Treatments · Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric Dentistry

Children's oral health is shaped by the habits formed during the milk-tooth years. Milk teeth are temporary, but they are needed for chewing, speech and holding space for the permanent teeth; losing them early leads to alignment problems.

What happens at the first visit?

The first appointment is usually just a meeting: the child sits in the chair, we look at the teeth with a mirror and the instruments are introduced as a "counting" game. If no treatment is needed, brushing is shown and the child leaves with a small reward. The aim is for the clinic to be a safe place. A calm, positive parent sets the tone; neutral phrases such as "we'll count your teeth" work better than "no needles, it won't hurt".

Preventive care

Fluoride varnish: applied to the tooth surface to strengthen enamel and stop early decay; repeated every 6 months.

Fissure sealants: the deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of molars are where decay starts and where the brush cannot reach. These grooves are sealed with a flowable filling; no drilling and usually no discomfort. Around ages 6 and 12, when the permanent molars come through, is the ideal time.

Space maintainers: if a milk tooth is lost early, a fixed or removable space maintainer keeps the space for the permanent tooth.

Decay in milk teeth

Milk teeth have thinner enamel than permanent teeth, so decay progresses quickly. Small cavities are filled; decay reaching the nerve is treated with pulpotomy (partial root treatment); extraction is the last resort. Waiting because "it will fall out anyway" can lead to pain, abscess and damage to the permanent tooth.

By age

• 0–2: getting acquainted, feeding and brushing advice, bottle-decay risk assessment.
• 3–5: 6-monthly check-ups, fluoride varnish, fillings in milk teeth if needed, monitoring dummy and thumb habits.
• 6–9: fissure sealants as the permanent molars erupt; timetable of milk-tooth loss; early orthodontic assessment.
• 10–14: orthodontic planning as the permanent dentition completes, sports mouthguards, independent oral hygiene.

How an appointment goes

1. A short settling-in period; the child explores the chair.
2. "Tell-show-do": each instrument is shown first, then used; neither dentist nor parent uses negative words.
3. Examination, X-ray if needed; preventive care (fluoride 3–5 min, sealants 5–10 min per tooth).
4. If treatment is needed, a separate short session is usually planned; a topical anaesthetic is used before the local anaesthetic.

Duration

Check-ups and preventive care take 20–30 minutes; fillings 1–2 teeth per session, about 30 minutes. For anxious or very young children short, frequent visits are preferred; in selected cases treatment under sedation or general anaesthesia is planned with an anaesthetist.

Home care

Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste under parental supervision (a rice-grain amount under 3, a pea-sized amount after), with the parent doing the final brushing until about age 8; no bottle at night; limit sugary drinks and snacks.