Paediatric Dentistry
Treating baby teeth, preventing decay, and building the child's relationship with the dentist.
The first dental visit should take place within six months of the first tooth appearing — that is, usually around the age of one. The purpose of this visit is not treatment but familiarisation, and informing the family.
The “they will fall out anyway” mistake
Decay in a baby tooth is treated. For three reasons:
- It hurts. A child may not be able to describe pain; it shows up as restlessness, disturbed sleep and refusing food.
- It affects the permanent tooth beneath. Inflammation at the root tip of a baby tooth can damage the enamel of the permanent tooth developing directly below it.
- It holds space. If a baby tooth is lost early, the neighbouring teeth drift into the gap and the permanent tooth cannot find room to come through. Part of all crowding begins here.
Preventive measures
Fissure sealant: The deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of the molars are too narrow for a brush to enter. Covering them with a flowable filling material markedly reduces the risk of decay. It is painless and requires no anaesthesia.
Fluoride application: Makes the enamel resistant to acids.
Not enlarging the fear
A child’s first encounter with the dentist should not happen while in pain. For a child who comes for regular check-ups the practice is a familiar place; for a child brought in for the first time in pain it is not.
At home it is best not to use sentences such as “don’t be afraid”, “it won’t hurt”, “there is no needle” — these words put a possibility into the child’s mind that was not there before.