Pedodontics (Milk Tooth Treatment)

Pedodontics (Pediatric Dentistry)

Pedodontics, as a branch of dentistry, deals with the oral and dental health of children. This field undertakes the treatment of diseases of teeth and oral tissues in children and also aims to ensure that children have a healthy dental development through preventive dentistry practices.

Pedodontics deals with the development and eruption of teeth, the eruption of permanent teeth and the detection and treatment of problems in this process, starting from the period before the birth of the child. It also treats caries in children's deciduous and permanent teeth and deals with methods of protecting the oral and dental health of pediatric patients. This branch forms the basis of preventive dentistry and ensures that oral and dental findings are evaluated together with systemic diseases.

Preventive Treatment
Preventive treatment is very important in pediatric dentistry. Regular dental check-ups, proper tooth brushing habits and a healthy diet are the basis for the child to have healthy teeth for a lifetime. Milk teeth are also of great importance in this process. Inadequate protection of deciduous teeth can lead to cavities and pain. Early loss of deciduous teeth can cause permanent teeth to erupt crooked. Therefore, the dentist should start to check the child as soon as the baby teeth erupt.

Fluorine Applications
Fluorine is a natural mineral that makes teeth more resistant to decay. Superficial fluoride applications are a simple and painless procedure that should be repeated every 6 months starting from the age of 3. This application provides fluoride accumulation on the surface of the teeth, making them healthier and stronger.

Fissure Sealants
Indented and protruding structures on the chewing surfaces of teeth are ideal places for caries to start. A special flowable filling material called fissure sealant fills these areas and prevents cavities from forming. This is an ideal preventive method to prevent tooth decay.

Treatment of Problems Already Occurred
Caries is treated by cleaning the decayed parts of the teeth and, depending on the situation, by permanent or temporary fillings. In some cases, teeth may be too damaged to be treated with a filling. In such cases, instead of extracting the tooth, it can be covered with 'caps' specially prepared for children and kept in the mouth for a while longer.

Tooth Extraction
In some cases, teeth may need to be extracted. Especially decayed teeth can become infected and affect the child's health negatively. Premature loss of milk teeth can cause problems in the development of permanent teeth. If permanent teeth are extracted, it is important to fill these gaps with orthodontic treatment.

Cleaning and Development of Teeth
When the bacterial plaque accumulated on the teeth cannot be removed by regular brushing, it should be cleaned by the dentist. This prevents the formation of problems such as tartar and caries. At the same time, dental health should be protected by teaching children how to brush their teeth.

Teeth and Development
Teeth are important structures that break down food and contribute to speech and appearance. The healthy development of teeth should be supported by proper nutrition and regular dental care. Milk teeth affect the healthy alignment of permanent teeth and therefore the care of milk teeth is also of great importance.

Milk Teeth and Permanent Teeth
Milk teeth usually erupt in the 6th-8th months of infants and are completed by the age of 2. These teeth are replaced by permanent teeth from the age of 6-7. Maintaining healthy milk teeth ensures that the permanent teeth erupt properly.