Persuading a child to go to the dentist is not an easy task, especially when dental treatment is required. Sometimes it takes 2-3 days to persuade, and sometimes a whole week. But if caries at the initial stage can still be tolerated, then an abscess on the gum requires urgent medical intervention.
Yes, sometimes a purulent formation can go away on its own. But, as a rule, inflammation returns, especially in autumn or winter, when the child’s immune system is weakened. It is not uncommon for a lump to form during colds. But an abscess can lead to tooth loss or infection of other teeth. Don't wait for the lump to disappear on its own or appear again, contact your pediatric dentist!
Treatment
Depending on whether a permanent or baby tooth caused a lump on the child’s gums , the doctor carries out appropriate treatment. If a permanent tooth is damaged, seek help immediately while there is a chance to save the child’s tooth. The doctor will have to remove the nerve and fill the canals. In this case, adult dental treatment is a necessity, because if high-quality treatment and appropriate treatment are not carried out, the child may lose a tooth.
Milk teeth are removed immediately - their root system has not yet had time to form, and it is impossible to properly fill the canals. In addition, if the diseased tooth is left, the molar may grow back with defects.
The specialists of the Medexpert Center for Family Dentistry will help you cure or remove a child’s tooth All procedures in the clinic are performed under medical sedation. While the baby is sleeping peacefully and does not feel pain or discomfort, the doctor can carry out all the necessary procedures. The ability to treat teeth in a dream is a real salvation for parents and children. In addition, sedation is safe for the child’s body and even helps to cope with dental phobia.
Treatment of white spots on gums
The first thing parents need to do is visit a pediatrician. If necessary, the child will be referred to a dentist. Pediatric dentistry is a department where the factors that provoke the disease are determined. Depending on your age, the doctor will carry out therapeutic measures.
- In case of improper hygiene, the mother will receive professional recommendations.
- When pimples are a consequence of vitamin deficiency, the nutrition of the mother and child is adjusted. You should drink enough liquid.
- Congenital masticatory organs, if they are mobile, are removed.
- Pathological diseases are treated with modern methods.
- The toddler should be protected from anxiety and stress.
- Stomatitis is treated with antiseptics, for example, Miramistin. The drug is prescribed by a doctor.
- Candida fungus is eliminated with drugs such as Flucostat. The baby's mouth is treated with chlorhexidine.
- If there is a lack of calcium, the necessary minerals are prescribed.
You cannot puncture the blisters yourself. The gum tissue may be damaged. After all, with such a procedure, infection can easily occur.
Prevention
- oral hygiene (make sure your baby brushes his teeth properly);
- balanced diet;
- rinsing your mouth every meal;
- preventive procedures (remineralization, fluoridation; fissure sealing);
- timely dental treatment;
- preventive examinations at the dentist 2 times a year.
Timely dental treatment for children and proper oral hygiene are the main weapons in the fight against caries and other diseases. Teach your child to take care of the health of their teeth and beautiful children's smiles will delight you every day!
Calcium deficiency
In the first months of life, a child receives all vitamins and microelements (with the exception of vitamin D) only through food. If the baby is breastfed, the mother needs to monitor her diet: of course, first of all, this means limiting the diet to exclusively hypoallergenic and non-harmful foods - not fatty, fried, salty. At the same time, it is necessary to try to diversify the diet as much as possible so that as many vitamins and minerals as possible are transferred to the baby along with food. In particular, calcium.
Calcium is found in dairy products (especially cottage cheese, hard cheese), sesame seeds, dried apricots, sunflower seeds, and apples. Particular emphasis should be placed on these products - after all, calcium is one of the main “building materials” for bones.
If the baby is formula-fed, it is necessary to reconsider the diet and choose a different formula - additionally enriched with this macronutrient.
