" It is the science that deals with the treatment of milk teeth or early permanent teeth. The patient age group is usually 6-10."
Milk teeth contain more organic matter than normal teeth, so they are more prone to decay, they rot more easily and quickly.
Children cannot interpret signals such as tenderness and mild pain that can be seen in the early period of caries in a timely manner. They realize the event only when the pain is unbearable, in which case it may be too late.
Children cannot pay as much attention to oral care as adults. The child's dexterity, curiosity and parent's attitude determine the tooth brushing habit.
A common mistake, especially by mothers, is to use a pacifier or bottle with sugar, jam, etc. They are given to children by dipping them in foods such as sugary milk and fruit juice. Thus, the teeth become susceptible to decay due to nutritional irregularities.
Babies start from the 6th month until the age of 3, and a total of 20 deciduous teeth are completed in the mouth. Getting the child into the habit of regular brushing should start as early as possible. It is ideal that brushing is done by the parents until the preschool age. However, in order for the child to gain self-confidence in this regard, the child should be encouraged to brush their teeth after the actual brushing. There are two methods of preventing the decay of milk teeth. The first of these is topical fluoride application and the other is fissure sealant (dental nail polish) application.
Fluoride is the most effective substance used to make teeth resistant to decay as long as it is in certain proportions. This substance is especially abundant in toothpastes. However, since children cannot brush properly, topical fluoride application should be made in the mouth. In this way, a sufficient amount of fluoride is stored on the teeth and the structure of the teeth is strengthened and made resistant to caries.
The gel-like fluoride is placed in a spoon of appropriate size and left in the mouth for 3-4 minutes. This process is done separately for the lower and upper jaws and it is beneficial to repeat it 3-4 times a year.
The fact that this procedure is painless and does not require anesthesia plays a very important role in overcoming the child's fear of dentists and helps to increase the sympathy of the dentist.
Today, thanks to advances in modern dentistry, it is easy to protect teeth from decay. Fissure sealants are one of the most effective applications in preventing dental caries. This application, also known as dental nail polish, is an ideal method for your children.
Fissure sealant is a fluid consistency substance that covers the chewing surfaces of the molars and protects the teeth against caries. Since the enamel is not fully mature when the teeth are first erupted, newly erupted teeth are generally less resistant to caries and prone to caries formation.
The best time to apply fissure sealant is in the first months when these teeth erupt. Your child's first teeth, milk teeth, can be protected against caries with fissure sealants.
It should not be forgotten that dental caries, especially in children, young teeth that have just erupted progress very quickly, so it is very important to apply fissure sealants without losing time.
Fissure sealant is applied to the tooth and hardened with the help of blue light (ray filling device). All these processes take about 3-5 minutes. It lasts and your child does not feel pain during the procedure. After the fissure sealant application, your child can eat and drink immediately if they want.
Fissure sealants can wear down over time, however, studies have proven that they remain on the teeth at a rate of 85-90% even after years. Teeth grinding and frequent consumption of hard foods can cause fissure sealants to break and fall off more quickly. The better the bond strength of fissure sealants to the tooth enamel during application, the longer the remaining life on the tooth will be.