When it's time to take your child to the dentist, it's best to turn to a pedodontist. This children's dentist knows all about oral health issues in children.
Moreover, since dental procedures can be a source of apprehension, a pedodontist is trained to take care of the child. He knows how to reassure the child so that the treatment goes as smoothly as possible.
Why choose a dentist specializing in children?
The pedodontist is a practitioner who has followed a specific course of study in the care of children for dental care. His mission is to allow children to preserve their dental capital.
A professional trained in the care of the youngest
Baby DentistThe pedodontist is concerned with the prevention, detection and treatment of oral diseases in children and adolescents.
This child dentist is a professional with a great sense of pedagogy. Because he addresses patients who are often very young, the pedodontist does not hesitate to opt for playful approaches in order to give the child confidence.
The objective is to adopt a psychological approach in order to de-dramatize the dental care.
A dentist for babies
The pedodontist intervenes as soon as the baby teeth appear to ensure that the evolution of the teeth and the development of the jaws are correct.
Dental care requires the cooperation of the patient, which is not always easy to obtain with babies. The pedodontist, by virtue of his training and experience, knows how to deal with the youngest of his patients.
The objective is to offer the gentlest possible care, without trauma for the child, and which reassures the parents.
Pedodontics: the importance of early treatment
Oral health issues in children
In the area of oral health, it is noted that most of the time, care is taken late.
However, there are many treatments that could be avoided in adulthood by acting preventively. These often intrusive, costly and painful treatments are the result of bad habits and late treatment.
We tend to minimize, wrongly, the problems that occur on the milk teeth. However, milk teeth play a decisive role in the development of the jaws and the appearance of permanent teeth.
At what age should I start consulting?
A first visit is recommended as soon as the first tooth appears and at the latest at one year. These first visits are an opportunity for the pedodontist to inform parents about good oral health practices.
Thereafter, a visit every six months allows us to verify the absence of early cavities, knowing that these progress very quickly in the youngest children.
The missions of the pedodontist
A preventive role
The child dentist knows all the issues of oral health from the appearance of the first teeth. He or she is able to diagnose and act preventively in order to anticipate possible problems that could affect the gums, jaws and teeth.
The pedodontist therefore plays an essential role in the prevention of dental health. He is also the best person to advise parents on good hygiene habits to be implemented from an early age.
It is important to know that toothbrushes and toothpaste change with age. Depending on the case, the pedodontist will advise the parents on the best choice of products to use.
Food also plays a big role in oral health. Good habits should be adopted in order to preserve your baby's dental capital and prevent cavities. The pedodontist advises you on the foods to avoid and those to favor so that your children have healthy teeth.
On the first permanent teeth, which are very fragile, the dentist specializing in children may have to perform certain treatments. For example, he can seal the interdental grooves to prevent the risk of cavities. The treatment consists of covering the occlusal grooves of the molars with a protective resin.
Caring for decayed teeth
The primary teeth or milk teeth are very important because they allow a good chewing and a good speech. But their main role is to maintain the necessary space for the permanent teeth.
In case of cavities, it is therefore essential to treat the milk teeth, otherwise the cavities will spread quickly. The sweetened feeding-bottles, in particular at night, support the development of the caries.
Early deterioration of the primary teeth or their falling out can lead to jaw problems or malposition of the permanent teeth.
If cavities are not always easy to see with the naked eye for parents, the pedodontist will be able to detect and treat them in time if visits are regular enough.
Functional Education
Good habits are also to be developed from a functional point of view:
- Positioning of the language
- Breathing through the nose
- Swallowing
In order to correct problems related to these functional aspects, the pedodontist may prescribe a functional rehabilitation device.
Treatment of broken teeth
A broken tooth can compromise the proper establishment of the permanent teeth to come. The pedodontist can rebuild them with a crown specific to baby teeth.
Detecting growth defects
The teeth of babies and toddlers are still forming. It is therefore important to make sure that their implantation is harmonious.
One of the missions of the children's dentist is therefore to detect growth defects such as :
- A faulty implementation
- Misalignments
- A malocclusion
- A malformation
Once the anomaly is detected, the pedodontist prescribes the most appropriate orthodontic treatment to avoid or limit the need for braces. From space maintainers to mouth guards, the pedodontist will suggest the most appropriate appliance for the child.
The price of a child dentist
The average cost of a consultation with a children's dentist is €23.
The Health Insurance covers 70 % of this amount on the basis of conventional tariffs. The rest of the cost is generally reimbursed by the complementary health insurance of the parents whose children are beneficiaries.