What you need to know about gum disease in children
Healthy gums of a child are very vulnerable and delicate pale pink tissues that are easily subject to all kinds of injuries, which is not so typical for the tissues of the oral cavity of an adult. Fortunately, they are capable of rapid regeneration. It is also interesting that children’s gums can reflect the general condition of the body, acting as a litmus test for systemic diseases.
Among the most common diseases around dental tissues and gums
- Gingivitis
This inflammation occurs in 80% of children. The development of the disease in infants is facilitated by the adverse effects of general and local factors. - Gum atrophy
Up to 50% of the child population faces this serious problem. - Stomatitis
Various types of this disease are diagnosed most often in infants and preschool children. - Periodontitis
In this disease, inflammation develops in the periodontal tissues. About 5% of young dental patients are diagnosed with this condition. - Periodontal disease
Similar degenerative changes that affect periodontal tissues practically do not occur in childhood.
Gum diseases that most often occur in children
Inflammatory diseases
Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums that occurs due to general or local exposure. Over time, untreated gingivitis can develop into periodontitis, that is, a condition where inflammation affects the periodontal tissues (bone tissue and muscle ligaments that hold the tooth in the jaw). In children, this disease is extremely rare, but still, preventive measures should not be neglected. If the development of a serious disease is not noticed in time, this can lead to loosening and further loss of the tooth. If gingivitis in a child responds well to treatment, and you can get rid of it without health consequences, then periodontitis, as a rule, becomes chronic, which is practically incurable.
The inflammatory process that accompanies the granulating form of periodontitis can provoke the formation of a cyst, and even the occurrence of a fistula on the gum. However, these complications are more typical for carious disease of dental tissues. Be that as it may, if you notice that the baby’s gums have acquired a bright red color, and deep grooves have appeared between the teeth and gums, and there is an unpleasant odor coming from the child’s mouth, then most likely the inflammation has affected not only the gums, but also deeper located periodontal tissues. You need to immediately contact pediatric dentistry, where the doctor will promptly prescribe comprehensive treatment.
Dystrophic diseases
Very often, infants and preschool children experience a pathology such as gum atrophy. The development of this negative phenomenon is facilitated by:
- incorrect orthodontic treatment;
- oral injuries;
- crowded teeth;
- all kinds of malocclusions.
Atrophy of gingival tissue is usually local in nature. It usually develops in the area of the canines and front incisors. The development of the disease is accompanied by mild inflammation. The child feels virtually no pain and has no complaints. After some time, degenerative changes cause exposure of the neck of the tooth and its root, the appearance of pathological sensitivity and severe pain.
Periodontal disease is a dystrophic disease that affects all periodontal tissues. This pathology practically does not occur in children. Its development is possible only in seriously ill babies whose immune systems are suppressed. Their body is in a state of deep vitamin deficiency. This disease is characterized by atrophy of the gums and other periodontal tissues. This incurable process can lead to complete resorption of bone tissue. In most cases, teeth that have already acquired unhealthy mobility cannot be saved. Only surgical intervention aimed at removing the affected tooth can bring a certain effect.
Risk factors
Local risk factors
Gum disease in children can be caused by a number of local factors:
- Microbes
Tartar, the formation of which is promoted by poor-quality oral cleaning, can provoke various gum diseases. First, yellow plaque accumulates on the teeth, in which pathogenic bacteria feel at ease. Then, at first glance, harmless plaque turns into hard dental deposits, which subsequently cause serious pathological changes in dental tissue and gums. - Teething
The development of gingivitis can be triggered by teething, as well as their replacement with permanent ones. - Uneven load on the dental system
This entails the development of malocclusion in the child, lethargy of chewing, the habit of chewing food on one side, a short frenulum of the tongue and lips contribute to the occurrence of gingivitis. - disruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system (adolescence and associated hormonal changes);
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- respiratory system diseases;
- pathologies of the immune system, autoimmune diseases;
- hypo- and vitamin deficiency.
- swelling of the gums and bleeding;
- bad breath;
- burning and itching in the gums.
