Dr. M.K Singh

Toothpicks can be an alternative to use for flossing if dental floss is not available. Remember not to be too harsh while using it.

As a parent it is essential that you condition your kids with healthy dental maintenance habits.

Baby teeth play an important role in helping your child bite and chew food, and speak clearly.

ORAL HYGIENE FOR YOUR TODDLER

A toddlers’ dental care regime includes wiping your child’s gums with an infant gum massager, clean damp gauze or a washcloth.

Once your child’s teeth come in, brush them twice a day using a soft bristled toothbrush with water.

Research shows that children who develop cavities in their baby teeth are more likely to develop cavities as an adult, so be sure to get your child to a dentist for a checkup. It is important to keep your child’s baby teeth clean, but once the permanent teeth start to come in you really need to make cleaning them a priority. These teeth will last your child a lifetime.

Brushing

At some point, your child will want to brush his or her own teeth. It’s fine to give him a turn. But afterwards, you should always brush your child’s teeth a second time. Most children won’t be able to brush their teeth well on their own until they are about 6-8 years old. Use fluoride toothpaste only when your child is old enough NOT to swallow it.

Nutrition

While what your child eats is important for healthy teeth, how often a child eats is just as important. Cavities can develop when sugar-containing foods are allowed to stay in the mouth for a long time. Bacteria that live on the teeth feast on these bits of food. They create acid, which eats away at tooth enamel. Between meals or snacks, saliva washes away the acid. If your child is always eating, there may not be time for this acid to get washed away.

1st Dental Visit

New parents often ask, “When should my child first see a dentist?”

Your child should see a dentist by his or her first birthday.

Losing Baby Teeth

On average children begin to lose their baby teeth when they are about 6 or 7 years old. It doesn’t mean something is wrong with your child if they lose their teeth before or after this time.

Most children lose their teeth in the same order they came in.

For example, they lose their bottom center teeth first. When a child is about 6 years old their teeth will begin to come loose. Let your child wiggle the tooth until it falls out on its own. This will minimize the pain and bleeding associated with a lost tooth.

A word of caution -Remember!

Giving your child a bottle of sweetened liquid many times a day, or allowing your child to fall asleep with a bottle during naps, or at night, can be harmful to the child’s teeth.

Sing along the Smile Essentials Healthy Teeth Rhyme with your Kids!

Dab on some toothpaste on my colourful brush,

There is no hurry and I should not rush,

Slowly and steadily my teeth get clean,

As I brush all over and in between,

This may take a while,

But is very important for a great SMILE!

Many of the same treatment and evaluation options that adults have are also available to kids.

These include x-rays, dental sealants, orthodontic treatment and more.

Growth hormone or somatropin is responsible for cell growth as well as reproduction. But insufficient somatropin production by the pituitary gland may result in lack in height. It is mostly caused by a serious brain injury, any prevalent medical condition or might occur as a birth defect.

Types:

1. Congenital GHD - This form of GHD appears from at the time of birth itself.
2. Acquired GHD- GHD can be acquired during later life as a result of trauma, infection, tumor growth within the brain or radiation therapy.
3. Idiopathic GHD- Idiopathic GHD is the third, and comparatively worst kind of GHD since it has no treatment.

GHD is mostly permanent, but can also be transient. Read on to know how to detect whether you or your child is suffering from growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Symptoms:
Childhood onset

1. Restricted height- Compared to other children of your child's age, he/she may be of shorter height, which is a rather conclusive sign to detect somatropin deficiency.
2. Chubby and comparatively younger appearance- Your child may have a proportionate body, but if he/she is unnaturally chubby and has a baby-face compared to other children, he/she may be suffering from GHD.
3. Late puberty- Your child's puberty maybe later than usual or even not appear at all, depending upon the gravity of the GHD.
4. Hypoglycemia and exaggerated jaundice- Low blood sugar is amongst the most primary manifestations of GHD, along with extended duration of jaundice.
5. Micro-penis- Micro penis condition is one of the incident signs of GHD, which later escalates to growth deficit as the infant gets older.

Adult onset:

1. Fatigue- Adults with GHD may experience extreme tiredness throughout the day, with reduced muscle strength.
2. Osteoporosis- Osteoporosis, along with bodily deformities, is a common sign in adults with GHD.
3. Lipid abnormalities- A test of your lipid profile may reveal abnormalities in LDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and impaired cardiac functions.

Tests to determine GHD:

1. Physical test- A chart is drawn to determine the proportion of height and weight with respect to your age to detect anomalies.
2. Hand X-ray- A hand X-ray can determine whether the age of bones are at par with your age.
3. MRI-MRI scan can determine the health of your brain and pituitary gland.
4. Test for other hormones- Growth Hormone may not be solely responsible for your health condition, so it is important to determine if other hormone levels are all normal.

Treatment:

1. Hormone supplements- Hormone supplements like corticosteroids (hydrocortisone or prednisone), Levothyroxine (levoxyl, synthroid, etc), and others work to replenish the deficiency of pituitary hormones.
2. Growth hormone injection- GH is injected beneath your skin, to cure GDH. This is a long-term treatment and requires constant monitoring.

Here are some causes and treatments for tooth sensitivity.