What is Pediatric Dentistry?

 

It is a branch of dentistry that deals with the oral and dental health, diagnosis, and treatment of infants and children. Pediatric Dentistry focuses on the period from the eruption of the first baby teeth until the age of 14.

 

Applications for Cleft Lip / Palate in Infants

 

Infants born with a cleft lip and palate may sometimes need a feeding plate. In such cases, orthodontic specialists should be consulted to shape soft tissues like the nose and upper lip or hard tissues like the palate during the repair of the lip or palate. If there is a unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate, the tissues are brought closer together using bands to ensure lip continuity before the lip repair. Supports that elevate the tip of the nose are made to shape it. If only a palatine cleft is present and the cleft line is large, feeding plates are made; if the cleft line is small, no feeding plate is made, but parents are supported in feeding the baby.

 

Milk Teeth

 

As the first milk teeth erupt around the age of 1, dental cleaning becomes necessary. The first milk teeth to erupt are the lower central incisors. Bacterial plaque on the teeth should be cleaned with a piece of gauze.

 

Bottle Caries

 

Between the ages of 6 months and 1 year, as the first milk teeth emerge, infants switch to solid food and bottle feeding. To help infants fall asleep comfortably, milk is given in a bottle before sleep, and sometimes families add sweeteners like honey or molasses to the milk. This significantly increases the risk of caries. Therefore, preventing bottle caries becomes crucial during this period. Care should be taken to clean the teeth after every feeding. To prevent bottle caries, infants should not sleep with a bottle, and after drinking milk from a bottle, a thorough mouth cleaning or rinsing with water is necessary. Night feeding should be stopped after the age of 1. This helps remove sugar-feeding caries-causing bacteria from the oral environment. Foods such as milk with honey, sugary water, or sugar should also be avoided.

As the milk teeth emerge and their number increases, toothbrushes designed for small children should start to be used. It is sufficient to clean milk teeth with water without toothpaste. For children at risk of caries, toothpaste that does not cause problems if swallowed can be used.

 

When Should You Take Your Child to the Pediatric Dentist for the First Time?

 

The World Health Organization recommends bringing the baby in during the first 6 months to 1 year, that is, during the period when the first milk teeth start to emerge. Although this age may seem early, it is extremely important for the healthy development of oral and dental health.

During the first examination, the child's oral evaluations are made, and the child's susceptibility to caries is determined. Susceptibility to caries is assessed based on the existing amount of caries, the salivary flow rate, or the viscosity of the saliva. In this way, specific examination intervals for the child are determined, which could be within six months or shorter.

 

What are Fluoride and Fissure Sealant Applications?

 

During regular dental check-ups for children, caries are cleaned and fillings are done when necessary. Sometimes, even if there is no caries, preventive applications are performed for existing caries risks. Fluoride or Fissure Sealant applications are among the protective caries prevention measures. Milk teeth are structurally more fragile than permanent teeth and are therefore more prone to decay, making periodic fluoride applications essential to strengthen the enamel against decay.

The Fissure Sealant application, also known as dental varnish, involves filling the deepest and most grooved surfaces of permanent teeth with a filling material that strengthens the tooth structure after cleaning with professional brushes, without using caries cleaning instruments. This process makes the surface smooth and prevents plaque accumulation, while the small amount of fluoride in the Fissure Sealant helps strengthen the enamel.

Milk teeth guide the eruption of permanent teeth coming from below. Therefore, it is essential to follow the physiological tooth eruption order. During this process, milk teeth must be protected from decay. Caries that form on the contact surfaces of milk teeth can cause the permanent teeth coming from below to have limited space or, due to the early loss of milk teeth from decay, can prevent the permanent teeth from erupting into the oral cavity. Therefore, protecting milk teeth from caries is extremely important.