General risk factors
The following systemic diseases and changes in the functioning of body systems can provoke gum disease:
Attention: first signals!
The following factors can signal the development of gum disease in children:
The occurrence of these symptoms necessitates a visit to the dentist. The sooner the child receives help from a qualified specialist, the higher the likelihood of easy relief of the disease at the initial stage and the opportunity to reverse the nascent process.
Prevention of white gums in a newborn
To prevent the occurrence of pathological white spots on a child’s gums, it is necessary to carefully monitor the hygienic condition of the oral cavity, as well as maintain immunity and health at a high level.
To do this you should:
- organize a balanced and rational diet that will saturate the baby’s body with minerals and vitamins;
- Regularly wash the mother’s hands when preparing food and feeding the baby;
- avoid contact with carriers of infectious diseases;
- do not allow the baby to put into his mouth and chew contaminated and sharp objects that can damage the mucous membrane of the gums;
- keep toys and personal belongings clean;
- The baby should have an individual spoon, cup and plate.
If you find white areas on the gums of a small child, there is no need to panic and ask friends or relatives for advice. Most likely, your baby has nothing terrible or serious, but it is still better to seek advice from a pediatrician or dentist. If an illness is detected, the baby will be promptly prescribed treatment.
Author: Violeta Kudryavtseva, dentist, especially for Karies.pro
Course of therapy
Moms and dads should understand that buying medications on their own and giving them to infants is strictly prohibited. Many tablets, ointments and gels are contraindicated for children. You can treat your baby only with the drugs that your pediatric dentist recommends. After the baby has eaten, you can give him one tablespoon of clean water, this will help get rid of food residues on the tongue. Before each feeding, the mother should wash her breasts well. It is not advisable to use aromatic shower gels. Also, some doctors recommend that nursing mothers wash their breasts with a weak soda solution. The drug Candide effectively helps with thrush. If the pediatrician determines that the baby has vitamin deficiency, he will prescribe the necessary medications and suggest that the mother reconsider her diet. Such remedies as Nurofen or Panadol will help relieve fever and relieve pain. Acyclovir is popular among antiviral drugs. If the bumps are filled with pus, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. Among folk remedies, decoctions and infusions of calendula, chamomile and sage work well. Before adding a traditional method to your course of therapy, you must consult with a specialist.
Possible complications
The initial stage of the disease is easy to treat.
Most often, the initial stages of diseases accompanied by the appearance of white plaque on the gums proceed unnoticed. That is why there is a problem of early diagnosis of such a disease, which can sometimes be very serious.
In an advanced stage, this symptom causes severe pain in the child, and then even the most inattentive parent will notice the problem. But treating the disease at this stage is much more difficult and longer.
In addition, in the absence of timely and correct treatment, various complications may arise:
- dysbacteriosis;
- problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
- damage to internal organs;
- transition of the disease to a chronic form;
- diseases of ENT organs;
- development of sepsis, etc.
Such complications can arise not only due to lack of treatment due to late diagnosis, but also during attempts at self-medication, when parents may mistakenly believe that they are able to cope with the disease on their own, without the help of a doctor. But in the end, this only makes the situation worse.
Reasons for the appearance of white plaque on the gums of a baby
- Insufficient oral care for the baby. Children's mouths need daily cleaning, both before and after teeth appear. If you neglect these hygiene standards, the mucous membrane becomes covered with white spots. As a result, infection can occur and bacteria can develop that cause stomatitis. To avoid this, you need to wipe the baby’s oral cavity every day with a bandage soaked in water and soda (the bandage is wrapped around the mother’s clean finger and dipped in a soda solution - 1 tsp per glass of boiled water).
- Bon's nodules are harmless, round-shaped spots. They are formed from dental tissue or salivary glands. They do not cause additional symptoms and disappear on their own.
