Seasonal Allergies And The Impact They Have On Your Kid's Teeth

If you live in Western Australia, you live in one of the highest allergy suffering states in the country. As your children grow, allergy symptoms start to become more predictable as each season rolls around. While you already have methods in place to deal with the allergies, did you know this issue is also impacting their dental health? These are the points you need to know about seasonal allergies and the consequences they have on a child's teeth.

Drying Of The Mouth

When a nose is all clogged up with allergy stuffiness, many children will instead breathe through their mouth. However, prolonged instances of mouth breathing can lead to an increase in cavities.

The problem that takes place when breathing through the mouth is the produced amount of saliva decreases. Saliva plays a vital role in the mouth as it washes away lurking bacteria that is waiting to attack tooth enamel. When bacteria levels start to rise, the exposure to cavities also increases.

Antihistamine medication taken to reduce allergy symptoms can also dry out the mouth, which again leads to a potential increase in cavities. During allergy season, make sure your child drinks extra water to help counteract the effects of dry mouth. The additional water consumption will also assist in flushing the bacteria away.

Sinus Pressure

One symptom tied to allergies is an increase of pressure in the sinuses. This pressure happens because there is a growth in mucus production as a reaction to the pollens and other airborne allergy stimulants. The mucus fills up the different cavities in your child's face, which puts pressure on their sinus areas.

Once sinus pressure builds up too much, it starts to push down on the roots of your child's teeth. Not only can this cause root pain, but it also can make the teeth more sensitive to hot and cold beverages and foods. Talk to your family dentist about how to reduce this sensitivity if the prescribed allergy medications are not doing enough to lessen the pressure around the sinuses.

It is always a good idea to keep a close eye on a child's teeth when allergy season is at its worst because ineffective allergy medications will leave them with sore teeth and mouths. Book an appointment with their dentist if any significant symptoms flare up, and also have a checkup at the end of the allergy season to confirm no major damage has been done to their teeth during that time.

Share