Omaha District UMC

Among the people that can be easily affected with the perils of health, it is the children that can be easily stricken.  This is obviously something natural though since children are not that familiar with taking care of their health.  Being young, they do not have the sufficient maturity to decide on what or what not to do so they need the utmost guidance that they can avail.  Apart from that, children possess an intense level of curiosity and this trait is the one that often leads them to experiencing various health-related problems.  As responsible parents, we have the responsibility to not allow that to happen.

One of the most common health problems that children would most likely to acquire would be swollen gums.  Unfortunately, a research shows that more than forty percent of children in the United States suffer from this dental health problem on an annual basis.  Ironically though, this comes as a surprise to some parents as they have the perception that swollen gums are only popular among adults.  With that kind of data, parent should now be exposed to the act that swollen gums is not just an issue among adults, certain precautions should be considered for children as well.

Just like in adults, the most common cause of swollen gums would be the lack of proper oral hygiene.  However, this is a different case.  We are talking about children here.  As children, they do not have the sufficient knowledge regarding swollen gums and its causes, symptoms or treatments.  Therefore, they would not be aware enough that they are already suffering from it once the disease starts to strike.  With that being said, the parents of the inflicted children should be the ones responsible for their child’s oral health for the time being up until they are mature enough to handle it themselves.

Another cause of this dental health problem among children involves the lack of important nutritive content in their bodies.  Specifically, we are talking about ascorbic acid or popularly known as Vitamin C.  There is a predetermined amount of Vitamin C that a person should have on a daily basis.  For adults, they are required to have 90 milligrams of Vitamin C everyday while children need to have 70 milligrams.  The problem with this though is that most children are not able to reach the said quota.  Lack of Vitamin C may lead to scurvy, a disease that can be characterized by extreme gum swelling.

With these causes, the treatment to swollen gums is quite easy.  As parents, they need to have the commitment to encourage their child to practice proper oral hygiene.  Leading by example is an effective way to do so.  You may brush your teeth together with your child so that it becomes a habit on their part.  For the deficiency in Vitamin C, what parents can do is to incorporate foods that are rich in the said vitamin on their daily meals.  Sources of Vitamin C can come in the form of fruits or even supplements.