Dentistry for kids

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Dentistry for kids should be a fun experience. Introduce a young child to the dentist asap. This is to ensure that he or she becomes familiar with the dental clinic. They will understand the importance of maintaining their teeth. Before they picked up some horror stories at pre-school and dental treatment becomes a challenging task. Our objective when treating children is to make sure that any dntal problems are nipped in the bud. Parents/caregivers have a role in instituting good habits in the child and educating them as dental health is part of total health.

How would we manage your child.

1 First, we would familiarize the child with the clinic and the dental chair.

2 Introduce to him or her basic check up instruments to gain the child's confidence.

3. Do a thorough check up and charting.

4. Try to get scaling/polishing done on this visit

5. Explain and show common dental problems like decay.

6. If co-operative, attempt to treat any decay. Topical cream would be used to reduce pain before any injection.

7. We will teach him or her the correct tooth brushing technique and advise parents about care of teeth where sweet foods are concerned.

8. A six montly check up is strongly recommended to review the child's oral care.

 

We believe in preventive dentistry in particular the use of sealants. These are flowable resins used to seal the pits and grooves of vulnerable molars and premolars to prevent decay. No anaesthetic is necessary for sealants.

Trauma to the child's teeth

It is not uncommon for a child to hurt his tooth/teeth.

The tooth may be fractured, subluxated, intruded, extruded or avulsed. There would usually be pain, swelling, mobility followed by anxiety.

How to manage

1 Do not panic, calm the child down. Stop any bleeding, give a painkiller while contacting the dentist. (In the case where the tooth is out of the mouth, rinse the tooth gently- do not rub-and place in saline water to protect it)

2 At the clinic, the dentist would gently clean the wound and examine the trauma

3 A history, oral examination of teeth and soft tissues and xray would be done to determine internal fracture.

4 The treatment may vary from just repairing the chipped tooth to alleviating pain and swelling so that the child may be further managed with ease. The child may be given medication.

5 As described in the various scenarios, the treatment would vary and best discussed with the dentist after a thorough examination.

What is discouraged where children's teeth are concerned.

1 Do not always reward children with sweet treats.

2 Never coat the pacifier with anything sweet.

3 Avoid giving too many in-between meal snacks as the teeth are exposed to food and acid production frequently.

4 Encourage good habits of brushing teeth twice a day.

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