Pediatric dentistry is also known as Pedodontics or Paedodontics is the branch of dentistry dealing with the dental health of children from birth until adolescence as well as serve as educational resources of parents.

OBJECTIVES OF PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

• The health of the child specifically concerned with oral health
• Early diagnosis and treatment
• Relief of pain
• Increase the knowledge about dental care
• Preventive procedures
• Pediatric Orthodontics
• Pediatric Endodontic
• Monitoring growth and development of the teeth and jaws
• Management of special patients
• Habit counseling

When should your child first visit the Dentist?

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that child should go to the dentist within 6 months of the eruption of the first milk tooth.

Pediatric Dental Procedures

Preventive Procedures

It includes pits and fissure sealants, these materials are introduced into the pit and fissure caries of susceptible teeth. This forms a protective layer over the teeth and cuts off the nutrient source of bacteria, further loss of tooth structure and progression of caries is inhibited and results in the good prognosis of the teeth, maintains the function of the teeth as well as helpful in maintaining the aesthetics of the child.

Indications of Pits and Fissure Sealants

• Deep retentive pit and fissures
• Patient with a high risk of developing caries
• A patient suffering from Xerostomia ( dryness of oral cavity)
• Stained pit and fissures
• An intact Occlusal surface is present where the contra-lateral tooth surface is carious or restored
• Patient with incipient caries

Contraindications of Pits and Fissure Sealants

• Self-cleansing pits and fissures
• A tooth not fully erupted in the oral cavity
• Presence of Dentinal caries
• Well established carious lesion
• The life expectancy of the primary tooth is less
• An individual with no previous caries experience and well coalesced pits and fissures

Significance of Pits and Fissure Sealants

When in doubt, seal rather than when in doubt fill. Pit & fissure sealants provide with 100% caries control as long as they are retained on to the tooth surface.

Pediatric Orthodontics

Some orthodontic conditions are easy to correct if diagnose and treated at an early age.

Pediatric orthodontics corrects the existing issues in occlusion, treatment of jaw discrepancies and future growth and development of the teeth and jaws.

Advantages of Pediatric Orthodontics (early intervention) are as follows:

• Correction of the habits such as thumb sucking and tongue pushing that could be causing problems in the growth and development of the child’s permanent teeth 
• Guiding permanent dentition into a more favorable position
• Correction of crowding, spacing, and protrusion of teeth
• Reducing or preventing more invasive orthodontic treatment or dental treatments in the future
• Increases your child self-confidence

Restorative Dentistry

Various restorative materials are used in pediatric dentistry some are as follows:

• Glass-ionomer cement
• Composite restoration
• Amalgam restoration

Restorative dentistry helps in rehabilitation of the dentition to the functional & aesthetics requirements of the individual.

Pediatric Endodontics

Some of the pediatric endodontic procedures are as follows:

Indirect pulp capping

In this procedure, a small amount of carious dentin retained in the deep cavity to avoid pulpal exposure and suitable medicament is placed that seals of the carious dentin and promotes recovery

Direct pulp capping

Placement of suitable medicament on exposed pulp as a result of trauma or while excavating caries

Pulpotomy

Complete removal of the coronal portion of the dental pulp & placement of medicament to promote healing & preserves the vitality of the tooth

Pulpectomy

Complete removal of the necrotic pulp and filling with an inert resorbable material