Pedodontic

Is the specialty that deals with the care of children’s teeth. The pedodontist is extensively concerned with prevention, which includes instruction in proper diet, use of fluoride, and practice of oral hygiene.

The pedodontist’s routine practice deals basically with caries (tooth decay) but includes influencing tooth alignment. Lengthy treatment may be required. The pediatric dentist is the specialist who is dedicated to the oral health of children from infancy through the teenage years.

The very young, pre-teens and teenagers all need a different approach in dealing with their behavior, guiding their dental growth and development, and helping them avoid future dental problems.

Sealants

Sealants help preventing tooth decay (dental caries), the most common dental disease among children. Your dentist can help prevent or reduce the incidence of decay by applying them to your child’s teeth.

A sealant is a clear plastic material that, when applied to the chewing surface of a tooth, bonds into the grooves of the tooth to act as a barrier protecting the enamel from plaque and acids. It is applied to the back teeth (premolars and molars) where decay occurs most often. Sealant is most effective for children age 6 and older.

Does the Process Hurt?

Sealants are easy and painless for your dentist to apply, and it only takes a few minutes to seal each tooth. As long as the sealant remains intact, the sealed tooth surface will be protected from decay. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and usually last several years. During your regular dental visits, your dentist will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them if necessary.

Topical Fluoride 

Sealants are easy and painless for your dentist to apply, and it only takes a few minutes to seal each tooth. As long as the sealant remains intact, the sealed tooth surface will be protected from decay. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and usually last several years. During your regular dental visits, your dentist will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them if necessary.

Space maintainer

An appliance used to maintain the space of a prematurely lost primary tooth until the eruption of the permanent successor. This will prevent later space problems and reduces the possibility of the need for orthodontic treatment.

Crowns

Two types of crowns are available and can be used in children. The first is the stainless steel crown, which is used to restore a largely decayed primary molar, or a pulpally treated molar. The second is the cellulose crown and is used to restore an anteriorly decayed incisor.