Pediatric Dentistry
Pediatric dentistry can be expressed as the pediatricians of dentistry. In this direction, pediatric dentists limit their practice to only treating children. Pediatric dentists are primary and specialized providers of oral care for adolescent infants and children, including those with special health needs.
Every child is different and therefore dental treatment needs to be individually programmed. In this regard, pediatric dentists have a wide variety of approaches to help a child complete the necessary dental treatment. A pediatric dentist will recommend behavioral guidance methods for the child based on their health history, special health care needs, dental needs, type of treatment needed, consequences of no treatment, emotional and intellectual development, and parental preferences.
Why is Pediatric Dentistry important?
Pediatric dentistry aims to ensure that the milk and permanent teeth of children between the ages of 0 and 13 can be protected in a healthy way, and to eliminate the problems that occur in the teeth in cases such as hereditary, caries and trauma. From infancy, children's oral and dental health and jaw-to-face development should be followed. If a problem occurs in these matters, its treatment should be carried out as soon as possible. For this reason, pediatric dentistry prevents the occurrence of problems in the teeth of individuals in later ages. We can express the application areas of pediatric dentistry as follows.
- Oral and Dental Care and Nutrition Recommendations
- Child Prostheses
- Tooth extraction
- Preventive and Preventive Practices from Tooth Decay; Fluoride Gel, Fluoride Varnish, Fissure Sealant
- Treatment of Dental Traumas
- Endodontic Treatments (Canal Treatments, Amputations)
- Treatments to Stop Bad Mouth Habits (Finger Sucking, Nail Biting, Lip Biting, etc.)
- Restorative Treatments (Fillings) in Milk and Young Permanent Teeth
- Placeholders
Importance of Milk Teeth
When it comes to pediatric dentistry, the first thing that comes to mind is milk teeth. Since milk teeth are not permanent teeth, they may not be given much importance by people. However, this is a completely wrong idea. It is at least as important as it replaces permanent teeth. The fact that the milk teeth do not fall out on their own and they are pulled out due to caries can cause problems such as jaw disorder and crooked teeth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are caries in milk teeth and permanent teeth the same?
The importance of caries is the same in both teeth. However, milk teeth are more prone to decay than permanent teeth due to their structure. Therefore, it needs more protection.
In what cases are teeth extracted in children?
Since milk teeth take the place of permanent teeth, they must be kept in the mouth until they fall out. However, infection and decay can occur in these teeth. In cases where filling and root canal treatment cannot be performed, the teeth should be extracted.
Can children have root canal treatment?
Yes. Root canal treatment can be applied to relieve pain in deep dental caries in children and to keep the tooth in the mouth.
Can children's teeth be filled?
Yes. Filling treatment can be applied for more superficial caries in children.
Does thumb sucking or pacifier use cause bad teeth?
Thumb sucking causes deterioration in the alignment of the primary and permanent teeth and retardation of the upper teeth. The pacifier, on the other hand, causes tooth alignment and speech disorder in long-term use. For this reason, pacifier use should be discontinued at the age of 2 at the latest.
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