Pedodontics (Pediatric Dentistry)
What is Pediatric Dentistry?
Pediatric dentistry is a specialized branch of dentistry that focuses on the oral health of children from birth through adolescence, particularly the transition from baby teeth to permanent teeth, which typically occurs between ages 12-15.
The scope of pediatric dentistry includes ensuring the healthy development of both primary and permanent teeth, maintaining oral and dental health, and providing all related treatments. After completing their undergraduate education in dental school, dentists who specialize or pursue doctoral training in the field of Pediatric Dentistry gain the title of a pedodontist.
What are the Practices of Pediatric Dentistry?
Pedodontists make the dental treatment process enjoyable for children to prevent them from developing dental phobia during both treatment and routine check-ups. Within the scope of pediatric dentistry practices, children and parents are educated about oral hygiene. The jaw and dental development processes of children are monitored by pedodontists. Preventive orthodontic treatments, fillings, root canal treatments, extractions, and amputations are performed when necessary. The dental treatments of all children requiring special care due to systemic diseases or disabilities also fall under the scope of pediatric dentistry.
Preventive Dentistry
Just like in every field of medicine today, preventive dentistry has gained importance in dentistry as well. Preventive dentistry is especially important for children. A child should meet the dentist without having any problems.
Hygiene Education
Firstly, oral hygiene education is provided to each patient to maintain ideal oral hygiene.
Topical Fluoride Application
Topical fluoride applications are simple, painless procedures that can start from the age of 3 and should be repeated every 6 months. Topical fluoride is applied professionally by a dentist in the form of varnish or gel. The fluoride stored on your child’s teeth after this procedure will make their teeth much healthier and more resistant to decay.
Fissure Sealant
Special flowable filling material is used to prevent food and microbial accumulation and, consequently, decay.
Gum Diseases in Children
Redness, bruising, swelling, and bleeding areas can occur on the gums just above the child’s teeth.
Swelling and bleeding areas on the cheeks, lips, and approximately 1 cm above and below the gums should be noted.
Bleeding, swelling, bruising, and redness in the gums are often due to inadequate brushing or inability to clean overcrowded teeth. These symptoms are frequently found in decayed areas that cannot be treated in the posterior regions and in wrong or missing fillings.
Swelling and bleeding areas on the gums often indicate inflamed baby teeth or cysts in the root area.
Excessive growth, bleeding, and swelling in the gums can be seen in girls during puberty (11-13 years).
Also, systemic diseases, flu, fever, most congenital diseases, and excessive medication in all children can cause these symptoms.
With the treatments of pediatric dentistry specialists, we can create a healthy youth by protecting child oral and dental health through periodic check-ups and ideal oral care.
Importance of Pediatric Dental Treatments
The dentist that a person meets from childhood to youth plays a significant role in healthy growth, development, and facial beauty.
Oral and dental health ensures healthy nutrition and growth of the child, whereas in adverse conditions, children cannot achieve their ideal growth in a mouth environment filled with inflammation, abscesses, and decay. Sometimes abscesses and inflammations can make the child lie sick in bed for days, reducing their overall body resistance and leading to hospitalization. This gloomy picture affects our most precious and important beings and families.
To prevent these negative scenarios, it is the duty of experienced and expert dentists specialized in child oral health and pediatric oral and dental health to provide modern dentistry knowledge with patience and love to children and their families.
In Turkish society, a large majority of our children, 80-90%, have always feared dentists and clinics where these practices are performed. This fear persists in the adult and older age groups as well. Eliminating this fear is our top priority.
Note: *The information and advice on this page are for informational purposes only. For diagnosis and treatments, consult your doctor. For more detailed information and before-and-after images, contact our WP line!