Like caries, gum disease occurs in childhood quite often, which is associated with both physiological reasons and hygiene problems in children. Babies are more vulnerable to various infections, often pull contaminated objects into their mouths and fall, and also do not clean the oral cavity well from food debris and bacteria. All these reasons can provoke problems with the gums, and it is important for parents to know what to do if the baby breaks the gum, the baby's gums bleed or itch badly.
Most common problems
Most often, when changes in the gums are detected in a child, they turn out to be a symptom of inflammatory diseases or injuries.
Gingivitis
This is a very common inflammatory disease of the gums in children, which can be caused by various reasons, for example, poor gum care, cuts with sharp edges of a toy, malocclusion, infectious diseases, lack of vitamins, and many other factors.
In its development, the disease goes through several stages. First, catarrhal inflammation develops, in which the baby feels discomfort and itching in the gums, as well as pain when the temperature changes. If this gingivitis is not treated, then the baby's loose gums begin to bleed and become covered with areas of erosion. Further, the development of an atrophic form is possible, or hypertrophic gingivitis develops, in which thick gums are noticeable in the child upon examination.
In the treatment of such a disease, it is important to thoroughly clean the teeth from plaque, after which the doctor will prescribe the child rinsing and irrigation with antiseptic agents (for example, chamomile infusion, rotocan or miramistin), as well as treating the gums with anti-inflammatory and anesthetic drugs (for example, holisal, solcoseryl, kamistad) , sea buckthorn oil, gingivitis gel or metrogil denta gel).
Periodontitis
This is the name of one of the complications of tooth decay, in which the infection penetrates so deeply that toxins affect the gum tissue next to the diseased tooth. The result is the formation of pus inside the gums. He tries to find a way out and forms a pus-filled blister on the gum surface. If such a blister breaks open on its own, a fistula appears in the gum. With strong suppuration, the infection enters the soft tissues, which provokes swelling of the jaw (a flux appears).
In the treatment of periodontitis, it is important to eliminate the source of infection, therefore, if it is a milk tooth, such a tooth should be removed. If such a complication appears near a permanent tooth, it is opened and treated with a filling, trying to save the child's molar tooth.
Periodontitis
Such a disease develops with untreated gingivitis, affecting not only the gum tissue, but also their connection with the teeth. It is manifested by bleeding gums and tooth shakiness, frequent fistulas and abscesses. The main danger of such a pathology is the risk of losing teeth, and the treatment of the disease should be comprehensive.
Stomatitis
Such a disease, which often affects the gums of a child, can be caused by fungi, microbes, injuries, viruses, insufficient hygiene, allergies or other reasons. At an early age, children are most often diagnosed with thrush. This disease is manifested by reddening of the gums, white bloom, fever and other symptoms. Antifungal agents, antiseptics, pain relievers and folk recipes are used in its treatment.
No less often, children develop such types of stomatitis as herpes (its main manifestation is a blistering rash on the gums) and aphthous (this stomatitis looks like a white sore). Their treatment should be monitored by a doctor, since herpes stomatitis is very contagious and requires the appointment of antiviral drugs, and in the treatment of aphthous stomatitis, it is important to prevent its relapse.
Injury
Since children often fall or gnaw on something hard, gum injuries are common. The manifestation of the injury is usually a dark spot that is a hematoma. If a lot of blood collects inside such a hematoma, the stain turns purple or almost black, which frightens the parents. If such a spot is detected, you should consult a doctor to examine the child. Quite often, the doctor does nothing and allows the hematoma to dissolve on its own, but with very large sizes or the risk of inflammation, the formation is opened.
Rarer problems
In some children, the following formations can be found on the gums:
- Pearl cysts... This is the name of the small, rounded white dots, consisting of epithelial tissue. Their name is due to the fact that each cyst looks like a tiny pearl. Such cysts are harmless and dissolve over time without a trace.
- Wen. It is a benign tumor that does not affect the child's health. Such a formation is removed only if it is actively growing or when the appearance of the tumor changes.
- Papilloma. This is the name of a benign growth from the mucous membrane that protrudes above the gum surface in the form of a small papilla. If the papilloma does not bother the child, it is not touched.
See the next video for gum disease.
