Pediatric-Dentistry

What is Pediatric Dentistry?

Pediatric Dentistry is dentistry dedicated to the oral health of infants, children, and adolescents and whose main objective is to conduct preventive treatment and heal for the child reaches adulthood with a healthy mouth, aesthetic and functional.

What is Pediatric Dentistry?

Objectives of the Pediatric Dentistry consultation

Prevention

The possibility for pediatric dentists to carry out an early oral exam, provide guidance to parents during childhood and carry out preventive treatments is the key to ensuring that children have good oral health throughout their lives.

Instruction and motivation for oral hygiene

Fluoride application

It is an essential element for the remineralization of enamel, helping to prevent decay. When in excess, it can be harmful. It is up to the pediatric dentist to assess and decide the need for fluoride supplements.

Application of fissure sealants

It consists of applying a resin over the grooves and fissures of the chewing faces of the milk and definitive molars to prevent bacteria and food debris from accumulating in these areas that are difficult to access during cleaning, thus avoiding the onset of caries.

Curative Treatments

After the onset of disease in the oral cavity, the pediatric dentist eliminates the infectious foci, performing the appropriate clinical procedures to restore health to the oral cavity.

Interceptive Treatments

It may be necessary to work together with the orthodontist and speech therapy to prevent, correct or minimize certain wrong dental positions, occlusion and skeletal changes, as well as certain para functions of the child

Baby Consultation

This consultation aims to provide advice and guidance to parents on a diet, oral hygiene and fluoride, and malocclusion prevention and interception.

The baby can have cavities very early. The baby’s habit of being breastfed or bottle-fed with milk, tea or any sugary liquid can cause bottle decay when not accompanied by proper oral hygiene.

The so-called bottle decay is an acute, very aggressive decay of rapid evolution that causes a lot of sensitivity (pain), even destroying teeth in a short period. It initially presents as opaque white spots that go unnoticed by parents most of the time.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric DentistryPregnancy

The purpose of the pregnant woman’s consultation is to be educational and pedagogical. Pregnant women are at an exceptional stage of life and are very receptive to all the information to help their babies have a happy and healthy life.

Can poor oral health interfere with pregnancy?

Yes. Studies show a relationship between gum disease and the birth of premature and low birth weight babies.

Can the dental treatment be performed during pregnancy?

Yes. The best option is to make an evaluation appointment regarding your oral health status and, if necessary, have dental treatment before becoming pregnant.

If you are pregnant, inform your dentist as x-rays, certain types of anesthesia and certain medications should be avoided.

During pregnancy, dental monitoring is critical to maintain or restore good oral health. Consultations can be performed at any stage of pregnancy.

What kind of dental problems can occur during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, there is an increase in hormonal levels of estrogen and progesterone, an alteration in the oral flora and metabolism of periodontal tissues, in addition to a reduction in oral hygiene care, which contributes to gingival inflammation that leads to gingivitis in pregnancy.

Are teeth weak in pregnancy?

No. In addition to hormonal changes that interfere with periodontal metabolism and the fact that pregnant women eat more sweet foods associated with more careless oral hygiene, the risk of caries is greater. If the pregnant woman has good oral hygiene and there is no gum inflammation, even with hormonal changes, the risk of caries is similar to that of any woman.

Do women lose calcium from their teeth during pregnancy?

No. It is a myth that a woman loses calcium from her teeth during pregnancy; the calcium the baby needs comes from the diet and not from the teeth.

Is there prenatal dental care?

Yes, go to a pediatric dentist. This will guide the pregnant woman about the importance of breastfeeding, feeding, oral hygiene, baby consultations, use of a pacifier, application of fluoride, among others.

Can poor oral health interfere with pregnancy?

Yes. Studies show a relationship between gum disease and the birth of premature and low birth weight babies.

Can the dental treatment be performed during pregnancy?

Yes. The best option is to make an evaluation appointment regarding your oral health status and, if necessary, have dental treatment before becoming pregnant.

If you are pregnant, inform your dentist as x-rays, certain types of anesthesia and certain medications should be avoided.

During pregnancy, dental monitoring is critical to maintain or restore good oral health. Consultations can be performed at any stage of pregnancy. However, the best period is the 2nd trimester.

