Paediatric Dentistry

Fear of Dentist

All dentists know very well that the words used during the first examination can relax the child or put them into a panic mode. After all, how many children do you know who enjoy hearing the words “needle” or “injection” when they sit in the dentist’s chair? Fear of the unknown is directly linked to children’s anxiety levels during a dental visit.

In order to have a positive experience at the dentist, it is important to be sensitive in your conversations about your dental visit. For this reason, the child’s family and the dentist should cooperate.

The aim is not to mislead the child, but to avoid the development of a negative attitude towards dentistry.

It is a good idea to share with your child any positive experiences you may have had with your dentist before. Remember, dentistry has made incredible advances; thanks to new technologies and techniques, dental treatments can be performed today without any pain. Use words that do not evoke negative reactions. For example: sleeping drink instead of needle or injection, buzz instead of drill, clean teeth instead of drill, magic air instead of gas or nitric oxide, count teeth instead of examine, wiggle teeth instead of pull teeth, tickle teeth instead of clean teeth.

Preparation before the visit

How should you prepare your child for a visit to the dentist?

What should you tell him/her? “You can simply say, ‘We are going to the dentist,’ when you go to the zoo you don’t say, ‘We are going to a zoo where the tigers have very sharp teeth! You simply say, ‘We’re going to the zoo! The intention is to avoid the perception of a visit to the dentist as something to be feared.

Today, educational institutions also emphasise healthy living.

According to research, problems occur when parents talk to their children about “needles” or “punctures” and the concept of pain usually enters the child’s mind when the parents tell them “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt!”.

Parents may give the child inaccurate and misleading information and the child worries unnecessarily. It is very easy for well-meaning parents to pass on their own worrying experiences to their children. Of course they don’t want to do this. This happens spontaneously. And children pick it up very quickly.

The aim is to help the child to form positive ideas about dentistry that will make it easier for him/her to have excellent oral health and that will remain in his/her mind for the rest of his/her life.

First visit to the dentist

The first visit to the dentist should be fun and positive. Your dentist must be aware of your child’s visit. It can be very inconvenient to look after your child during a dental treatment. If your child is surrounded by unnecessary fear-inducing elements such as needles, the result is usually disappointing.

The first session usually consists of getting acquainted and explaining how to brush your child’s teeth. Sitting a child who has come to the clinic with pain and pulling his/her teeth will cause an invitation to a frightened adult.

Child Dental Emergencies

‘The age recommended by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), American Dental Association (ADA) and American Academy of Pedodontics (AAPD) to start oral care is 1 year.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay (Early Childhood Caries), One of the causes of tooth decay in young children is the feeding of formula flavoured with foods such as sugary milk or biscuits with a bottle. These residues that remain in the mouth during the night cause serious decay.

Nowadays, there are warnings about this issue on many baby bottles.

Toothache

There are several steps that should be followed if children experience toothache:

Check whether there is food residue around the aching tooth. If there is food residue, the teeth should be brushed and it should be noted what was eaten as the last meal and this information should be given to the dentist. Is it sweet? Is it cold? What caused toothache?

•  It should be checked whether hot or cold water causes toothache.
•  It should be remembered that food residue between two teeth can also cause pain and should be checked. In this context, control should be achieved with the help of dental floss. Especially fibrous food left between the molars can cause incredible pain.
• The dentist should be contacted urgently without using methods that cause extra irritation to the gums, such as putting aspirin or alcohol on the gums.
• Cut on the tongue, lip, cheek as a result of a fall

If there is a cut on the tongue, lip, cheek as a result of a fall; ice should be applied to the injured area immediately. If there is bleeding, compress (pressure) should be applied to the bleeding area with a gauze, and if bleeding cannot be controlled, it is necessary to go to the dentist urgently.

Dislocation of a permanent tooth as a result of a fall

Dislocation of the permanent tooth as a result of a fall; If the tooth is found, it should be washed with saline or clean water by holding the crown part of the tooth. It should be ensured that the patient spits into a cup and the tooth should be placed in this cup and the dentist should be consulted immediately. If it is not possible to fill the cup by spitting, you can fill it with milk and place the tooth in the cup.

Dislocation of the tooth as a result of a fall in infants

In infants, this usually occurs in the front teeth. Since it is not possible to replace it, it does not require urgency.

Fracture of the permanent tooth as a result of falling

A fracture of a permanent tooth caused by a fall is an emergency. If the fallen piece is found, it should be placed in saliva or milk, just as if the tooth had been dislodged. The dentist will replace the broken piece if he/she deems it appropriate.