Table of contents:
- Why are young children prone to having tartar?
- What is the scaling procedure for removing tartar?
- Then, at what age can children clean tartar with scaling?
Dental health is not only done by adults. Ideally, teeth and gums should be treated as early as possible from childhood. That's why you can start inviting your little one to regularly visit the dentist. One of the dental treatments offered by dentists is scaling, aka tartar cleaning. Children are prone to having tartar because of their eating habits, but when are children allowed to do scaling?
Why are young children prone to having tartar?
Tartar or also known as calculus is a hard mineral that accumulates and then hardens on the surface of the teeth, between the teeth, and also below the gum line. According to the American Dental Hygienists Association, generally tartar appears in childhood and the risk increases as the child gets older.
Tooth tartar is formed due to food debris stuck between the teeth and not cleaned properly. The remaining food is then mixed with other substances to form plaque, which over time hardens and forms coral. The hard plaque coats the teeth with a yellow brown, to black coating. Coral that sticks to the teeth for a long time will damage the child's teeth.
This condition can also lead to gum disease called gingivitis. Some studies have even linked the bacteria that infects the gums due to tartar with a risk of heart disease and other health problems.
If the tartar has already formed, you need the help of a dentist to remove or clean the tartar. This procedure is called scaling.
What is the scaling procedure for removing tartar?
Scaling is a procedure performed only in dentists, which aims to clean tartar using a mini drill-like tool called ultrasonic scaler. The tool works to clean between the deepest part of the teeth from the tartar pile and the part of the gum line that is usually difficult to reach with a toothbrush.
Tooth scaling is painless.
Then, at what age can children clean tartar with scaling?
Tooth tartar can appear at any time after your little one has complete baby teeth. At the age of two to six or seven years, children's teeth are usually more susceptible to problems such as plaque or tartar. At this age children also have a high risk of caries or tooth decay because they are usually introduced to sweet foods and high sugar levels.
If your child's teeth have a lot of tartar, he may do scaling at the dentist. Tooth scaling has no specific age limit. Your child can be scaling from any age, as long as your child already has teeth and their teeth need cleaning.
Of course, this decision would be even wiser if it was made on the advice of a pediatric dentist. The doctor will find out if your child really needs scaling, and if so, tell you what the process is like and what the possible risks (if any). The doctor also first looks at the health condition and medical history of your little one's teeth.
For that, it is important for you to be diligent in checking your little one's teeth even before they grow fully. You can start taking your little one to the pediatric dentist when their first teeth start to come out. Furthermore, you can schedule every six months to go to the pediatric dentist to regularly check the condition and hygiene of your baby's teeth.
