The milk teeth are temporary in children that play an essential role in a child’s oral health. Dental duties of the milk teeth include chewing food, the facial beauty of the child, and maintaining the space needed for the growth of the permanent teeth in the coming years. Preventive treatments in pediatric dentistry can guarantee the health of the milk teeth in the future. The first milk tooth grows in children at 6-8 months of age. At the age of two years old, there are 20 milk teeth in the child’s mouth. The first deciduous tooth falls at the age of 6-7, and the first permanent tooth grows at this age. To reduce the number of germs in the baby’s mouth and prevent caries, the pediatric dentist advises the parents to wipe the baby’s gums after consuming milk to prevent bacteria from accumulating in the baby’s mouth.
The First Pediatric Dental Examinations
We recommend that mothers visit a pediatric dentist to learn about their baby’s oral health and dental care before giving birth to their baby. Observing the mother’s oral health and reducing caries germs in the mother can reduce the transmission of these germs from mother to baby. After the baby is born, the parents should take their baby to the emergency dental clinic before the age of one to use all the tips to preserve milk teeth.
Tooth decay due to constant milk ingestion during the day can progress rapidly and penetrate the internal soft tissue (dentin) over six months or less. So, dear parents, be aware that regular dental examinations every six months can make dental caries diagnosed and treated early, sometimes without anesthesia. While if you take your child to the emergency dentist while s/he has severe toothache, it may cause a bad memory for your child due to inflammation and the lack of tooth numbness.
Preventive Treatments in Pediatric Dentistry
1- Fissure sealant in children: Fissure sealant is a white material that is inserted into the grooves of the surfaces of the molars (permanent or milk) to prevent the accumulation of bacteria and food in the grooves.
2- Fluoride therapy: Fluoride, a material that strengthens enamel and increases its resistance to caries, and its germicidal properties kill caries germs in the mouth. Fluoride-containing toothpaste and fluoride-containing mouthwashes (not antimicrobial mouthwashes) can be used at home as a source of fluoride. Still, if the risk of caries (whether in children or adults) is high, the children dentist uses concentrated fluoride at the dental office.
Note that these concentrated fluorides (fluoride varnish) should only be used in the dentist office and on the dental unit using a strong suction (dental union suction). Due to the high concentration of fluoride varnishes, they are highly toxic, and if ingested by children and adults, fluoride poisoning (nausea, vomiting, liver and kidney damage) can occur.
3- Space maintainer in children: Sometimes, the tooth is damaged to such an extent that it is impossible to repair or laminate it. In this case, the space maintainer should be used. These spacers consist of thick orthodontic wires that are used to prevent the closure of the tooth.
4- Root canal therapy of the milk teeth (pediatric endodontic treatment): When inflammation and infection reach the central nerve of the tooth (pulp), root canal therapy is done to prevent infection from transmitting to the permanent tooth bud and damaging it. During root canal therapy, all the infection gets out of the tooth, and the tooth is filled with a particular substance to keep the permanent tooth growing in an infection-free environment.
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