Pediatric dentistry; It is a department of dentistry that deals with the oral and dental health problems of babies, children and individuals requiring special care (disabled).
Pedodontists, after graduating from dentistry faculties, complete their doctorate education in the pedodontics department of the relevant faculties (4 -6 years) and become a pedodontist specialist.
Why should a pedodontist be preferred in the treatment of children's teeth?
The doctor who will perform your child's dental treatment should be a pedodontist, eliminating the fear of dentists that may occur in the future. It is an important step to take in helping your child become a more harmonious individual and more conscious about dental health.
Because pedodontists say, 'think about the child first, not the tooth'. It aims to first gain the love and trust of the child with psychological approaches in line with its philosophy, and then aims to perform dental treatments painlessly with a gradual treatment approach, from easy to difficult.
Teething Adventure
p>What is teething and when does it start?
Dentition (teething), which is called teeth becoming visible in the mouth, starts at the 6th month on average and continues until the age of 2.5. In babies, teeth generally appear in accordance with the genetic order. The age of dentition may be earlier or later depending on the age at which the parent first teethed. Some babies can even be born with teeth.
What are the symptoms of teething?
The symptoms and severity of teething vary from baby to baby. While some babies go through this process lightly, in others, this process is as severe as its name suggests and can put a strain on both the mother and the little one.
These are:
Increased saliva production
Pain and discomfort
Redness and swelling in the gums
Redness in the cheek and chin area
Biting
Insomnia
Lack of appetite
Ear pulling, cheek scratching
Symptoms that have not yet been proven to be related to teething
Fever
Diarrhea
Skin rash on the body
Some mothers state that their children have diarrhea and a slight fever during the teething process. The relationship between these symptoms and tooth eruption has not yet been proven. Therefore, consult your doctor if your baby has a fever of 38C and above and/or has diarrhea and is teething. Symptoms such as diarrhea and fever may be symptoms of a different disease that started at the same time as teething.
What can mothers do when their baby is teething?
Applying light pressure to the gum: The gum can be massaged with a clean and cold cloth.
Using teethers: You can give plastic and dye-free (BPA-free) teethers to your baby to scratch his gums after keeping them in the refrigerator for a while. Care should be taken not to keep the spoon in the freezer. Otherwise, it may stick to your baby's tongue, cheek or lips.
Giving cold foods: By giving cold fruit purees and water to your baby who has loss of appetite, you will both relieve his pain and prevent food and water loss.
Use of drugs to reduce pain: Syrups containing paracetamol or ibuprofen may be useful in reducing pain. However, it is more appropriate not to use too much medication while teething. Because it may reduce the fever caused by another underlying disease, it may leave you and your doctor unaware of that disease.
If your baby's problem does not go away despite all this, be sure to consult your pedodontist (pediatric dentist); You can use dental gels containing anesthetic substances. However, it should not be forgotten that irregular and frequent use of these pomades may have negative effects on various organs of your baby, especially the liver.
First Dental Examination
When should the first dental examination be performed?
The American Association of Pediatric Dentists and the American Association of Pediatrics state that a dentist examination is necessary starting from the age of 1 at the latest, with the eruption of the first milk tooth.
When should I start brushing my baby's teeth?
With the eruption of the first milk tooth (approximately 6th month), your baby's teeth and gums should be cleaned with a clean cheesecloth, gauze wrapped around your finger, special cleaning wipes or finger brushes sold in the market.
Starting from the age of one, you should stop cleaning with gauze or cheesecloth and use a toothbrush appropriate for your age, without paste or containing Fluoride. You can clean your teeth and gums with eyen toothpaste.
Which paste should be used when?
Pasteless or Fluoride-free toothpaste for ages 1-3
3-6 Between ages, brushing should be done with low dose (500 ppm) Fluoride containing toothpaste.
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