NURTURE INFORMATION HUB
Evidence:
Prevalence of enamel defects in premature children, care and treatment options.
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Sara Alshammery, Mais Alomran, Noura Alturki
’...There is enough research to show that intubation of premature babies could later affect the palate of these babies…’
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‘The size of teeth in premature children are smaller than that of children who were full-term, according to a study by the Faculty of Odontology at Malmö University in Sweden.’
Education:
Premature babies have a higher chance for developing dental problems as school aged kids. The majority of a baby’s stores of calcium and phosphorus are accumulated in the third trimester of pregnancy so when a baby is born premature, they do not have these accumulated stores.
Problems include enamel hypoplasia, tooth discoloration, palatal groove and a possible increased risk for needing braces.
Enamel hypoplasia means there is a lack of enamel on the outside of the teeth. This can lead to the thin enamel chipping away in which the teeth are more prone to fracture. Causes are when the baby has breathing tubes in NICU as well as a lack of nutrients in the NICU. School aged children are more likely to develop cavities in their teeth and will need careful routine brushing and close monitoring.
Tooth discoloration occurs in premature babies that had high bilirubin levels in the NICU. A yellow or brown colour is seen only on the primary teeth and cannot be removed by brushing or having them cleaned by the dentist.
A palatal groove is a narrow groove in the roof of the mouth, which is caused by the baby having breathing tubes in the NICU. Some premature babies have developed grooves after having breathing tubes for as few as seven days, but generally speaking, the longer the time, the more likely a palatal groove will develop. It can result in overcrowding or poor positioning of the teeth which may increase the chance for needing braces.
Empowerment:
As parents we can be empowered by doing the following with our child:
Parents should talk to their child’s dentist on ways that they can improve the dental hygiene of their child. The dentist can also inform them of what might lie ahead in terms of getting their child’s teeth restored. Being educated and informed can ease any anxiety they might feel.
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