Children at the Dentist 
A child’s fear prior to a visit at a dental clinic is a natural reaction to an unknown individual, a new setting as well as unknown tools; that is why it is necessary to prepare our little patients for such a visit. In our practice, our first meeting serves as a familiarization session with the child and the clinic. Little patients are encouraged to become acquainted with our equipment and all our tools that may be used throughout their treatment. The dentist specifically explains every element of the treatment and describes what the child may feel. Depending on the age of the patient we venture into diverse styles to help stimulate the child’s imagination and distract them from the actual procedure. We never lie to our patients nor do we act on surprise. Gaining the child’s trust is fundamental in achieving a positive attitude towards the dentist, whom often remains for life.
We aim in making the youngsters visits as short as possible to help prevent fatigue and repulsion. Likewise, to help foster teamwork we use colored fillings in deciduous (primary) teeth, offer small awards and even diplomas to honor the little patients "courage".
Advice for the parents
It is recommended that a child’s first visit should be right after the appearance of the first deciduous teeth i.e. 6 - 12 months of life. At the same time, parents are informed on tips regarding proper diet and care of newly descending teeth as well as the development of child’s face and oral cavity.
Prophylaxis
Prophylaxis should be done prior to the child’s birth. A mother’s healthy teeth and proper hygiene habits are essential. The safest period to treat teeth for an expecting mother is the second trimester of pregnancy and during this period it is recommended to heal all of the teeth plus remove any infected plaques from the oral cavity.
From the moment the newborn enters the world the gums should be regularly cleaned with gauze soaked in water or chamomile as well as massaged with the help of a rubber brush. After the appearance of the first tooth, a special tooth brush for kids (according to age) should be used. The parents should wash the child’s teeth until the age of 6 and systematically introduce independent bushing. Tooth paste for kids with a decreased amount of fluoride (less then 500 ppm) is recommended for children, as much of the paste is swallowed during brushing.
In the event plaques of caries are not diagnosed in deciduous teeth, it is necessary to secure the teeth once every 6 months with a special fluoride preparation made specifically for children. As this treatment is absolutely painless, this potentially could be the beginning of an exciting adventure at the dental clinic. If in fact caries our found, it is first necessary to treat the teeth and then secure them with fluoride every 3 months.
Treating deciduous (primary) teeth
Presence of caries on large flat surfaces is treated by impregnation. This method of treatment involves covering the caries with silver nitrate. The procedure is absolutely painless; unfortunately the disadvantage is discoloration of the tooth.
Advanced progression of caries in primary teeth is treated similarly to permanent teeth. Root canal treatment is performed very rarely due to a potential disturbance in the development of permanent teeth.
The main goal in treating deciduous teeth is so that they remain in place until they are naturally replaced by permanent teeth. Early loss may cause improper development of permanent teeth, compaction, improper positioning or stop the teeth from exfoliating from the bone.
Caring for deciduous teeth is a worthy investment into the future, as our kids will extensively enjoy their healthy beautiful smile.
