Pediatric Dentistry
Pedodontics means children’s teeth in Latin. Depending on this definition, dental check-ups of children between the ages of 0 and 12 are carried out by pedodontics . Children begin to renew their milk teeth from the age of 6 and this process continues until the age of 12. In this period, which is called mixed dentition, the mouth of children consists of milk teeth and permanent teeth. In the face of possible problems, various measures are taken and improvement studies are carried out.
Pedodontists, who deal with children’s dental problems, carry out studies to improve if the child has caries. Information about pedodontics, which is a health branch that controls child dental health, is as follows:
- Oral and dental health problems experienced during infancy are treated by specialist pedodontists.
- Oral and dental health should be given importance so that young children can perform their nutritional functions painlessly and regularly.
- If oral caries is not intervened in a timely manner, deterioration and narrowing of the tooth roots may occur. This situation is dangerous for the oral health of the child.
What are the Treatment Methods?
Many children tend to be malnourished at a young age. In addition, if the oral and dental health is not transferred correctly by the parents, decay and tooth loss occur. The pedodontic treatment methods that come into play at this stage are as follows:
- Since pedodontics trainings are based on a comprehensive study on how to establish child communication, fear of the dentist is prevented from an early age.
- With early treatment in children with caries risk, oral and dental health is kept under control and improved.
- In the selection of the right pedodontist, the child and parent are informed consciously.
- Families are made conscious by making detailed studies on how children should be fed. Healthy tooth structures are formed in children who are fed properly, depending on adequate protein and mineral intake.
- By providing detailed information on how to do oral care, the child is prevented from encountering bigger problems.
- The initial stage of cavities or advanced cavities are detected immediately and improvements are created with appropriate treatment.
- There are two types of teeth in the mouth structures of young children. These are milk teeth and youth teeth. Children are examined by endodontic and restorative methods when necessary, by providing regular controls to prevent various problems in the tooth roots or the superficial caries not to progress towards the roots. These procedures are factors that are determined according to the needs of the child, such as canals or fillings.
- Many children have a tendency to thumb sucking starting at a young age and it is sometimes very difficult to let go. In addition, various tendencies such as nail biting and pen biting start to directly damage the teeth in long-term situations. In such cases, pedodontists aim to improve the current situation by applying the necessary treatments for the child .
- The needs of each child, such as milk tooth extraction and the completion of missing teeth, are determined specifically and the appropriate treatment method is applied. If necessary, surgical interventions can be performed under anesthesia.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pedodontics
Potential problems can be prevented by raising awareness of parents and children with a specialist pedodontist.
What are preventive dentistry practices?
Its applications are:
- Developing the habit of brushing teeth
- Developing the habit of flossing
- Follow-up of tooth eruption
- Fluoride applications
- Detection and prevention of oral habits (finger or pacifier sucking, nail biting, etc.)
- Preventive and stopping orthodontic treatments
- Gaining a balanced and non-carious eating habit
- Fissure sealant applications
- Mouth guard applications to prevent sports injuries
How to Overcome Fear of the Dentist in Children?
It is very important for children to meet with a pediatric dentist without experiencing dental problems in order to avoid fear of the dentist (pedodontist) in children . A playful meet-and-greet appointment takes the child’s dental clinic away from being a cause for concern.
All dental treatments of pediatric patients should be performed by pediatric dentists who are experts in this field and are competent in communicating with children.
The effect of negative experiences of children in their first dental treatment may cause them to fear dental treatments and dentists throughout their lives. In order not to experience such a situation, children should not be forced for any treatment or application.
Which Dental Treatments Are Performed in Children?
There are many treatment modalities in children such as primary tooth fillings, primary tooth root canal treatments, deciduous tooth amputations, primary tooth extractions, protective fissure sealants, protective superficial fluoride applications, placeholders and calculus removal.
How to Treat Dental Traumas in Pedodontics?
Incorporating the right examination methods for pediatric patients, pedodontists apply solutions with various treatment methods. At this point, the treatment stages of dental traumas in pedodontics are as follows:
- Endodontic treatments suitable for amputation and root canal treatments
- Targeted treatment methods to stop bad mouth habits applied to prevent negative activities such as nail biting or thumb sucking.
- Restorative treatments applied in primary or youth teeth depending on filling needs.
- The right application is created with various treatment methods, including placeholder treatments.
What is the Importance of Primary Teeth in Pedodontics?
Pedodontists, who are closely interested in the 0-12 age group, can closely analyze the problems in the milk teeth of these people and apply the relevant improvement techniques. The importance of milk teeth in pedodontics are as follows:
- Normally, a child has 20 milk teeth. These teeth play an important role in children’s nutrition and development.
- Milk teeth can be damaged due to malnutrition or different traumas. Damage to deciduous teeth is a disadvantage for newly emerging youth teeth. It is an important detail for the oral and dental health of the child to make the necessary interventions by the pedodontist for the immediate solution of the related problems.
Potential problems can be prevented by raising awareness of parents and children with a specialist pedodontist .
Why Do Milk Teeth Rot Quickly.
Milk teeth contain more organic matter compared to normal teeth and therefore can decay faster. Another factor is the detection of bruises in children. Because children cannot perceive signals such as mild pain, hot-cold sensitivity in a timely manner, and therefore bruises may be noticed late. Habits such as dipping pacifiers into foods such as jam and sugar, and drinking sugary drinks by mothers also cause decay.
What is Fissure Sealant?
The most important task of milk teeth is to provide a healthy oral environment for the teeth. Chronic caries problem or early tooth loss causes structural disorders in the teeth. In addition, the most important reason for crooked teeth completed at the age of 13-14 is the early lost milk teeth. For both primary and permanent teeth, dental caries causes pain and abscess formation when left untreated. No child with aching teeth can eat healthy. Long-term caries problems cause weakening of the immune system and frequent upper respiratory tract infections in children.
What is the Benefit of Fissure Sealants?
Fissure sealant applications are the way to prevent cavities that may occur due to the ineffective cleaning of the spaces between the teeth. Fissure sealants, because they have a fluid consistency, fill between the teeth and protect your children’s teeth from cavities.
When should teeth be brushed?
Teeth cleaning begins with the eruption of the first teeth. Hygienic gas will be sufficient for cleaning the incisors. However, the cloth is not enough for the chewing surfaces of the molars. Therefore, it is necessary to use a brush after the molars erupt. Cleaning after feeding before sleep is very important. The use of paste is associated with the baby’s caries tendency, that is, the caries risk group. The use of paste is not mandatory for individuals in the low-risk group until they learn to spit – that is, around the age of three. For babies in the middle and high caries risk group, a thin layer of fluoride toothpaste should be used until the age of 2 years, and fluoride toothpaste in the size of a pea between the ages of 2-5 years.
Is Dental Caries Transmitted from Mother to Child?
Bacteria in the mother are transmitted to the child in cases such as the use of common spoon and fork during feeding, the mother chews some foods herself and then gives it to the child.
How should oral and dental health be protected in disabled individuals?
Disabled children may not be able to fully or effectively perform oral and dental health and personal care. For this reason, parent or caregiver assistance gains importance in certain issues. If teeth can be made after every meal, if it cannot be done with a brush, it should be done with hygienic cloths. It is not recommended to reduce sugary foods in their diet and to consume such foods in snacks. Three-month routine controls are important in order to reduce the risk of caries in children.
