THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CHILDREN'S DENTAL TREATMENTS

Why are milk teeth important?

• They retain the necessary space for the child's permanent teeth.
• It affects the aesthetic image of the child and increases psychological self-confidence.
• It helps the child to speak correctly.
• It helps the child to bite and chew food.
• They guide the permanent teeth into their place. For these reasons, it is very important to take good care of your child's milk teeth.

When should milk teeth be extracted?

Since milk teeth are guides to permanent teeth, they should be kept in the mouth until the eruption of permanent teeth. Infection and decay can occur in milk teeth, just like permanent teeth. When there is an infection and material loss that cannot be treated with filling and root canal treatment, extraction of the primary tooth may be required. If the infections are large enough to damage the permanent tooth germ under the primary tooth, extraction of the primary tooth may be recommended. However, x-rays should be taken before the shooting and the situation should be evaluated.

What precautions should be taken if the milk tooth needs to be extracted before time?

If the treatment of the primary teeth in the guide position is not possible and it is necessary to extract before the fall, placeholders should be made in order to prevent the other teeth from moving and closing this gap. The placeholders must remain in the mouth until the eruption of the permanent tooth that will come from below. For this purpose, fixed or movable placeholders can be made.

Before my child's milk tooth fell out, a permanent tooth came out from behind/in front of the tooth. What should I do?

This condition, which is often seen in the incisors and canines, can cause the milk teeth to fall out late. In this case, the milk teeth may need to be extracted. In some cases, especially in cases where the upper canine teeth erupt from the front and from above, it may be necessary to bring the permanent tooth to the required position with orthodontic treatment. We recommend that you consult your dentist regarding this issue.

Can root canal treatment be applied to milk teeth?

Since the premature loss of milk teeth will cause tooth crowding, every method should be tried to keep the milk tooth in the mouth. If an infection has occurred or if the tooth has been damaged due to trauma, it should be tried to extend the life of the primary tooth with root canal treatment.

What is fissure sealant?

It is the process of closing the grooves (fissures) on the chewing surfaces of the teeth that allow the food to hold, with fluid consistency filling materials. Studies have shown that 4 out of 5 caries occur in the posterior molars. Especially the first molars, which come into the mouth around the age of 6, have wide surfaces and deep grooves, remain in the mouth for a lifetime and are of great importance in the formation of dentition and occlusion. Due to the fact that they are located just behind the milk teeth, these teeth are often confused with the milk teeth and are neglected with the thought of "it will change anyway". Since it is difficult for a 6-year-old child to reach this area and do an effective cleaning, fissure sealants applied to these teeth as soon as they are applied will protect the tooth against caries. However, this method, which is very successful on chewing surfaces, is insufficient to prevent cavities that may occur in the area between the 2 teeth.