, during the period when children are replacing their teeth, parents must let their children eat more calcium-rich foods, such as milk, cheese, eggs, soy products, kelp, seaweed, dried shrimps, sesame seeds, sea fish, vegetables, etc., so that the newly grown teeth can be stronger.

3. Pay attention to oral hygiene

Children should be urged to brush their teeth every day. It is best for adults to help brush their teeth before going to bed at night, especially the upper teeth, which are more difficult to clean and are most likely to cause tooth decay and affect tooth growth. Choose toothpaste and toothbrushes designed for children, and the toothbrush head should be as small as possible. In addition to brushing teeth, it is best for children to rinse their mouths after each meal to maintain oral hygiene.

4. Don’t breathe through your mouth

Try to prevent children from breathing through their mouths while they sleep. This is because when air flows through the mouth, the upper palate is subjected to upward pressure and cannot develop downward normally, causing the upper palate to bulge upward, and the left and right sides of the upper dental arch to become narrower, with the front part protruding forward. As a result, the erupted incisors not only tilt forward, but also are misaligned, forming gaps in the teeth.

5. Regular oral check-up

Children should have regular oral examinations during the period of tooth replacement so that problems can be discovered and corrected in time. Generally, children should have an oral examination every six months. If there are special needs, regular check-ups can be conducted based on the doctor's advice.

6. What should I do if my child has cavities before his teeth change?

If your child has cavities, he or she must see a doctor, and cavities must be filled before replacement teeth appear. During the period of tooth replacement, if the child's deciduous teeth are diseased, they must first go to the hospital for an X-ray examination. If the results show that the permanent teeth have begun to grow, the damaged deciduous teeth can be directly extracted; if the X-ray shows that it will take more than half a year for the permanent teeth to grow out, then filling treatment will be required.

Control snacks. After you have tooth decay, you should especially control snacks, mainly candies, candied fruits, cakes, beverages and other foods with high sugar content, so as not to aggravate the condition. Let your children regularly eat different types of food such as fruits, dairy products, grains, vegetables, meat, eggs and other foods rich in vitamins, calcium, phosphorus and fluoride, which are helpful for healthy teeth.