When Should You Take Your Child to the Dentist?
If parents do not notice any significant issues with their child’s teeth, it is recommended that the first visit to a pediatric dentist take place around the age of four. The specialist will evaluate and supervise the child’s oral hygiene practices and perform a visual examination to identify any potential dental problems or abnormalities.
At around six years of age, the growth of the face and the eruption and positioning of the first permanent molars and teeth are monitored.
Depending on the child’s dental health, regular visits to the pediatric dentist should take place every six months or once a year, based on the child’s oral hygiene and dental development.
A pediatric dentist is also responsible for treating children with special needs, including those with physical, mental, or sensory disabilities.
In these cases, the specialist is trained in psychological and behavioral management techniques, knows how to help children feel relaxed during treatment, and is prepared to handle unexpected situations.
Children with special needs who may be treated by a pediatric dentist include:
- Patients with autism
- Patients with ADHD
- Patients with oncological conditions
- Patients with diabetes
- Patients with blood clotting disorders
The most common dental treatments for children in Pediatric Dentistry
Dental Fillings
Fillings are used as a preventive measure against dental caries. The treatment consists of placing a thin film of resin in the pits and fissures of the occlusal surfaces of the molars, which will act as a protective barrier to prevent food debris and dental plaque from adhering to the fissures and grooves of the molars.
This minimizes the risk of cavities forming in these areas, as brushing makes it more difficult to properly clean and remove food debris, plaque, or dental biofilm in these pits and crevices. They are so small that the bristles of the toothbrush cannot reach these areas well enough to clean them. Thus, pit and crevice sealants have two main preventive effects, including:
1. Acting as a physical barrier, preventing the deposition of food and cariogenic bacteria in the crevices of the teeth.
2. Facilitates cleaning during tooth brushing, making it a preventive method of oral hygiene complementary to daily tooth brushing.
Pulpotomy:
This treatment is only used on primary teeth, so it can only be used on children or adolescents who have not yet changed their teeth. This technique is used when the caries has passed the surface of the tooth, but has not yet reached the root. Also, when there is an impact strong enough to damage the dental tissue. It is a common treatment to see in children who are learning, as they are learning their hygiene and may not do it well, so they will develop tooth decay that will need to be treated.
Although it is quite common, we should not underestimate its importance, as if caries affects the inner root of the tooth, tooth extraction may occur.
Application of fluoride:
Fluori është i rëndësishëm për shëndetin e dhëmbëve si për fëmijët ashtu edhe për të rriturit, pasi siguron një shtresë mbrojtëse në smaltin e dhëmbit për të parandaluar që pllaka bakteriale të na prekë dhe të krijojë lloje të ndryshme sëmundjesh, siç është gingiviti ose prishja e dhëmbëve. Por gjithçka duhet të kontrollohet sepse një tepricë e këtij produkti mund të shkaktojë njolla që nuk mund të hiqen.
Duke hyrë më thellë në temë, fluori është një nga agjentët themelorë që luftojnë prishjen e dhëmbëve dhe na ndihmon të mos marrim sëmundje infektive. Rrit forcën e smaltit të dhëmbit dhe krijon një shtresë mbrojtëse më vete. Një tjetër avantazh është se është një antibakterial i fortë, prandaj, mban larg gurët e dhëmbëve dhe bakteret.
Siç e kemi thënë tashmë, fluori është i nevojshëm në faza të ndryshme të jetës sonë, por është edhe më i domosdoshëm kur jemi fëmijë, pasi dhëmbët tanë po rriten dhe kanë nevojë edhe më shumë për mbrojtje. Ky element mund të merret në shumë mënyra. Një shembull është uji mineral nga disa prodhues që shtojnë një sasi të konsiderueshme të fluorit ose markave të ndryshme të pastës së dhëmbëve për fëmijë, por në veçanti, ekziston një trajtim dentar që merret me aplikimin e një paste të hollë fluori në garantojnë mbrojtjen e dhëmbëve nga agjentë të ndryshëm të jashtëm.
