Paedodontics and profilaxis – prevention, first experiences
Paedodontics begins with prevention. To have the child get acquainted with his or her dentist is of paramount importance. Doing it so you can avoid them to be afraid of dentist at a young age and their tendency to postpone the check-up of their teeth or addressing a dental issue. With an early acquaintance, they will soon be able to learn and practice the correct and accurate way of cleaning their teeth.
Paedodontics – Fissure sealing as a way of prevention
Fissure sealing is now a more frequently used method. It is a preventative treatment with no risk and gives parents peace of mind; they do not need to worry that much about the child suddenly having cavities or sensitive teeth.
Today we take better quality food, therefore dental fissures play a lesser role. However, there are small enclosed areas in these fissures that can decay easier, especially with children, due to grainy food and the sugar and acid content of meals and drinks. To save those teeth dentists apply fissure sealing. It means that the areas within the fissures are covered by a minimum amount of filling, just enough for kids to remove food residue easier and better when brushing.
Visiting the dentist with an older child is also practical, because the preparation for a possible orthodontia can be initiated on time. The eruption of the permanent tooth, the strengthening and development of the jawbone, the breaking through of the wisdom teeth are all such movements that can be detected and solutions can be found several month ahead.
Deciduous teeth (primary or milk teeth)
A common misconception is that a deciduous tooth needs much less care than a permanent tooth. Many people still have their opinion about deciduous teeth based on faulty knowledge. It is a fact that we use our deciduous teeth for a shorter period of our lifetime, but their healthy state and general condition are of particular significance. Many do not know that when deciduous teeth break through the permanent molar teeth in the back of the mouth come out as well. If a child neglects to take care of and clean his or her teeth that means negligence to the permanent teeth as well.
Taking care of the deciduous teeth is also important…
Because they behave exactly the same way as permanent teeth behave, so the same risks apply to them. A rapidly spreading cavity can easily become an inflammation, leading to root treatment, or – if the inflammation reaches the periodontium (tooth socket) – the damage of the permanent tooth bud. That is why filling deciduous teeth is a commonly applied method, in which dentists use a special filling material containing fluoride, so the material is able to improve the state of the treated tooth.
Loosing deciduous teeth must be monitored as well. There are cases, when the root resorption of the deciduous teeth does not happen in a timely manner to let the breaking permanent tooth to push off the deciduous tooth crown. If this happens, teeth can slide over each other and the permanent tooth crown can be damaged. A control examination can reveal the problem and prevent from loosing a precious tooth.
Child injuries from a dentist’s perspective
Majority of the paedodontics is made up of treating dental damages and problem solving following an accident. Luckily, the children’s bodies develop so quickly that most of the problems can be solved quite fast, but there are some important things to know about:
Knocked out or chipped tooth
Visit you dentist as soon as you can, keep the chipped piece moist in the mouth of the child, if possible, in his or her saliva!
– If loosened only, the dentist is easily able to fix the tooth to the surrounding ones, and it could be fully saved.
– Soft tissue damage is frequent in case of a deciduous tooth loss due to an accident. Though the dentist cannot put the lost deciduous tooth back, soft tissues must be examined and treated.
It is recommended to go and see your dentist if your child had an accident involving his or her teeth. Much can depend on the age of the child, the position of the tooth and the degree of the damage. In general, assuring the healthy development of the permanent teeth and restoring the health of the deciduous tooth and treating the wounds are the priority.
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