What kind of dental problems can occur during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, there is an increase in hormonal levels of estrogen and progesterone, an alteration in the oral flora and metabolism of periodontal tissues, in addition to a reduction in oral hygiene care, which contributes to gingival inflammation that leads to gingivitis in pregnancy.

Are teeth weak in pregnancy?

No. In addition to hormonal changes that interfere with periodontal metabolism and the fact that pregnant women eat more sweet foods associated with more careless oral hygiene, the risk of caries is greater. If the pregnant woman has good oral hygiene and there is no gum inflammation, even with hormonal changes, the risk of caries is similar to that of any woman.

Do women lose calcium from their teeth during pregnancy?

No. It is a myth that a woman loses calcium from her teeth during pregnancy; the calcium the baby needs comes from the diet and not from the teeth.

Is there prenatal dental care?

Yes, go to a pediatric dentist. This will guide the pregnant woman about the importance of breastfeeding, feeding, oral hygiene, baby consultations, use of a pacifier, application of fluoride, among others.

Special Patients

Our team has the knowledge and experience to treat different degrees of difficulty even if the needs go beyond pediatric dentistry. We have caring professionals who, based on meticulous planning, carry out quality treatments in the minimum amount of time. Particular patients can be treated in the office, under sedation or even using general anesthesia in more complex cases, with the help of an anesthesiologist.

Conscious Sedation with Nitrous Oxide

Conscious sedation may be, in some instances, be an effective alternative treatment in children. Conscious sedation is defined as a state of minimal depression in the patient’s level of consciousness, which does not affect the patient’s ability to keep the airways functioning independently and continuously and respond appropriately to physical stimuli and verbal commands.

In cases where we resort to conscious sedation, the patient is monitored and always accompanied by an anesthesiologist.

Laser in Pediatric Dentistry

With children, dental treatment must be adequate, short-term and as traumatic as possible. With Waterlase, we were able to minimize the need to resort to anesthesia and avoid the vibration and noise produced by the drill.

Treatment Possibilities

  • Sealing of teeth cracks
  • Caries Elimination
  • Frenectomies – repositioning of the labial or lingual frenulum
  • Pulpal Therapy – Pulpotomy
  • Pain relief in orthodontic treatment – braces on teeth
  • Coronary exposure of erupting teeth

When do the first teeth appear?

  • The first tooth appears around six months;
  • Milk or temporary dentition is complete at around 2 ½ years;
  • This dentition is made up of 20 teeth.

When the little teeth come out, does the baby feel pain?

The baby may feel some discomfort and have some symptoms such as gum inflammation, hypersalivation, loss of appetite, changes in nutritional habits, anxiety, and even some difficulty sleeping. Pain can be relieved by sanitizing the oral cavity with a moistened gauze, using teethers or applying a specific gel for this purpose.

What is the ideal age for the 1st visit to the dentist?

  • The first visit to the dentist should be around six months.
  • These visits serve to observe the child’s oral health and alert parents about preventive attitudes such as hygiene, nutrition and installation of harmful habits.
  • If the child’s first appointment is made when there is already pain or decay, it is more difficult to gain their trust.

How should children’s oral hygiene be done?

  • Before the tooth eruption, a compress moistened with saline or water should be used to clean the gums, massaging gently.
  • Toothpaste can be used as soon as the first tooth appears. Its quantity should be the size of the child’s little fingernail.
  • Parents must perform oral hygiene up to 3 years of age. After that, the child should be encouraged to brush with parental supervision until they have sufficient skill, usually around 6/8 years.

Why is it so essential to treat baby teeth?

  • Baby teeth are essential for the normal development of chewing, swallowing, phonetics, aesthetics and breathing, and maintaining space for permanent teeth.
  • The milk dentition remains in the oral cavity until 11/12 years.
  • A decayed baby tooth is an infectious focus that can affect the formation of permanent teeth and general health.

What harmful habits during childhood can cause problems in permanent dentition?

  • Mouth breathing, excessive use of a pacifier and bottle or thumb-sucking after the age of 3 years affect the average growth of the dental arches and can cause changes in the child’s dental position and even the facial profile.
  • Natural breastfeeding is essential for the proper development of the dental arches, muscles and facial profile.

When do permanent teeth appear?

  • At around six years of age, the first permanent molars appear, which, as they appear behind the 2nd deciduous molars without the fall of any baby teeth, can go unnoticed.
  • By age 14, all permanent teeth are placed in the arches, except the wisdom teeth.

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