Children’s Dentistry

Dental problems affect all ages - infants, children and adults. If left untreated, they can affect the normal growth and development of the child and may lead to dental disability At our clinics we offer the following dental services for children :

Paediatric dental counselling

Milk teeth begin to erupt by 6 months of age, rarely, they can even be present at birth. Most parents are ignorant about the importance of milk teeth and how to take proper care of them. Dental neglect is the wilful failure of the parent or guardian to seek and follow through with necessary dental treatment and it can have physical, mental and emotional effects on the child. Learning, communication, nutrition - all can be affected. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child’s first dental visit be at the time of eruption of the first tooth, and no later than the 12 months of age. You can read the full guideline here. Pediatric dental counselling includes sessions not only on diet, nursing, oral hygiene, habit (thumb sucking etc.) and dental sports injuries, but also involves clinical evaluation and risk assessment of the child.

Paediatric fillings & root canal treatments

Children behave differently than adults, and it gets difficult for them to remain patient for a long time. Treatment of children may involve multiple short visits. They require special attention, materials and techniques. Materials used at our clinic for children include Glass Ionomer Cements, Resin Modified Glass Ionomers and Composites. Pediatric Root Canal Treatments for children may also differ somewhat from what is carried out in adults in terms of technique, materials and treatment objectives. Special cases include root canal treatments, wherein there is incomplete formation of the root with a wide open apex.

Stainless steel crowns

At our clinics, we use stainless crowns made by 3M ESPE. Placing them is a painless procedure. These are extremely durable, pre-fabricated crowns made out of stainless steel, that can be easily adjusted for use on milk teeth. These are primarily used after a root canal treatment on milk teeth and/or on milk teeth with defects wherein a filling is not likely to stay. They help in maintaining proper chewing function and space for the permanent tooth. When the milk tooth falls off naturally with age, these crowns also fall off with them.

Space maintainers

If a milk tooth is pre-maturely lost, then there is a greater danger of the adjacent teeth moving into the open space and blocking the way for the permanent tooth later on. This is easily prevented by a space maintainer. These are painless and help maintain the space for the permanent tooth to erupt into. Once the permanent tooth erupts, they are removed. These can be fabricated in different designs depending on the clinical situation. The most common design is the simple band and loop. Placing space maintainers is a painless procedure. Click here to read more about space maintainers.

Sealants

These are thin, flowable dental materials that are used to seal out the grooves on the tooth surface. These grooves on a newly erupted tooth can be deep and narrow. The toothbrush does not reach deep into these grooves and accumulation food can lead to cavities. Sealing blocks out food accumulation in the groove, and prevents cavities. Placing sealants is a painless procedure. Click here to read more about sealants.

Topical Fluoride

applications

Topical Fluoride applications in children is also a preventive treatment that is not only painless, but takes just one minute, and goes a long way to prevent tooth cavities. A fluoride gel is placed in soft mouth shaped trays, and placed on the child’s teeth for a minute and then removed.