What Is Pedodontics?
Pedodontics is the dentistry branch involving treatment of deciduous (baby) teeth. Every child’s teeth have to be checked by the dentist after baby teeth are completed.
It is very important that children meet with a dentist before they have any problem with their teeth. It will be better not to apply any treatment in the first appointment in order to not create any dentist phobia.
Treatment of baby teeth are important both for the general health of the child and the permanent teeth which will erupt in the future. For this reason, protective applications should be carried out as well as necessary treatments such as filling, amputation, root canal treatment of the baby teeth.
Fissure sealant application
Fissure sealant is a tooth-colored, fluid, viscous filling material which covers chewing surfaces of molar teeth and protects them against decay.
Fissure sealant closes over the crevicular with its very thin fabric and protects that area from exterior factors such as microbes, food residue, and therefore prevents decay to begin from this area.
Fissure sealent is usually applied to molar teeth which erupt after age 6.
Fluoride application
Fluoride is a substance enhancing the strength of the teeth against decay. Implementation of gel containing fluoride on the teeth with a spoon, results in revelation of effect of fluoride. The trials have shown that use of fluor tablets is not as effective as local application.
Purposes of applying fluoride are,
-
Provides retrieving the minerals that are lost from the teeth mineral especially in decays that are in the initial state in the kids and build-up of the enamel layer on the teeth.
-
Reducing the risk of decay.
-
Combined application of the fissure sealant and surface fuoride gives the best result in prevention of tooth decay.
Space maintainer
If extraction of deciduous tooth is required before its time during deciduous dentition, a simple appliance called space maintainer should be placed in the space of the extracted tooth.
The task of this applicance is to protect the space of the permanent teeth which will grow in the future and prevent any orthodontic problem to arise.
