Pediatric Dentistry (Pedodontics)
Children's dental health and treatments are performed by dentists. The part of dentistry that deals with children is known as Pedodontics. Doctors who specialize in baby dental health and treatments and children's dental health and treatments are called Pedodontists. Since dentists are among the first doctors that children meet at an early age, their social responsibilities increase.
The way to increase the level of oral and dental health in society is through children. If children, who are the adults of the future, have a good level of health, the health level of the society they will create when they grow up will also be high. Families should have a dentist who performs pedodontic practices as well as their pediatricians. These doctors should have knowledge and experience in baby dental health and treatments, children's dental health and treatments. Children should be accustomed to going to the dentist for check-ups from their childhood. Children who are accustomed to going to the dentist with their parents will sit in a much more comfortable chair when any treatment is needed and have the necessary interventions done easily.
Preventive dentistry practices have started to gain importance from childhood today. Families should be informed and enlightened about this issue before cavities occur. Starting from infancy, children should be taught how to provide oral care in babies and children, starting with the issues to be considered in their nutrition. Common tooth decay, called bottle tooth decay, is observed in children who are fed with sugary drinks, honey-mixed bottles, and pacifiers. Sometimes these deepening cavities can also cause pain to the baby. In this case, it can be very difficult to apply treatment. If the baby is uncomfortable while cleaning the deepening cavities, either the treatment is left unfinished, or all the cavities are filled at once with a method called sedation, a similar application to general anesthesia. Of course, it is more correct to take the necessary precautions to prevent cavities. Children who are taught how to provide personal oral hygiene should be checked to see if they repeat these procedures daily, their mistakes and deficiencies should be corrected, and they should be brought for dental check-ups at regular intervals.
There are Pedodontists and dentists who show special interest in children and establish special clinics for them, work for children, create playgrounds for them, give them educational gifts, and attract their attention with games. These doctors also perform special applications for children to have teeth that are resistant to decay.
Local fluoride applications that increase the resistance of teeth to decay are the most common among these. Special fluoride solutions with different flavors applied for one minute with small spoons prepared for children are extremely effective. Apart from this, there are also varnish-like fissure sealants that provide protection against decay by plastering tooth cavities where decay is likely to occur. These protectors, which prevent tooth decay by forming a colorless layer, are very effective and their effects last for 4-5 years. Despite everything, it is also very important to make space maintainers in order to protect the place of permanent teeth that will come from below in case of milk tooth loss that may occur at an early age.
Some of the crookedness that occurs in adolescence is due to the displacement of teeth due to early milk tooth loss, the lack of space for permanent teeth that will come from below and the resulting narrowness of space. Thanks to a space maintainer applied at an early age, a possible need for orthodontic treatment at an advanced age can be easily prevented and unnecessary waste of time and money can be avoided.
The first dental check-up, which is a difficult situation for most parents, can be made easier for both children and their families with the “show and do” method.
