Seeing the need for an alternative and holistic approach for dental care in children, pediatric dentistry has come into existence as a specialized branch of dentistry. This branch deals with children from birth through adolescence, assuring both primary and comprehensive oral healthcare.
Importance is given to disease causality and prevention, diagnosis and treatment planning, growth, child psychology and behavior management. Children with special healthcare needs, such as in Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Autism etc. are given the much needed oral healthcare by expert pediatric dentists.
Playing a special role in preventing tooth decay, pediatric dentists ensure that the child’s primary teeth are kept healthy until they are lost naturally as these teeth perform important functions such as – mastication (chewing), speech and maintaining space for the permanent teeth, thereby guiding proper eruption of permanent teeth.
Contrary to the common belief that those milk teeth need no treatment as they will shed off and be replaced by their permanent counterparts; they need preventive care such as topical fluoride application and placement of pit and fissure sealant. In case the milk teeth are affected with dental caries treatment could vary from simple Restorations (Fillings) to Root Canal Treatments (RCTs) followed by placement of Stainless Steel Crowns. The required treatment would depend on the extent of dental caries diagnosed with radiography.
As a pediatric dentist, it pains me to see the lack of awareness among parents regarding their children’s teeth. The American Dental Association recommends that your child’s first dental visit be either 6 months within the eruption of the first tooth or when your child turns 12 months of age, whichever occurs first. But most commonly parents bring their child to a dentist only when they are under acute pain or with swelling.
Prevention is better than cure. Simple home care measures and oral hygiene habits can prevent the occurrence of dental caries such as supervised brushing twice a day with fluoridated tooth paste, flossing once daily and rinsing mouth after every meal. Last but not the least, visit a pediatric dentist once in every 3 months so that initial cavities can be detected and treated promptly.
About the author:
Dr. Payal Chaudhuri B.D.S., M.D.S.
The author of this article is a Registered Dental Practitioner in India.
She is also associated with a Dental College in Gurgaon, India.
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