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PEDODONTI

Pedodontics

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CHILD'S FIRST VISIT TO THE DENTIST: The ideal time for this is six months after the baby's first teeth appear. Problems with your child's teeth can start at a very early age. During this period, the baby's nutrition, dental care and sucking By learning about the habit, it will be possible to prevent problems before they start.

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FIRST DENTAL CHECK-UP: Meeting the dentist and making routine "chat and check-up" visits before your child has cavities and pain is of great importance in preventing the fear of dentists in society from being passed on to children.
HOW CAN I PREPARE MY CHILD AND MYSELF FOR THE FIRST EXAMINATION?: Before taking your child to the dentist, it is best to get information about the procedure to be performed. In general, it is best to consult a dentist before large cavities form in the teeth and severe pain begins. It makes the treatment easier for both the child and the physician. However, if the physician has to give anesthesia to a child who is brought in with the prejudice that "the doctor will not give an injection", the child will be more vulnerable to both you and the physician. trust in the physician. Therefore, it will be important to inform the child correctly about the treatment in order to overcome his/her fear and gain his/her trust.
WHAT CAUSES FEAR OF THE DENTIST IN CHILDREN? WHAT ARE THE PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN?: If you explain to your child that dental treatment is nothing to be afraid of, you can easily take them to the dentist. However, parents often turn the concept of the dentist into a fear factor by saying, "If you don't behave, I'll take you to the dentist and he'll pull your teeth out!" "If you don't behave, I will take you to the dentist, and he will pull your teeth out!", turning the concept of the dentist into an element of fear.
Therefore:

Taking the child to the dentist should not be a punishment. On the contrary, an environment in which the child will enjoy going to the dentist should be created.

Another issue to be considered is not to create an association between going to the dentist and the pain that the child will be exposed to. However, misleading the child by saying "Your tooth will never hurt"; will make future treatments more difficult.

A good dialog between the dentist and the child is a factor that helps the child overcome his or her fear. To do this, let the child answer the dentist's questions himself/herself.
SHOULD MILK TEETH BE TREATED?: Milk teeth should be treated just like permanent teeth. Removing these teeth with the thought that "they will change anyway!" causes many problems. We can explain the importance of milk teeth as follows;

Milk teeth are important for nutrition. Children with decayed teeth have difficulty eating because their teeth hurt. Similarly, children whose teeth are extracted cannot grow and develop because they cannot eat.

In addition to general body development, milk teeth are also necessary for the development of the jaws. In children whose teeth are extracted due to decay or gum problems, the jaws collapse and take on an aged appearance.

Every child loves to smile. A beautiful smile requires healthy teeth.

Looking beautiful is the most natural desire of every person, big and small. Children with decayed or missing teeth feel psychologically disturbed because they think they look ugly.

Another task of deciduous teeth is to protect the space for the permanent teeth coming from below. If a deciduous tooth is extracted prematurely, the adjacent teeth slide into this space. There is no room for the permanent tooth coming from below. This tooth compresses the others, resulting in crowding.

For these reasons, milk teeth should be treated without the misconception that "they will be replaced anyway".
ORAL CARE IN CHILDREN: Cleaning should start as soon as the first teeth appear in the mouth. Using a clean cheesecloth or gauze, the teeth should be wiped clean in the morning after breakfast and before going to bed at night. With the completion of the front group of teeth, finger brushes can be used. Toothbrush use can be started after the baby's back teeth erupt.

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WHAT IS THE BEST TECHNIQUE FOR BRUSHING?: It is very difficult to suggest a technique for brushing teeth in preschool children. The important thing at this age is to teach the child the habit of brushing their teeth. Most of the time when children brush their teeth brush the visible or easily accessible surfaces of the teeth. However, germs accumulate more easily on the interfaces or chewing surfaces of the teeth. For this reason, after brushing, the parents and the child It is essential to brush your teeth. In school-age children, the brush should be placed at a 45° inclination at the tooth-gum junction and the visible surfaces of the teeth should be rotated, then the chewing surfaces of the teeth should be rotated back and forth. It is recommended to brush with movements.
WHICH TOOTHBRUSH SHOULD I CHOOSE FOR MY CHILD?: Toothbrushes made of soft nylon bristles suitable for the size of the child's mouth should be used. Hard brushes are not suitable for use as they will abrade the teeth. As soon as the bristles are worn (average 6 months) must be replaced.
WHICH TOOTHPASTE AND HOW MUCH SHOULD CHILDREN USE?: Toothpaste is not recommended for infants and children up to the age of three. If the child insists on using toothpaste after seeing it from parents or older brothers and sisters, swallowable toothpaste specially produced for 0-3 years can be used. toothpastes can be used. The use of toothpaste should start after the age of three, when the child is able to spit. However, not half a finger, as in advertisements, but 0-3 years For children older than 3 years, a lentil-sized amount of paste squeezed onto the brush will be sufficient for brushing. Fluoride paste available in the market during the period when paste use is started Any of the toothpastes can be preferred. It is important to remember that an effective brushing process is more important than the paste in the brushing process.

