While general dentistry focuses on the primary dental care of all age groups, pediatric dentistry is a specialized branch of dentistry that caters to the dental requirements from infancy to adolescence. Numerous treatment procedures in pediatric dentistry aim at offering dental services that will enable a child to grow up with a good dental regime.
These treatments include the numerous procedures and measures that are used depending on the developmental and psychological status of the young patients. This guide aims to discuss and evaluate various specialized treatments offered in pediatric dentistry to ensure the proper oral health of children.
1. Preventive Dental Care
Primary care concepts are especially prominent in pediatric dentistry, which mainly deals with integral measures that do not allow the development of dental diseases. This covers routine examinations or checkups, calendared tooth cleaning, topical sodium fluoride administration, and application of a plastic coating called sealants.
Fluoride treatments reinforce the outer junction of enamel making it harder to demineralize and dental sealant acts as a virtue or shield at the pit and fissure of the molars. Counseling children as well as parents regarding the proper ways of brushing and flossing their teeth is also part of preventive care.
2. Early Orthodontic Assessment and Intervention
It is essential to undergo evaluation of children and make a correction with orthodontic treatment at an early stage. A pediatric dentist can notice any irregularity including crowding and spacing, arch issues, and bites at an early age.
Space management and specially made braces can help to the right alignment of the jaw and the teeth thus eliminating or lessening the possibility of having to go through complex braces when one is a youngster. The young patient has a much better chance of having a healthy bite because this treatment is done at a young age.
3. Management of Dental Trauma
Babies are vulnerable to mouth injuries as they participate in various activities that are physically demanding. Specific therapeutic procedures relating to dental injuries include capping, restoration, extraction, or prosthetic replacement of fractured, chipped, and avulsed teeth which are integral parts of pediatric dentistry. The cases of emergency involving the teeth of children are well handled by pediatric dentists who ensure the correct treatment is provided to maintain the functionality of the teeth.
4. Treatment of Dental Caries and Cavities
A common problem in kids is dental caries and cavities caused by the negligence of adequate oral hygiene and a not-so-healthy diet. These problems are treated by pediatric dentists using different options like filling, pulpotomies for baby teeth, pediatric root canal, and stainless steel crowns. These treatments mean maintaining the complete aesthetic and functional integration of the affected teeth and the child’s entire oral-dental status.
5. Sedation and Behavioral Management
There is always a challenge that parents of such children face especially when seeking dental treatment. Hence, it is important to offer sedation and behavioral management to child clients, especially the younger ones. Generally, pediatric dentists are well-equipped to offer different forms of sedation including nitrous oxide sedation, oral sedation, and IV sedation to ensure that even the most nervous child will be relaxed during the procedure.