Fluori vendoset në dhëmbët e fëmijës me një lloj furçe dhëmbësh mjekësore që mbulon si pjesën e përparme dhe të pasme të dhëmbëve. Në aplikimin e parë, ai ka një qëndrueshmëri të madhe, por ngurtësohet sa të ketë kontakt të drejtpërdrejtë me pështymën e personit, kështu që edhe nëse fëmija përpiqet ta heqë atë, ai nuk do të jetë në gjendje ta bëjë këtë, por ai do të ndiejë se është aplikuar në dhëmbët e tij.
Fluoride is important for dental health for both children and adults, as it provides a protective layer on tooth enamel to prevent bacterial plaque from affecting us and creating various types of diseases, such as gingivitis or tooth decay. But everything must be controlled because an excess of this product can cause stains that cannot be removed.
Going deeper into the topic, fluoride is one of the fundamental agents that fight tooth decay and helps us avoid infectious diseases. It increases the strength of tooth enamel and creates a protective layer on its own. Another advantage is that it is a strong antibacterial, therefore, it keeps tartar and bacteria away.
As we have already said, fluoride is necessary at different stages of our lives, but it is even more necessary when we are children, since our teeth are growing and need even more protection. This element can be obtained in many ways. An example is mineral water from some manufacturers that add a significant amount of fluoride or different brands of toothpaste for children, but in particular, there is a dental treatment that deals with the application of a thin fluoride paste to guarantee the protection of the teeth from various external agents.
Fluoride is applied to the child’s teeth with a type of medical toothbrush that covers both the front and back of the teeth. At first application, it has a great consistency, but it hardens enough to have direct contact with the person’s saliva, so even if the child tries to remove it, he will not be able to do so, but he will feel that it has been applied to his teeth.
Orthodontics for children:
Visiting children to our specialized dental clinic from an early age can alleviate many dental problems before they begin to appear, as by the time the second permanent molars emerge, the tooth has no problem fitting into the dental base.
A preventive correction plan should be made if poor jaw bone growth is observed. Therefore, orthodontic treatment of the child from an early age ensures that the teeth grow better and that the child does not develop bite problems in the future, which will avoid excessive expenses that he has to make in adulthood to improve his smile, such as: tooth extraction, hard braces or surgery to move the jaw bone into place. In addition to being expensive, this can be quite painful.
Depending on these two factors, there are two types of devices:
❖ Interceptive orthodontics (removable appliances).
This orthodontics can also be seen in adults. It consists of dental appliances that can be put on and taken off at different times of the day. This is usually used in young children because they still have temporary, growing teeth.
These are composite material reconstruction plates that support the weight of the teeth with hooks. Their function is to take care of the posterior crossbite and expand the jawbone so that the teeth can move and settle.
They are effective for their ease of use and because younger children can learn how to use them without having to have their parents behind them to remind them how to put them in. Their method of use is to put them in once a day for an extended period of time that will be specified by the dentist.
The only drawback is that interceptive orthodontics only works depending on the amount of time the child wears the braces without removing them.
❖ Fixed orthodontics (devices)
Among fixed appliances, the most popular are brackets, which can be considered the most widely used primary orthodontic appliances in the world. They can be used after the loss of most primary teeth, which occurs after the age of 10 and above.
It should be noted that there is not just one type of brackets, so here we will explain a little more about each material:
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- Metal Dental Wires: These are the classic and basic braces; their price is quite low, but it should be noted that they are much more visible than others.
- Sapphire Dental Wires: They have a higher cost, but they tend to be more pleasing to the eye because they are not as noticeable. In fact, depending on the color of the tooth, they can blend in with its enamel.
- Porcelain or Ceramic Dental Braces : While they have a bit more aesthetics than metal braces, they tend to stain after a long period of use, so if you’re looking for something transparent, this isn’t a good option.
- Hidden Lingual Braces : They are the most expensive, but they are completely invisible, so the child will not have to worry about their appearance, as all the braces are inserted inside the tooth. At our specialized pediatric dental clinic in Tirana, we are experts in orthodontic devices and this type of technique.
Dental work and children, how to run a successful dental practice?
Teaching and educating about dental hygiene at home.
The best place to learn is at home, and the best option for treating any disease is to prevent it. So, if you want to avoid constant visits to the dentist beyond routine checkups, you should make sure to maintain good dental hygiene and teach your child that there is nothing wrong with a dentist.