What Is Paedodontics ?

It is the branch of dentistry which provides healthy development and protection of children's milk teeth and permanent teeth between the ages of 0 and 14. It is also defined as pediatric dentistry.

What Is A Pedodontist?

Pedodontist is the pediatric dentist who has been trained in the field of Paedodontics after graduating from dentistry faculty and deals with children's dental health and treatment.

When Do Milk Teeth Grow?

First tooth appears in the middle of 6-7 months in children. But the first tooth sometimes grows in three months, and sometimes in twelve months and even after. Growing of teeth generally complies with hereditary order, so if your or your life-partner’s teeth grew early, it is likely for your baby's teeth to grow in the same way. Around 2.5-3 age, ten teeth on the lower and upper jaw (in total 20) grow.

What Are Signs Of Teething In Babies?

Signs of teething symptoms can appear 2-3 months before the teeth themselves. Although these signs may vary from child to child, they may be noticed as increasing the amount of saliva, the occurrence of skin rash or cracks due to irritation caused by touch of saliva around jaw and mouth, coughing, irritability, fever, insomnia, nutrition refusal, itching gums.

What To Do During The Infant’s Teething Period?

Giving something to chew or scratch aims at relieving the pressure on gums more than its nutritional value. Therefore, chewing benefit increases if the chewed item is cold. Frozen buns, a cold banana or carrot, ice wrapped in a piece of cheese cloth, a rubber ring for teeth. No matter what you give your baby to chew, you must be around him and must ensure that the baby is in the sitting position.

With cold drinks or cold food, not only will you fulfill the needs for water of your baby, but also you will replace the fluids lost through diarrhea or increased saliva flow. Chilled peach puree, apple puree, yogurt in your refrigerator may be more attractive than foods at room temperature for your baby.

Painkillers (paracetamol) may make it easier to reduce the pain. Consult your doctor for dose adjustment. Don’t let anything other than what your doctor recommends to touch to your baby's gums.

What are the common habits in children?

Teeth grinding habit

It is a common situation in children. Children with stress, aggression, obsessedor or self-conscious personality types, and whose parents have teeth grinding are more prone to the habit of teeth grinding. Symptoms of teeth grinding problem can be erosion on the teeth, grinding sound while sleeping, pain in the face muscles, jaw joint problems, headaches, chattering teeth and irritation. To solve the problem, first it must be tried to eliminate the psychological factors that lead to teeth grinding. It is useful to cooperate with educators and school guidance teachers. If this fails, a soft removable night plate can be applied on the patient at regular intervals.

Thumb sucking habit

Thumb sucking is a common habit at an early age. Usually, if it is stopped up to four years, open closing occurred in the teeth will disappear spontaneously. Continuum of the habit in the period of teeth growing leads to structural defects in the teeth and palate. These disorders are caused by the pressure applied by the fingers on the front teeth and palate. The resulting degree of disorder depends on the duration, frequency, and intensity of sucking, and the position of the finger during suction.

Unless the child wants to get rid of this habit by himself, the success of treatment is difficult. It is beneficial for the child to quit sucking before school age in order not to be imposed environmental pressure and not to be mocked. The child should be encouraged without any pressure, should be well-guided by rewarding. If the habit does not disappear until 6 years despite all, it is necessary to get professional help from the dentist.

Pacifier habit

Sucking is the most natural way for the baby to relax and to feel in secure. The pacifier should be given only when necessary, not most of the day.

In order for this habit not to cause any structural defects of patterns, the pacifier whose shape is similar to natural nipple should be selected. The solidity of the structure of pacifier should be checked everyday. The size of the pacifier should be appropriate to the shape of the mouth.

Do milk teeth decay?

Milk teeth decay, just like the permanent teeth.

Can Milk Teeth Decay Be Treated?

Milk teeth should be treated in the same way as permanent teeth. Untreated dental disorders in this period will cause tooth perplexity, disorders in jaw development, and general health problems in the future.

What Is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?

Early childhood caries or, in other word, baby bottle tooth decay is a common type of tooth decaying which starts in upper incisors of babies and affects all teeth in a short time.

Remained milk in the mouth of baby after sucking mother's milk before going to sleep or while sleeping or cow's milk drunk with a baby bottle creates a favorable environment for the proliferation of bacteria. Reduction in salivary secretion while sleeping facilitates the dissolution of the enamel against acid produced by bacteria. Therefore, a particular cleaning of the milk teeth after night feeding should be done.

What Should Be Done To Avoid Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?

Take your child to a pedodontist for an early detection of baby bottle caries before he is one year old. Do not let him be milked while sleeping from the age of one. Clean your baby's teeth after each feeding with a toothbrush or a wet cheesecloth regularly. After feeding your baby if you cannot clean the teeth, give him some water to drink. Do not add high sugar content foods such as honey, jams and molasses in your baby’s milk.

WHAT ARE THE PEDODONTICS TREATMENTS?

Dental Fillings

The cavitycauses decay of teeth and and if they are not treated it gives the result in an abscess that causes the pain and infection. After removing the decayed and weakened parts of the tooth by the dentist, the tooth is filled with tooth-colored filling materials. Tooth filling process leads to regaining the function of the tooth, eliminating aesthetic disorders caused by decayed teeth and to facilitate the child nutrition. It provides to have natural function of milk tooth which has been filled until the time of replacing, so thatthe location of permanent tooth coming from the bottom is protected and possible perplexity can be prevented.

Capping

After the removal of tooth’s decayed and weakened parts,in the case that is very closeto pulp in order to protect the pulp tissue and to keepthe tooth alive, capping method can be applied. (in some cases, a temporary special filler is placed in a and permanent filling can be made after or within 3 weeks to 6 months).

Amputation (half canal)

It is a form of therapy which aims at keeping the tooth pulp healthy by removing crown pulp tissue of the tooth with special tools.

Root canal treatment