When should I start cleaning my baby's teeth?
In babies, brushing should be done from the moment the first milk tooth comes out. Until the teeth in the back area appear, the most suitable tool for brushing is finger brushes that you can easily find in pharmacies. Afterwards, this process should be continued with a toothbrush suitable for the child's age. Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day, once before going to bed in the evening. It is more appropriate to use fluoride-free toothpaste between the ages of 0-3. After age 3, it is more effective to choose toothpaste for kids that contains fluoride to prevent tooth decay.
When should I take my baby for their first dental check-up?
It is appropriate for babies to be brought to the dentist from the moment the first milk comes out because the important thing is to control dental problems before they occur. For this reason, families should be informed about many issues such as oral care in babies and the effects of nutrition on the formation of caries. These check-ups should be repeated every 6 months.
What are the treatments applied to prevent caries?
After age 3, preventive treatments should begin with superficial fluoride application. In order to maintain the protective effect, fluoride application should be repeated every 6 months until the age of 14 - 15. In addition to fluoride application, fissure sealants should be applied after the eruption of permanent molars after the age of 6. This procedure is the process of covering the fissures on the chewing surfaces of the permanent molars, which are the areas where decay most often begins. Thus, infections that may start in these deep fissures where the brush cannot clean are prevented.
Should milk teeth be treated?
Milk teeth are as important as permanent teeth.
Due to the pain of decayed milk teeth, many daily activities of children such as eating, concentrating, and sleeping can be adversely affected.
Infectious diseases that can affect general health may develop due to inflammatory conditions that may occur due to untreated decayed milk teeth.
Milk teeth are the guides of permanent teeth. Milk teeth that are lost or extracted earlier than the time of falling out can cause problems such as labioversion in their permanent teeth or impacted teeth.
Which dental treatments can be carried out in children?
Although different methods are used in children than in adults, almost the same treatments can be applied. There are many treatment methods such as milk tooth fillings, primary tooth canal treatments, milk tooth amputations, milk tooth extractions, protective fissure sealants, protective superficial fluoride applications, place holders, and tartar cleansing.
Who can have dental treatments under general anesthesia?
General anesthesia can be applied to children who do not allow to be treated on the chair, who have high fear and anxiety, or who are too young to be treated on the dental chair. It is also a method that can be used for major surgical interventions and dental treatment of mentally disabled patients.
