Pediatric dentistry

Pedodontics (pediatric dentistry) is a discipline dealing with diagnosis and stomatology treatments of temporary teeth in children, targeting both milk teeth as well as permanent, young teeth.
It is known that children do not like to go to the doctor, especially to the dentist. This is why it is important to create an environment in which every child can feel relaxed, calm and become collaborative, whether it is a simple visit or a tooth fixing.

Oral hygiene and milk teeth

Proper oral hygiene during the period of milk teeth is essential because it can prevent problems with permanent teeth. Milk teeth should be cleaned with a toothpaste with a low fluoride content.

When to schedule the first visit to the dentist

A child should start making periodic visits from it's third year and the check should be done regularly every 6 months. Among the most common problems there is caries, caused by consummation of sweets and candies. There are many thing that cause the erosion of the enamel and increase the amount of bacteria that cause the caries: baby bottles, sweets, honey, milk, sweeteners.

Parents should teach children to take care of hygiene from the first tooth, but we know that it is not always easy.

From 4 to 6 years

During the period from 4 to 6 years it is important to verify the skull-facial architecture and to focus on whether there is any problem that could cause:

• crooked teeth;
• malocclusion;
• caries;

In order to help with the prevention of dental problems, today we can use a test of cario-receptivity, which analyzing a sample of saliva, can detect the presence of any bacteria.

Fear of the dentist

When working with children, the approach and establishing a relationship of trust and collaboration can be essential. It would be useful to carry out the first dental visit when the child has no toothache. While performing a denture check, the child will become familiar with the instruments used by the dentist. In this way he will be able to maintain control of the situation and will not associate the figure of the dentist with the sensation of pain.

When a child is anxious and struggling to show collaboration with the dentist, a slight sedation is used. Sedation can occur in different ways:

• The lightest is with nitrous oxide, a gas that can be breathed from a mask.
• Anxiolytics can be administered by mouth or rectally.
• In the most difficult cases it is possible to resort to intravenous anxiolytics, a procedure which will be carried out by an anesthesiologist experienced in the treatment of children.

Tips

• It would be a good idea to make an appointment with the dentist and without other commitments for the child.
• Suggest him to wear his favorite T-shirt or shoes in order to create the expectation that the visit to the dentist will be a pleasant and interesting experience.
• Talk to him about the dentist with positivity and serenity and tell him that the dentist is a friendly figure.
• Stay close to the child during the first visit to make him feel protected and safe.