Pedodontics

It is known that babies are born without teeth, but, their milk teeth have taken their places in the jaw, and they are waiting for the day they will erupt under the gums. In rare cases, it has also been observed that a few teeth of the newborn baby have erupted. Experienced parents and dentists know about tooth development, eruption times, and order, but it shouldn’t be surprising that it varies slightly from child to child.

The baby’s first front teeth begin to emerge between the five and sixth months, and by the age of three, the eruption of the milk teeth is usually complete. The total number of milk teeth is twenty, ten in the upper and lower jaws. Things that are likely to be seen in children during tooth eruption are pain in the palate, itching, restlessness, fever, and loss of appetite. Mothers and fathers can consult their dentists, family, or pediatricians about the complaints they see as abnormal. Several gels may be recommended by the dentist to reduce the pain in the palate due to tooth eruption.

The most basic thing to know about oral care in children is that oral care has no age, even if it is a tooth, it should be cleaned. This cleaning changes shape as the child grows, the responsibility begins with the mother, and as the child grows, the child begins to be a partner in this. No matter how old the child is, if the teeth are not cleaned well after feeding, bacterial plaque forms on the teeth and decays begin. The foods that cause dental caries are not only sugar and chocolate, in principle, whatever is eaten, oral hygiene should not be neglected. Children, like their parents, should be taken to a dentist every 5-6 months.

From infancy to age three, after each feeding, the mother should wet her teeth and gums with a clean gauze pad. As the child grows and the number of teeth increases, the mother can start cleaning the teeth by wetting the toothbrush with water without using paste.

Children who can control their swallowing starting from the age of three or four can brush their teeth with a small amount of fluoride toothpaste (for example, the size of a lentil). While the toothbrush is under the control of the mother at first, the child learns to brush himself in time, the mother controls how he brushes, and makes sure that he spits out the paste. Habits such as false nipples and thumb sucking should be abandoned after 3-4 years of age. A dentist’s help can be sought for children who cannot quit their habit despite the constructive guidance and efforts of their parents. Different habit-breaking appliances can be applied in such cases.

From the age of 6, milk teeth fall out and permanent teeth begin to erupt. While this transitional period starts earlier in some children, it is later in others. The permanent tooth replacement instead of the primary tooth usually starts with the lower anterior incisors. It is often found strange by families that the lower front permanent teeth erupt from the back of the tongue, not under the milk teeth, but this situation improves with natural growth and development mechanisms. Families can still consult their dentist in case of doubt.

The first permanent molar, a six-year-old tooth, erupts behind the second deciduous molar (with the sixth tooth in the back when counted from the midline) around the age of six. Number six molars are often confused with milk teeth by families and their care is not given due importance. For this reason, these teeth are the most extracted permanent teeth at early ages. At this age, dental floss can be started.

Dental Treatments in Children:

To prevent tooth decay, local fluoride application can be made by the dentist. This application helps to prevent mineral loss from the tooth surface. With fissure sealant fillings, recesses, and grooves on the chewing surfaces of newly erupted teeth are closed to prevent caries before they begin. Since the teeth are more prone to decay during the new eruption period, the treatments to be performed at this stage are more effective and successful.

Especially, deciduous tooth decay that starts at an early age should be treated before they grow. Untreated small cavities grow and cause more serious and serious conditions in the future. The fillings made on the milk teeth do not harm the child’s dental development and the permanent teeth come from below.

If the time for a big rotten and painful milk tooth has not come yet, it is tried to be healed with treatments such as capping, root canal treatment, and amputation. Shooting should be the last option. Premature extraction of milk teeth, sliding of adjacent teeth towards the extraction area, inability to find a place for the tooth to come from below, and crowding can cause problems. In case of early extraction of a primary tooth that cannot be treated, fixed or mobile placeholder alternatives can be evaluated by the physician.