Parents should take their children for a dental checkup every six months to help detect factors that could affect teeth replacement, a dentist said.
Children normally shed their baby teeth between the ages of six and 12, which is an important stage for them, dentist Lin Chia-yung (林佳詠) of the Taichung Hospital Department of Dentistry said on April 10.
Severe dental caries could require root canal therapy or teeth extraction, or lead to permanent teeth loss, Lin said.
Parents have been reluctant to take their children to a dentist amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but children should visit the dentist at least once every six months, or once every three months when shedding their baby teeth, he said.
Lin cited a case at the hospital involving an eight-year-old boy, surnamed Fan (范), who was found to have 11 cavities as well as acute gingivitis.
Fan was afraid of visiting the dentist and was notorious for refusing to cooperate, Lin said, adding that the boy not only has a sweet tooth, but also has a habit of going to sleep with a piece of candy in his mouth.
He was placed under target-controlled infusion therapy, or extended anesthesia, while dentists cleaned his teeth and filled his cavities, which took more than two hours, Lin said.
The Health Promotion Administration provides subsidies for fluoride varnish applications for children under six, as well as for fissure sealants, he said.
Lin called on parents to instill proper dental care habits in their children.
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