Dental Care For Kids With Down Syndrome
Posted on: 16 December 2018
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When your child has down syndrome, you may find yourself needing to deal with a number of dental issues that your child may be more prone to due to the development of their jaw and their teeth. By learning ahead of time what some of the issues you may find yourself dealing with, you can be better prepared for recognizing possible problems right away, increasing your chances of acting fast. Here are some of the dental issues a child with down syndrome can be at an increased risk of dealing with.
Spaced teeth
A child with down syndrome can have short roots and small teeth. This can leave them with large gaps between their teeth. Since a child with down syndrome won't get their full set of adult teeth along the same schedule as those without down syndrome, you'll want to wait longer before any type of determination is made, so you know all their teeth have come in completely. As more teeth come in, they can close up some of the spaces. After their teeth have all come in all the way, there may be a variety of things that can be done, such as using bonding or porcelain veneers to help close some of the spaces, or braces to help bring some of the teeth closer together.
Crowded teeth
Some children with down syndrome can have normal-sized teeth but have a small upper jaw. When this happens, the teeth can become crowded which can cause them to cross over one another. In this case, braces may be helpful, or the dentist may even want to remove some of their teeth in extreme cases.
Gum disease
People who have down syndrome have a higher chance of developing gum disease. This is due to those with down syndrome also having immune systems that are impaired and this means they don't have the same natural defenses to fend off gum disease as people without DS. Gum disease prevention can best be done with routine dental visits, good brushing habits, flossing after meals and taking them into the dentist anytime there is concern over any changes in their teeth or gums. You should also feed your child a diet that is low in sugars, so the sugars won't stick to their teeth and then cause everything else they eat and drink to also stick to the surfaces of their teeth.
For more information, contact a company such as New England Dental Specialists of Norwood today.