Pedodontics (pediatric dentistry) is a department that aims to protect both milk and permanent teeth of children in the 0-15 age group; protection; treatment and prevention of re-disease formation. It concerns both dental health and maxillofacial development starting from infancy.
The first milk teeth begin to erupt around 6 months on average and the first dental examination should be done in this period. In the period before the eruption of milk teeth, the areas where the teeth called crests will erupt in the future should be wiped with the help of a gauze swab after breastfeeding. Objects such as pacifiers and spoons should never be taken out of their own mouths by the parents or caregivers and given to the child. Because it is known that caries-causing bacteria are transmitted in this way. Since the development of motor functions is not fully developed in young children, brushing should be done by the parents until the child takes his/her own bath or starts to cut his/her nails. Brushing should be done twice a day, once at night before bedtime and once after any meal during the day.
The view that teeth are decaying is incorrect. Teeth exposed to an acidic environment during tooth eruption start to decay rapidly and can be perceived as such. After the age of 1 year, night feeding should be stopped as much as possible. Because breastfeeding while the teeth are in the mouth increases the cariogenicity of breast milk, which is normally not considered to be very cariogenic, as a result of remaining on the teeth all night long and causes caries. This leads to early childhood caries, formerly known as bottle caries, which causes serious damage especially to the upper front teeth. This type of caries, which occurs at a very young age, affects many conditions of the child such as nutrition, speech and aesthetics, but also causes problems such as pain and swelling over time.
Oral and dental health is the whole of our body health. All teeth in the mouth area are interconnected due to saliva. Milk teeth have different falling ages. Especially the 2nd milk molars remain in the mouth until the age of 12. As the number of caries increases, the number of bacteria also increases. A decay in a decayed deciduous tooth both affects the permanent tooth germ underneath and increases the risk of decay in permanent teeth as the number of bacteria increases due to decays in deciduous teeth, especially during the mixed dentition period. Therefore, they must be treated. When dental treatments are not performed, serious problems such as bad breath, pain, intraoral or extraoral abscesses are encountered that affect the quality of life of children.
The treatment process for children is different from adults. In order to prevent permanent dental phobia, they must be accustomed to the treatment. With many techniques applied, it should be ensured that the child accepts and likes the treatment. Therefore, pain should not be expected for dental examination. In children who cannot be treated in the chair for various reasons; all procedures can be treated in a single session under general anesthesia.
In addition to the treatment of dental caries, preventive dentistry is also very important for pediatric dentistry. Fissure sealant prevents bacteria and nutrients from reaching and clinging to the deep and narrow recesses (fissures) on the chewing surfaces of the molars, which are the most susceptible surfaces to caries. Thus, the formation of fissure caries is prevented.
In addition, another preventive treatment is fluoride application. This preventive treatment, which is performed regularly every 3 or 6 months depending on the risk group of the patients, both supports tooth mineralization and provides protection against acid attacks.
