Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric dentistry is a part of dentistry that is concerned with the children from birth through adolescence. Most of the dental disease in adults is mainly related to that in young age, hence it is important to prevent and control the disease at the earliest.

Importance of baby teeth

Otherwise known as deciduous or primary teeth, this is the first set of teeth. The eruption of these teeth begins at the age of 6 months and continues until 3 years of age. These teeth are necessary for a child to chew and speak and of course, adds to the adorable smile!

If a child loses a tooth too early due to infection or trauma, then the permanent tooth may erupt out of its position resulting in irregularly placed teeth.

Common dental problems in children

• Tooth decay- it causes holes in the teeth. If untreated it will end up in tooth ache
• Tooth fracture due to trauma
• Irregularly placed teeth- this occurs due to early loss of milk tooth due to accident or decay.
• Common habits which may affect normal growth of permanent teeth are thumb sucking, tongue thrusting and lip sucking.

All these habits result in the forwardly placement of the permanent teeth.

Various dental treatments

• Pediatric pulpal therapy
• Filling of decayed teeth
• Minor orthodontic correction
• Fluoride application - if your child’s teeth are prone to caries, a fluoride varnish is applied to the teeth
• Fissure sealants - some children have very deep fissures (grooves) in their permanent back teeth which can be difficult to clean resulting in decay. In order to protect the teeth, these grooves are sealed with a flowable material.