Children’s Tooth Decay

 Written by: Wahida Sabir

Twenty deciduous teeth usually grow by the age of three. From three to six years, baby teeth do not change much, but the first tooth decay may occur during this time.
AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some patients and a dentist about children’s tooth decay; its signs, symptoms, prevention, and treatment.
Nazdana, a resident of Kabul city says, “I am suffering from toothache. I cannot go to sleep the whole night. If I eat food or drink water, its pain increases and sometimes I cry because of toothache.”
Enayatullah, a resident of Shakardara district, Kabul province says, “I am suffering from toothache and mu tooth has turned black. When I went to a dentist, he did not pull it out and suggested to wait till losing and falling out.”
Ghulam Mustafa Kohdamani, a dentist at one of the private hospitals in Kabul city says, “Cavities are permanently damaged areas in the hard surface of teeth that develop into tiny openings or holes. Cavities are also called tooth decay or caries.
At the beginning, a black spot appears on the enamel of tooth, and when this blackness develops and reaches the nerve, the child feels toothache, especially when eating or drinking hot tea or cold water, and if the disease progresses, the gums might inflame and can lead to cancers."

What do some patients think about the causes of tooth decay?

“Inayatullah says, “I have been eating more candies and had not drunk tea after eating sweets and it caused me teeth decay.”
Tamkin, a resident of Kabul city says, “I ate a few lollipops and got a toothache.”
Doctor Kohdamani says, “The mouth is full of bacteria that form a film over the teeth called dental plaque. When one consumes food and drink high in carbohydrates, particularly sugary foods, and drinks, the bacteria in plaque turn the carbohydrates into energy they need, producing acid at the same time.
When a child doesn’t wash his/her teeth after eating food and doesn’t drink tea after eating sweets, his/her teeth might find cavities and then ache.”

How do some people treat a toothache at home?

A woman from Shakardara district says, “If my child suffers from a toothache, I put a piece of ginger in the cavity of his/her tooth and he/she doesn’t feel toothache.”
Habiba, a resident of Kabul city says, “When any of my children feels a toothache, I smash a clove of garlic and put it in the damaged tooth cavity and the patient gets relief.”
Doctor Kohdamani says, “Caries does not have home treatment but the mother can prepare a salt solution for mouth rinse but it’s better to take the children to a dentist for essential treatment.
The easiest way to prevent tooth decay is to keep clean the mouth and teeth. Parents should teach their children to brush their teeth slowly after each meal and prevent them from eating sweets, and if they eat sweets, they need to drink hot tea after eating them.”