Kids Dentistry

As soon as the first tooth erupts the child should get a dental check-up.

• We check for cavities and other habits like thumb sucking, mouth breathing etc.
• We show the child and parents their teeth using a camera.
• We show them the proper brushing technique.
• Suggest which toothbrush and toothpaste to use.
• We also identify high-risk children and implement preventive treatment.

This helps the parents to maintain good dental hygiene for their kids

Milk teeth control the development of the jaw muscles, jaw bone, and shape of the jaw which provide suitable space for permanent teeth.

The health of milk teeth directly affects the health of permanent teeth so it is very important to keep them healthy and in check.

Key roles they play:

• Chewing: Children need their teeth to chew food. And if the milk teeth are decayed or not in a state to save, the child will not only suffer from discomfort, pain, etc but they would have difficulty chewing their food or develop a habit of gulping directly. This will lead to improper digestion of the food or unable to eat leading to malnourishment and therefore affecting their growth.

• Self-confidence: As childhood is supposed to be a very important phase, it is a phase where the child is affected by their surroundings and people. Having early caries or blackened teeth or bad breath can lead to serious teasing in school making them unable to smile which affects the child's self-confidence. So taking care of their teeth at an early age becomes very important for them to smile confidently.

• Development of speech: Milk teeth play a key role in speech as the tongue moves with the presence of the teeth producing proper pronunciation that without teeth would not be possible. Children usually find it difficult to pronounce sounds like "th" and "f" in the absence of their front teeth. Proper alignment of the teeth enables clear speech and words.

• Facial development: Milk teeth are needed for normal growth of the jaw and the shape of the jaw. Primary teeth help in maintaining the space in the jaw for permanent teeth for their full growth and better alignment. Therefore milk teeth help in giving the face its shape and form.

The age of eruption of permanent teeth usually ranges from 6 years and the last permanent tooth erupts by 12-14 years of age. So it is very important to maintain all milk teeth till 12-14 years of age.

Dental sealants are white filling materials placed in the pits and grooves of the teeth. It creates a smooth surface thus protecting the tooth from decay.

Recommended for

• They are mainly used in permanent molars when they erupt.
• They are also placed in milk teeth in children who are at higher risk of tooth decay. Molars have deep grooves in them leading to food accumulation and thus cavities, dental sealants are used as a preventive measure to avoid any decay or cavities.

Procedure

• We clean the tooth with a gel and leave it for 15 to 20 seconds.
• We thoroughly rinse the gel using water and then dry the area completely.
• Then we carefully flow the Sealant from one end of the groove to the other and cure it with a blue light.
• It sets in 20 secs
• We then check the bite to see if it is not interfering with biting

Advantages

• This will protect the tooth from all the acidic food and drinks
• No drilling hence children are less afraid to get it done
• They are long-lasting with good oral hygiene.
• Saves money by avoiding other extensive treatment.
• The process is quick and painless.

If a child loses a milk tooth early due to cavity, trauma etc. Then the permanent tooth loses the natural guidance to erupt in the proper position.

Adjacent teeth can start moving in that Extraction space thus blocking the permanent teeth out of the arch.

A space maintainer is a ring-like structure that holds the adjacent teeth thus guiding the permanent tooth into the right position.

This allows maintaining the space till the permanent teeth grow in the jaw giving a natural and proper jaw growth.

With so many shapes, sizes, and styles of a toothbrush, it often gets very confusing so we have a simpler way of identifying which toothbrush to use according to age.

• 0 till the 1st tooth erupts - use a soft muslin cloth to clean the gums
• Only the front teeth erupted - use finger brushes from Mee Mee, Chicco etc
• Once the back teeth erupt- use kids brushes from Colgate, Oral-B kids, Aquafresh, ICPA dino brushes
• 3-6 years - Colgate 5+ brushes, oral b kids, Aquafresh brushes
• 7 years and above - Oral-B adult brushes, Colgate or any soft bristles adult brushes