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HOW MANY TIMES A DAY SHOULD I HAVE MY CHILD BRUSH THEIR TEETH?: Just three minutes of effective brushing in the morning before breakfast and at night before bedtime is sufficient. Like many good habits, the habit of brushing your teeth should be developed during childhood.
CHILD'S FIRST VISIT TO THE DENTIST: The ideal time for this is six months after the baby's first teeth appear. Problems with your child's teeth can start at a very early age. During this period, the baby's nutrition, dental care and By learning about the sucking habit, it will be possible to prevent problems before they start.
MY BABY'S TEETH ROTTED AS SOON AS I PUT THEM IN. WHAT COULD BE THE CAUSE?: In babies, it is sometimes observed that brown spots appear on the teeth as soon as they erupt or that these teeth break and fall out. In fact, these stains are actually tooth decay and the teeth break because of the decay. The reason for the formation of cavities at such an early stage is the so-called bottle caries. Breast milk or cow's milk, the most important food in infant nutrition, naturally contains sugar. If the baby sucks on breast milk or a bottle at night before going to bed or during sleep, the milk accumulates in the mouth and creates a favorable environment for germs to decay the teeth. For this reason, especially care should be taken to clean the teeth after night feeding.

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WHAT TO DO TO PREVENT BABY CAVITY?: Since caries in infants is very difficult to treat, preventive measures should be taken early on. What are these?

Prevent your baby from sleeping with a bottle in their mouth at night. Try to put them to sleep after feeding.

Do not add sweeteners such as sugar, honey or molasses to the milk in the bottle.

Make sure the baby drinks water after feeding.

When the first teeth erupt, wipe their teeth clean with a clean, wet cheesecloth after night and morning feedings.
MY BABY'S TEETH ROTTED EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T SUCK A BOTTLE, WHY COULD IT BE?: In addition to the bottle, dipping pacifiers in sweeteners such as honey, molasses and jam to silence crying babies is another cause of bottle caries. In addition, carbohydrate-sugary foods that are given to the baby after teeth erupt in order to keep him/her occupied also cause tooth decay. Instead of this kind of food, the child should be given an apple, foods with high nutritional value such as carrots should be directed to foods that help tooth cleaning.
THE EFFECT OF NUTRITION ON ORAL AND DENTAL HEALTH IN CHILDREN: "Balanced nutrition" and "dental care" are the most important points to be considered in terms of oral and dental health in childhood. Sugary foods snacked between meals or starch-containing foods such as chips and crackers that stick to the teeth prepare a caries-initiating environment until the teeth are brushed. For this reason sugary, sticky or acidic foods should be eaten within three main meals. If it is not possible to brush the teeth after eating sugary, sticky food, the mouth should be rinsed with plenty of water or drink a glass of water. Again, a piece of cheese in the mouth after eating sugary food is extremely important in terms of eliminating the anti-caries effect of sugar.

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MY BABY'S TEETH ERUPTED LATE. SHOULD I BE WORRIED?: In general, the first teeth begin to erupt in babies at the age of 6 months. However, there may be delays due to a number of factors related to the baby itself. Until the age of one delays are considered normal. If your baby has no teeth in his/her mouth at the age of 1 year, it is necessary to take him/her to a dentist to investigate the cause.
WHAT SYMPTOMS OCCUR IN THE GUMS AND MOUTH DURING TOOTH EXTRACTION?: A day or two before teething in children, there may be moodiness, loss of appetite, itchy gums and increased salivation. The gums are swollen in the area where the tooth will erupt. All these complaints disappear with the eruption of the teeth. There is no medicine that will relieve all these complaints. There are medicines available in pharmacies to be applied before meals to relax the child. pomades can be used. Teeth scratchers used cold can also provide relief.
DOES THE GENERAL CONDITION OF THE CHILD DETERIORATE DURING TEETHING?: In the past, every complaint of a child at the age of tooth eruption was attributed to teething. Although tooth eruption has some effects on general health, such as convulsions, diarrhea, bronchitis diseases are no longer attributed to tooth eruption. In order to blame tooth eruption for a child's general condition, all other causes must be investigated. Therefore, it is important to consult a pediatrician when faced with such a problem.
WHEN IS THE ERUPTION OF MILK TEETH COMPLETE?: Between 24 and 30 months, the eruption of milk teeth is completed. A child with complete deciduous teeth has a total of 20 teeth, 10 in each jaw.

