Pedodontics/ Pediatric Dentistry
Pedodontics is a word of Latin origin and consists of the combination of the Latin words “pedo” meaning “child” and “donti” meaning “tooth”. The answer to the question of what is pedodontics is briefly the branch of dentistry that deals with babies and children from birth to 13 years old. Since each child’s dental development is different from each other, it would not be wrong to say the period from birth to adolescence. Therefore, the upper limit can be extended up to the age of 14 or 15. In the department of pedodontics, also known as pediatric dentistry, preventive measures predominate. The primary goal of the pedodontics department is to take measures to prevent the formation of problems related to oral and dental health and to bring children to the future without caries in their teeth. The procedures applied for these goals are called preventive dentistry practices. Pedodontics deals with oral and dental health issues including the protection of milk and permanent teeth of babies and children, as well as the follow-up and treatment of the development of the face and jaw area. A specialist dentist working in a pediatric dental clinic is called a pedodontist. A specialist dentist with the title of pedodontist receives an additional 3-year specialty training after 5 years of dental education and has the authority to practice his profession in this regard. Pedodontists are specialized in making treatment applications suitable for the oral and dental development of children by guiding the behaviors of babies and children in the relevant age group. Why is pedodontics important? Having a strong and healthy mouth and teeth in adulthood is closely related to adequate and correct education at young ages. Gaining the habit of oral and dental health education starts at a very young age. Therefore, education on this subject should be given from an early age. Considering that education begins in the family, it is undeniable that it is an important requirement for pediatric dentists to be in constant contact with families. Why Pedodontics? Oral and dental structures and personality traits of children and adults are different from each other. For this reason, children’s oral and dental health problems are examined by a separate department, the pediatric dental clinic. Generally, problems related to milk teeth are ignored by parents with the thought that “these teeth will fall out anyway”. However, problems with milk teeth often reflect on permanent teeth. Many problems with milk teeth, such as early tooth loss, cavities, missing teeth, adversely affect permanent teeth. What problems does pedodontics deal with? To put it briefly, pedodontics; It deals with oral and dental health problems of all children from birth to adolescence. In addition, facial and jaw development and problems are followed and treated in the pedodontics clinic. pediatric dentist; To educate children and their parents about oral and dental health, Helping to gain healthy eating habits, Educating parents to prevent early childhood caries seen in children 71 months and younger, known as bottle caries, Regional varnish or gel fluoride and fissure sealant applications to prevent caries, To make placeholder applications that prevent tooth slippage in order to protect the gaps that occur due to prematurely lost teeth or forced extractions for the emergence of permanent teeth, Treatments for loss, fractures, cracks in teeth caused by trauma, The process of re-gluing the parts broken off from the tooth, Production of protective apparatus for children engaged in sports, Filling, root canal treatment and veneer applications for caries in children’s milk and permanent teeth, Applications called amputation when necessary and known as small root canal treatment among the people, Tooth extraction in cases where it is not possible to save the tooth in advanced caries, including tooth roots, To make necessary applications to prevent orthodontic problems, Orthodontic treatments such as braces, clear aligners, Treatment of hereditary mouth, teeth and jaw problems, Night plaque application for the treatment of teeth clenching and grinding that can be seen in children, It specializes in performing procedures such as the treatment of gum diseases. What is amputation in pedodontics? Amputation is a treatment method used for decayed primary teeth in pediatric dentistry. It is popularly known as small root canal treatment. It is a treatment method to keep the decayed milk tooth in the mouth until the permanent teeth come out. It is applied in cases where the caries is very advanced. If the decay in the tooth reaches the vessels and nerves feeding the tooth, amputation treatment is performed. In amputation treatment, the rotten part of the tooth is removed, the tooth is cleaned from bacteria; However, unlike root canal treatment, vessels and nerves are not removed. Thus, it is aimed to protect the vitality of the tooth. process
In the last step, the gap opened is filled with suitable material. If necessary, coatings are also made from materials such as porcelain and zirconium. Amputation treatment is a treatment method applied to keep the tooth in the mouth for a longer period of time in deciduous molars. How is fluoride application done in the pedodontics unit? Fluoride application, which is one of the most important preventive treatments in pediatric dentistry, is most frequently performed in the pre-school period. Fluoride is an important and necessary mineral for dental health, and its deficiency increases the formation of caries in the teeth. The progression of caries at the initial stage can be prevented by the application of fluoride by the dentist. Fluoride slows the formation of plaque by bacteria on teeth and reduces caries formation by 40%. It is applied to the tooth surfaces by applying varnish every 4-6 months by a specialist dentist. Since it is not taken systemically in tablet form and is applied locally, it does not cause a negative effect on the health of children. It dries and hardens in a short time when applied to the tooth surface. For this reason, the risk of swallowing and causing harmful effects is negligible and can be used safely in children when applied in expert hands.
What is the fissure sealant application in pediatric dentistry? First of all, if we explain what a fissure is, we can say that the recesses and slits on the chewing surface of the teeth are called fissures. Fissure sealant application, on the other hand, is the process of covering the chewing surfaces of the molar teeth in children with a fluid filling material applied by a specialist pediatric dentist to cover these recesses and crevices. It is a one-time application to protect teeth from decay and can be applied to all milk and permanent molars starting from the age of 6 years. Fissure sealant application is different from fluoride varnish application and it is recommended to be applied to all children in addition to fluoride, if possible, in order not to leave dental health to chance. It is easy to apply and is completed in as little as 5 minutes. There is no loss of tooth tissue during the application. If the fissure sealant is not applied, the permanent or milk molars are at risk of decay, as no additional protection is applied to the child’s molars. Fissure sealant application is most commonly applied to the first molars, which we call 6-year-old teeth and which is the longest permanent tooth in the mouth. What are the differences between pedodontics and adult dentistry? In pediatric dentistry, the pedodontist approaches their patients differently than adults. The most important issue during all preventive or therapeutic procedures is to treat patients without fear, pain and distress. In addition to healthy children, children with different diseases and disabilities such as heart disease, mental retardation, cerebral palsy are also treated by pedodontists. These patients, who require special care and attention, have to be treated under sedation or general anesthesia in most cases. Dental Group Hospitadent; In all its branches, it is at your service with its expert pedodontist staff, state-of-the-art equipment and pediatric dental clinics.
Treatment Summary
Number of Transactions
2-3
Return to Work Process
Now
Processing Time
10 Days
Full Recovery Process
Now
Anesthesia Method
Local anesthesia
Persistence of Results
5 Years
Sensitivity Process
Non
Eating - Drinking Process
2 Hours Later
Note: *The information and recommendations on this page are for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. WhatsApp line.
