The Importance of Milk Teeth

There are 20 milk teeth in total. The first duty of milk teeth is to provide nutrition to the child. In addition, the proper development of speech depends on the presence of milk teeth. Milk teeth protect the space they occupy for the permanent tooth that will replace them and guide the permanent tooth while it erupts. When a primary tooth is extracted early, this natural placeholder function is eliminated. The primary goal of pediatric dentistry is to take precautions to prevent dental problems and guide children to a cavity-free future. The procedures applied for this purpose are called Preventive Dentistry Practices.

Protective Applications

Among the preventive practices to prevent tooth decay, great importance is given to educating the child and his family about oral health and nutrition. In our clinic, tooth brushing technique is explained practically to our patients. Preventive dentistry practices include superficial fluoride and fissure sealant procedures.

Fissure Sealant

It is a fluid filling material that closes the deep and decay-prone fissures (grooves) on the chewing surfaces of permanent teeth and does not allow bacteria to reach there, thus preventing caries. Fissure sealant applications should be checked every 6 months.

Fluoride Applications

Fluoride is an element that prevents tooth decay and strengthens the structure of teeth. Since the tooth enamel is not fully mature when the teeth first erupt, newly erupted teeth are generally less resistant to decay and prone to decay formation. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel, protects the tooth against acid attacks and therefore helps prevent tooth decay. Professional superficial fluoride application is a protective method that can only be applied by dentists. Superficial fluoride should be applied by a dentist every 6 months.

Tooth decay

Tooth decay is a disease that begins with the destruction of dental hard tissues by acids produced as a result of the fermentation of nutrients by bacteria on the tooth. Especially in early childhood, the common cavities seen in young children as a result of putting foods such as milk with honey, sugar or biscuits into the baby bottle and giving it to the child during sleep, and dipping the pacifier into sugary foods are called bottle caries.

Dental Traumas

One of the most common problems encountered in childhood is traumatic injuries. Treatment is performed taking into account the patient’s age, degree of injury, region, tissues involved and the general condition of the patient.

Placeholders

In case of early loss of primary teeth, appliances called space maintainers are used to preserve the place of the permanent tooth that will come from below. Space maintainers are appliances that help prevent adjacent teeth from moving into the extraction space, thus preventing the permanent tooth from either remaining impacted or emerging from a different location, thus preventing orthodontic disorders in the future. The treatment of children who are compatible with the dentist is done under clinical conditions, and the treatment of mentally disabled or anxious children is done under sedation or general anesthesia.