- Candidiasis (thrush) is a bacterial disease that occurs due to several factors:
- thrush in the mother during pregnancy and childbirth,
- reduced immunity,
- teething period
- bathing the baby in a shared bathroom,
- dry indoor air,
- profuse regurgitation.
- the presence of a cheesy coating on the mucous membranes of the lips and mouth,
- pain and burning,
- refusal to eat,
- seizures in the corners of the mouth,
- tearfulness.
You should not hope that the disease will go away on its own. If symptoms are detected, you should seek help, because only a doctor can correctly diagnose the disease.
Stomatitis
Stomatitis is a lesion of the mucous membrane in the oral cavity. It is manifested by the active formation of white plaque throughout the oral cavity. If you wrap a sterile bandage around your finger, moisten it with water and wipe off the plaque, it will come off, but will soon reappear.
Initially, you may not even pay attention to the plaque, or mistake it for leftover food - the baby behaves calmly, as usual. But if stomatitis is not treated, later the plaque will turn into ulcers on the mucous membrane, so it will be difficult and painful for the baby to eat, and the gums themselves will change significantly.
To cure stomatitis at the initial stage, it is necessary to maintain oral hygiene (rinse the mouth or give the baby some water after each meal), and also exclude salty, spicy and sour foods from the diet, which, in principle, are not desirable for a baby in the first year of life, but in In this case, such food also additionally injures the irritated mucous membrane.
If stomatitis is already quite developed, treatment will be medication. But don’t be upset - the result will come quickly, and the baby will immediately notice relief from the condition.
A white coating on the baby’s mucous membranes is a signal to the mother that she needs to be more attentive to the health of the baby. It is necessary to see a doctor to determine exactly what process in the body caused the appearance of this plaque - and only then begin treatment.
Causes of white pimples on the gums of infants
Whitish or red pimples are a fairly common occurrence in children of the first year of life; they can be of various shapes (flat and convex, like balls, oval and round), different to the touch (hard or soft), multiple or single. In any case, if any pathology is detected in the child’s mouth, you should consult a specialist.
The reasons for the appearance of pimples are completely varied, both dangerous and harmless:
- Stomatitis is the appearance of groups of white dots on the gums due to infection both in the child’s body and directly on the oral mucosa. It occurs due to trauma to the connective tissue of the epithelium. There are several types of stomatitis, which are caused by various viruses: Herpes (caused by the herpes virus) - the appearance of white-yellow erosions that cause itching and burst. The picture becomes clearer with accompanying symptoms (enlarged lymph nodes, tearfulness, fever and refusal to eat).
- Aphthous (several causative agents - bacteria, lack of vitamins, damage to the mucous membrane, allergies). First, swelling and redness appear on the gum - inflammation, after which several white dots become visible, they are called aphthae. Additional symptoms include increased salivation, crying, strong breath, fever and lack of appetite.
- Candidiasis (caused by candida fungi). Characterized by the appearance of painful and itchy white spots. Additional symptoms are bleeding gums, unpleasant odor, burning sensation, crying.
- Cysts are white spots filled with pus, around which there is swelling. They arise as a result of infection entering the dental canals: in the presence of stomatitis or other damage to the mucous membrane in the oral cavity. Cysts often require surgical removal, but they can burst on their own, after which ulcers and fistulas form in their place.
- Calcium deficiency can also cause white spots on the gums. In the event that the child is breastfed, and the mother’s milk does not have enough of this mineral due to poor unbalanced nutrition, or the baby has entered the stage of introducing complementary foods, but does not receive enough dairy products (milk, cottage cheese and kefir).
- Wen (soft white pimple). If it does not increase, then it does not require treatment and may disappear on its own. If it grows, it requires surgical removal.
- Epstein's pearls (these are peculiar cysts that form from the epithelium). Outwardly, they look like micro pearls, which is why they got their name. They do not require treatment and resolve on their own.
