It’s no secret, children with Down syndrome are more prone to certain health problems. These concerns include their oral health, with a few issues being more prominent in young children with Down syndrome. As a parent of someone with Down syndrome, I know that it’s easy to let the worry sweep you down a dark path. Know that these oral health concerns don’t happen to every child, but you should be aware of the increased risks. When you know more, you can do better by taking immediate action & giving your child the care they need.
Here are some common dental issues a child with Down syndrome may face:
Delayed Tooth Eruption
Eruption refers to when your child gets their first teeth. Most babies will start teething between 4 – 6 months. Sometimes it can be different if your child has Down syndrome. A lot of time, the first teeth won’t “erupt” until they are closer to 1 or 2 years old. My daughter, Kara was around 9 months old when her first tooth poked through.
As a result, some children with Down syndrome might not have a full set of teeth until they’re around 4 or 5 years old – which is much later than typically developing children. It’s always a good idea to visit your pediatric dentist so they can check your child’s mouth for any signs of new teeth. They can also tell you what order the teeth are due to erupt, as they will often pop up in a random order. Kara got almost all her teeth in, then stopped with just two little gaps where her bottom canines should be. Ten months later, when she was almost two years old, they came through!
In all honesty, this fact doesn’t fit under an oral health concern. It’s actually the opposite! Don’t be overly concerned if your child with Down syndrome doesn’t have all of their baby teeth in when their typically developing peers do.
Hypotonia & Overcrowding
A lot of times, dentists & orthodontists (and others) think that people with Down syndrome have small teeth, large tongues or small upper jaws. Maybe this is true? I’m not completely sure. What I DO know is that people with Down syndrome are likely to have hypotonia (decreased muscle tone). Low muscle tone causes the tongue to rest on the bottom palette which, in turn, causes the bottom teeth to move outward, spacing the teeth out and leaving the top palette to crowd inwards.
Without proper training, this issue of overcrowding can lead to a lot bigger problems. The good news is that with a proper speech language pathologist training your child at a young age, this issue can be avoided. If you start training child to hold/move their tongue in a developmentally healthy way, their palette will form more evenly.
All too often, a person with Down syndrome is fitted for orthodontics to restore the teeth’s natural alignment when what they really need is intense speech therapy. It is a long road, but it is worth it and it IS possible. Make sure your SLP is educated in this area as it is very new information.
High risk of gum disease
Gum disease is a pretty serious oral health problem, as it can get progressively worse. The good news is that it can be reversed if you catch it early on. With gum disease, you will see things like bleeding gums and gum recession. Children with Down syndrome are more prone to gum disease because of their weakened immune system. This means their body struggles to protect itself against the bacteria and plaque that causes gum disease. It is important to follow a strict oral hygiene routine. Make sure to introduce a toothbrush and floss at an early age. Getting any kid to follow a hygiene routine can be tricky, but in the end, it is necessary.\
So there you have it – the main oral health concerns that your child with Down syndrome may encounter. The good news is that with regular dental care and continuing to educate yourself, any issues are preventable and/or treatable.
When did you introduce your child to the dentist?
