Utah is no stranger to influenza, and the 2018-2019 flu season has been pretty rough for children. Widespread influenza activity is still quite high according to the Utah Department of Health, and it looks that this high trend will continue for a few more weeks. One thing parents can sometimes overlook is how vomiting can have an impact on teeth enamel. Children are prone to vomiting more than adults, which can increase their risk of having problems with teeth enamel if they have a condition known as cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS).
Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
While it is normal for children to vomit when they are ill, daily vomiting is a concern. If a child continues to vomit and does not exhibit other side effects, take them to an urgent care immediately to be examined. Depending upon their evaluation with a medical professional, the child could have cyclic vomiting syndrome. Cyclic vomiting syndrome causes the child to vomit at similar times each day, often including migraines and lack of energy.
Oral Health and Vomiting Concerns
Children who do vomit frequently can start to see problems with their teeth enamel. The acid of the vomit can actually weaken teeth enamel. Not only does the teeth enamel suffer, frequent vomiting will lead to salivary gland issues including swelling, dryness, redness, and overall soreness in the mouth and throat.
When the teeth enamel becomes weak, it will increase the risk of cavities. The teeth also start to have problems with staining, and the gums could even start receding. It is concerning to have problems with baby teeth as they are needed to hold the place for the permanent teeth to eventually grow in.
A side effect to poor teeth enamel is when your child starts to have sensitivity to hot and cold foods. Their bite could start to shift, and general eating could become painful. If the teeth aren’t healthy, it won’t be long for a number of other health concerns to arise as a result of the teeth.
Helping Kids With Their Teeth
If your child does have oral health issues as a result of vomiting, contact our office. We can provide fluoride treatment to help strengthen the teeth enamel. Remind your child to rinse their mouth often, especially after vomiting to reduce the amount of acid in their mouth.
Limiting sugar is vital to your children’s oral health as the goal is to not only keep the baby teeth healthy, but to focus on improving the growing adult teeth. If your child is dealing with soft teeth enamel, we can provide daily fluoride treatments if necessary.
Keep Track of Vomiting
It is important to keep an eye on how often your child is vomiting. Record the frequency of vomiting and call your pediatrician if you notice an increase or change in vomiting. Like all health conditions in children, it is better to be safe than sorry!
Call Mountain View Pediatric Dentistry to schedule your child’s cleaning and examination. Our goal is to teach kids healthy oral habits now, so they will be able to keep sharing their beautiful smiles well into adulthood!