Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric dentistry is a a science which deals with laying down the foundation of healthy dentition and oro-facial complex from the prenatal period to adolescent including those children who have special health care needs. Pediatric dentists have specialized training(Masters in Pediatric dentistry for three years) that qualifies them to provide care for children’s teeth and gums as they change throughout childhood.pediatric dentists provide thorough treatments to children including preventive treatments like fluoride varnishes,sealants and more complex treatments like restortions,pulp therapy,dental trauma management.They are also trained in behaviour management of children both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods.

Infant Oral Health

Infant oral health is the foundation upon which education and motivation regarding dental hygiene and other preventive dental care must be built on, to augment the prospect of a lifetime free of preventable dental diseases.Parents have to be educated even before the child is born,to take care of the oral health of mother so that complications of pre term low birth weight babies does not occur.The childs mouth has to be taken care of even before the teeth have erupted so that we can prevent the oral diseases.

Childs First Dental visit

The first dental visit should be within the first year of childs life,in fact it should be as soon as the first tooth erupts.Early childhood dental visits acclimatise the child to the dental environment and he/she will become comfortable with the oral haelth care provider.It should be always to a specialist pediatric dentist,who, through 2-3 additional years of training, know how to relate to children and how to make them feel comfortable in the dental chair.The child should have six mothly periodic visits but that can be individualised for the child according to risk factors.

Dental cavities

Most cavities are caused due to poor oral hygeine and sticky foods like chocolates,pastries etc.Many cavities can be prevented by the use of proper brushing and use of preventive measures like sealants and fluoride varnishes.Sealants are coatings applied to the childs molar teeth usually to prevent cavities developing in them.Fluoride varnishes may strengthen the teeth and thus prevent decay.These treatments have to be combined with proper tooth brushing,flossing,mouth rinsing,healthy diets to prevent cavities and have a good oral health.

Dental emergencies

Children are bubbling with energy and quite active..Dental emergencies can occur in young children due to fall,trauma while playing.These emergencies need immediate attention.The emergencies can be..knocked out tooth,fractured tooth,toothache,tooth displacement,jaw fractures.The permanent tooth if knocked out completely(avulsed)can be replanted if the patient gets it to the clinic immediately under aseptic conditions in a proper storage media like,milk,coconut water,saliva and if nothing is available,in water.

Pulpal therapy and crowns for children

Pulpal therapy(pulpectomy) is a pediatric dental treatment used to treat and preserve a child’s natural tooth that has been affected by tooth decay. The pulp is soft tissue located inside the teeth. When a tooth becomes damaged or decayed, the pulp may be exposed to bacteria, causing infection and pain. Rather than extract the tooth entirely, the infected pulp may be removed and replaced with a bio compatible filler that allows the tooth to remain in the oral cavity in an asymptomatic manner.After the tooth has undergone pulp therapy it needs to be covered by a crown as the tooth becomes brittle after the pulp treatment.This procedure is done by pediatric dentists and completely safe.The procedure will be done with the of local anesthesia and the child will not have much pain.For apprehensive or fearful children this procedure can be done under seadtion/general anesthesia.

Tooth colored fillings

Many children under the age of six have some decayed teeth. When cavities are left untreated, they can lead to pain, infection and even tooth loss. Fortunately, pediatric dentists can fill cavities to prevent them from worsening or causing complications. Modern dentistry has made it possible to fill cavities discreetly using tooth-colored fillings,glass ionomers or composites. Children with tooth-colored fillings can retain decayed teeth in a way that is both functionally effective and visually appealing.

Space maintainers

Space maintainers are used to keep teeth from drifting into an empty tooth space due to early loss of primary (baby) teeth. Maintainers can prevent the need for extraction of permanent teeth later on.Baby teeth act as a guide for the eruption of the permanent teeth, and develop dental arches with expansion. A space maintainer is made of stainless steel and/or plastic. It can be removable or fixed to the teeth.