What is Pedodontics (Pediatric Dentistry)?
Pedodontics (Pediatric Dentistry) is a department that aims to protect the milk and permanent teeth of 0-16 age group children in a healthy manner and to eliminate the problems caused by caries, trauma, hereditary and similar factors in these teeth. Pedodontics is a branch of dentistry that follows and treats the oral-dental health and maxillofacial development of children from infancy, and also includes preventive measures.
Importance of Milk Teeth
There are 20 milk teeth in total. The primary task of milk teeth is to provide nutrition to the child. In addition, the proper development of speech also depends on the presence of milk teeth. Milk teeth protect the area they cover for the permanent tooth that will replace them and guide it while the permanent tooth is erupting. When the primary tooth is pulled out early, this natural place-holding function disappears. The primary aim of pediatric dentistry is to take measures to prevent dental problems and to guide children to a caries-free future. The procedures applied for this purpose are called Preventive Dentistry Practices.
DEAR PARENTS,Today's understanding of medicine is to eliminate many diseases before they begin with appropriate preventive measures and to protect current health. The childhood period has an important and priority place in the acquisition of habits such as tooth brushing, nutrition regulation, periodic dental check-up, which form the basis of oral and dental health. Bacteria that cause dental caries are transmitted to babies after birth by parents, caregivers, etc. Since it is transmitted from people such as children, it is necessary to tell the family about the precautions to protect the milk teeth by the pediatric dentist, together with the eruption of the baby's first teeth.
WHEN DO BABIES' TEETH BEGIN?
Baby teeth erupt around 6-8 months of age. Children aged 2.5-3 years have 20 milk teeth. Babies may experience problems such as drooling, loss of appetite, restlessness, insomnia, diarrhea, fever, redness of the chin or face, and mild cough during the eruption of milk teeth. These problems may begin 2-3 months before the teeth erupt. What they are and how much pain they cause varies from child to child. During this period, it is best to give him something to scratch his teeth. If it is very necessary, medication can be given with the recommendation of a pediatric dentist.
WHEN SHOULD I START BRUSHING MY TEETH?
Since the microorganisms that cause dental caries begin to settle in the oral cavity with the eruption of the first teeth (approximately 6-8 months), parents should be informed that they should start oral care practices such as daily brushing and gingival massage after the first milk teeth erupt.
In infants and childhood, toothbrushes that are suitable for the mouth size of children, with a straight handle, small head, soft, rounded bristle ends, and specially produced from dense and straight-cut nylon bristles should be preferred. It is important that the baby or child has a toothbrush of their own and that you do not use your own or his sibling's toothbrush. Since the spitting reflex does not develop in children until the age of 3, cleaning should be done only with a toothbrush and without wetting the brush under water without recommending the use of toothpaste. When a child around the age of 2 wants to brush by using his own toothbrush, it should be known that the motor functions of a child of this age are not sufficiently developed and are not at a level to brush consciously, and the teeth should be brushed again by the parent after the child's brushing. After the age of 3, when the child can spit, brushing with a lentil-sized paste suitable for his age will be sufficient. The bristles of the brush are easily deformed as children can bite the toothbrush or apply unwanted pressure while brushing their teeth. For this reason, the toothbrush in children should be used at least once every 3 months.