What is the danger of candidiasis and how to prevent it
Babies under the age of six months are especially susceptible to the disease. Fungi from the genus Candida contribute to the development of pathology. Obvious symptoms are the formation of a white coating, which is accompanied by inflammation and the appearance of spots. With severe lesions, the spots may begin to bleed. In their advanced form, the spots resemble a fairly strong and dense film that completely covers the oral cavity. As a result, cracks appear, causing further slight bleeding. On many sites and forums you can familiarize yourself in detail with the pathology from the photo. Babies, when eating and swallowing, experience pain, become lethargic and capricious. The temperature may rise. In case of such damage, it is necessary to show the child to a pediatric dentist as soon as possible. Ways to prevent illness:
- After each breastfeeding, you should give your baby a drink of warm water. The liquid will remove any remaining milk in your mouth.
- Mothers should wash their hands thoroughly and maintain good body hygiene.
- If the disease has already been cured, do not allow it to recur. Regularly treat children's accessories with boiling water.
Preventive measures must be taken to ensure that pimples on the gums no longer appear. Avoid sugary drinks as they can trigger a recurrence of thrush as fungi multiply quite quickly in such an environment.
Questions for the doctor
Stomatitis during teething
My son is 10 months old. And from the very first tooth, which appeared at 7 months, before teething, all his gums are covered with a white coating. The child is in great pain, his temperature often rises, and he refuses to eat. Doctors prescribed a lot of things, but only Candide drops help. What else can you try to get rid of candidiasis once and for all?
During teething, a significant decrease in local immunity occurs, which is why other pathological conditions often develop against the background of this process. In order to reduce the risk of recurrence of thrush in a child, you need to pay maximum attention to strengthening his immunity: good nutrition, frequent walks in the fresh air, drinking plenty of fluids and maintaining cool, moist indoor air.
White plaque during breastfeeding
Today I noticed a white coating on my child’s tongue. The baby is only 2 months old and is breastfed. The coating is only on the tongue, the palate, cheeks and gums are clean. I tried to clean off this deposit with gauze soaked in boiled water, and everything went away without a trace. How can you tell if it’s thrush or if you shouldn’t worry?
Most likely, your baby has plaque from breast milk. This is normal and does not require any treatment. If the plaque is easily and completely cleaned off, and the child behaves as usual and does not refuse food, then this is not candidiasis. Continue to monitor your child's oral health and take your child to your pediatrician if necessary.
Cholisal for a child up to one year old
My daughter is 9 months old and recently developed stomatitis. The doctor prescribed smearing the ulcers with Cholisal gel for pain relief, because they bother the child very much. But I read in the instructions that it should not be used on children under one year of age. What can replace this drug?
Cholisal gel has proven itself and is often used to alleviate stomatitis, including in children under one year of age. The instructions for this drug actually indicate that it can be used in children from 1 year of age. But as prescribed by a doctor and with caution, use in children under one year of age is also allowed. It is important not to use the drug in children of this age without a doctor’s prescription.
What should parents be wary of?
- Candidiasis – whitish small ulcers appear in the baby’s mouth. They are usually covered with a whitish, cheesy coating. There is a sour smell from the mouth, and the body temperature may rise. The sores can be painful and itchy, causing babies to become restless.
- Bacterial stomatitis - small pimples on the gums and inner surface of the cheeks, heavy plaque - these are the main symptoms of the disease. An increase in temperature and deterioration in general condition may also occur.
- Viral infections. Symptoms are similar to those of bacterial stomatitis. Spots on the upper and lower gums and tongue visually resemble small watery blisters.
- Non-infectious stomatitis. It may manifest itself as a consequence of anemia and lack of vitamins. Also, a similar form of stomatitis occurs after the baby is weaned. Small spots are accompanied by pallor of the skin, the baby eats little and does not gain weight well.
- Cyst. This is a serious problem caused by bacterial infections. The symptom is an accumulation of pus. A fistula may develop from the cyst, through which purulent exudate emerges.