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WHEN DO PERMANENT TEETH START TO ERUPT?: At the age of 6, permanent teeth, which we call "6 year old teeth", begin to erupt after the milk molars. These teeth are four in total, two on each side of the lower and upper jaw. Since they are usually thought to be milk teeth, they are not treated when they decay and are extracted. However, the extraction of these teeth, which are very important for the dental system, causes crowding in the teeth, which is very difficult to treat.
Between the ages of 7 and 11, the milk teeth erupt and the permanent teeth from below take their place.
At the age of 12, the 2nd permanent molars erupt behind the 6 year old teeth. Like the 6 year old teeth, these are teeth that do not erupt in place of a milk tooth.
MY BABY WAS BORN WITH TEETH. WHAT SHOULD I DO?: Sometimes babies are born with teeth or teeth erupt soon after birth. These teeth are usually loose teeth and need to be extracted because the baby may swallow them or they may get into the windpipe. Another problem is irritation of the mother's nipple during feeding. In such a case, a dentist should intervene.
FLUORIDE APPLICATIONS: Today, "fluoride" compounds are the most widely recognized substance for strengthening the tooth structure and preventing tooth decay. Fluoride is used as a public health method to protect teeth from caries in geographical areas with low fluoride concentrations (0.5 ppm) or in countries where fluoridation of drinking water is not possible, Systemic and topical application of fluoride can significantly reduce caries development in individuals. Professional superficial fluoride application is a method that can only be applied by dentists.
Fluoride application:

Children with teeth prone to decay

Undergoing orthodontic treatment

It can be used for prophylactic purposes in children with systemic diseases.

Superficial fluoride application is more effective if done every 6 months. Therefore, bring your children to the dentist regularly every 6 months.

EXPLANATION ON FLORIDE, Turkish Dental Association (Click to read, Turkish)
FISSURE SEALANTS: Fissure sealants are a filling-like substance used in children to prevent bacteria and food from entering the small cavities of the teeth. Cavities that are difficult to clean on the chewing surface of the tooth, It fills the recesses (these recesses are called FISCURES), thus preventing caries-forming bacteria from settling in these areas.
Fissure sealant applications are a reliable, painless and inexpensive treatment.

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WHEN SHOULD FISSURE SEALANT BE APPLIED TO CHILDREN?: At the age of 5-7, the first molars, which will remain in the mouth for life, erupt. Since the chewing surfaces of these molars are quite indented and protruding, they are suitable for easy accumulation of food. Also, when permanent teeth erupt It is also not possible for children to brush these teeth effectively. As a result, these teeth can easily decay and be lost. To prevent this, fissures should be applied as soon as the first molars (6 year old teeth) erupt. easily cleanable areas should be created with sealants. The second molar should be protected with fissure sealants as soon as it erupts between the ages of 11-14. These sealants should be applied by the dentist in a single 15-20 minute easily placed in one session. Fissure sealants usually last for a long time. They are evaluated at routine check-ups and renewed if necessary. Fissure sealants protect the chewing surfaces of the tooth, but never brushing. they're no substitute.
PLACEHOLDERS: Deciduous teeth protect the space they occupy for the permanent tooth that will replace them and guide the permanent tooth as it erupts. When the deciduous tooth is extracted prematurely, this natural placeholder function is eliminated. If the milk tooth is extracted prematurely, the adjacent teeth slide into this space. There is not enough space for the permanent tooth coming from below. This tooth compresses the others, resulting in crowding. income.
Space maintainers are apparatus used to ensure that permanent teeth can be properly placed in the jaw curve by protecting deciduous tooth spaces. Fixed retainers are used in single tooth deficiencies. Movable placeholders are used in cases of multiple missing teeth or missing teeth on both sides of the jaw. For this reason, if a premature loss of milk teeth has occurred, a placeholder must be used. should be made. The placeholder will protect the cavity until the permanent tooth erupts.

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DENTAL TREATMENTS WITH GENERAL ANESTHESIA AND SEDATION:: It may sometimes not be possible to perform dental treatments in the dentist's chair for children and disabled patients who have a fear of dentists. In this case, sedation or general With anesthesia, all dental treatments can be performed in one go.
SEDATION: It is a support method applied by the anesthesiologist and calming the patient in order to ensure that the patient is comfortable and tolerates the procedure more easily in procedures that can be performed with local anesthesia. Sedation is the administration of medication to relax the patient. It is frequently used especially in pediatric patients.
GENERAL ANESTHESIA: General anesthesia is an anesthesia in which consciousness is closed with externally applied pharmacological agents, no response to painful stimuli, respiratory functions are significantly suppressed or stopped, circulatory system is defined as a reversible state in which functions can be suppressed.
In children with very high levels of fear and anxiety,

In children without adequate cooperation,

In pediatric patients with mental disabilities or mobility impairments, dental treatments can be performed under sedation or general anesthesia.

'Dental treatment with sedation and/or general anesthesia' MUST be performed in centers where there is an experienced anesthesiologist who is authorized to practice.

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