It's the specialised science dealing with "baby teeth" and the dental and orofacial issues of children. Lately, the incidence of cavities and bad habits in kids is on the rise. Their treatment approach, procedures, and goals differ from those of adults.
It is Dentistry for the believers of the tooth fairy.
Fillings
What is it?
Fillings for kids differ in that they need to be done a lot faster as kids find it difficult to cooperate for longer periods of time. The other challenge is the small mouth and increased salivation.
The fillings are mostly mix-and-fix types that can set in the presence of moisture.
Is it required for milk or baby teeth? Aren’t these teeth going to fall anyway?
Yes, it is very much required since the decay or infection spreads deeper. The permanent tooth buds are right under the baby teeth and are at risk of getting affected.
Root Canal Treatment (Pulpotomies)
What is it?Â
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It’s very different from that of an adult. It’s called a pulpotomy if only the top half is cleaned, and a pulpectomy if the roots are cleaned simultaneously. It’s usually done in one sitting. Anaesthesia and antibiotic cover may be required. Our pedodontist is gentle and beautifully trained to do it.
The pulp chamber and its root canals are properly cleaned and shaped, and a bio-inert material is placed. A cap is placed depending on how long the tooth will need to function.
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Who needs it ?
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- Kids with sharp shooting pain
- Inability to eat from the affected side
- Gum boils are associated with a tooth
Caps/Crowns
It’s a prefabricated metal or zirconia covering that can be fixed to a badly broken tooth.
The broken tooth is cleaned and filled. It’s slightly modified circumferentially, and the crown is fitted onto it. It is a single-seating procedure.
Space Maintainers
What is it?Â
A space maintainer is an appliance that is placed in the space of a missing primary or milk tooth in order to maintain the space for the permanent tooth to erupt in the correct space.  Â
Who needs it?Â
- Children with missing tooth/teeth.
- When a baby tooth has to be removed before time.
Serial Extractions
What is it?Â
- The planned sequence of extraction of certain milk teeth followed by certain permanent teeth in a child with mixed dentition in order to guide the erupting teeth in a more favourable position.
- It is essentially an interceptive orthodontic procedure.
- It’s needed when the tooth size is larger than the jaw size, causing crowding of the teeth.
Extractions
Under the baby teeth are the permanent teeth, which kind of eat way, the roots of thebaby teeth, making it easier for the baby teeth to fall by themselves.
At Winning Smiles, we encourage the natural process of tooth exfoliation. If, however, the child is not eating because of pain or the baby tooth is getting over retained – only then we intervene and remove the tooth using different types of local anesthetic. The kids love the post removal ice cream!
Please show them the lovely video of the tooth fairy