Daca ai ajuns sa citesti acest articol, probabil ca si tu ai copii sau poate nepoti. Noi intelegem perfect fricile si nevoile parintilor legate de medicul stomatolog, pentru ca si noi avem copii (adica, multi dintre noi au copii). Asa ca am scris acest articol nu doar din perspectiva medicilor, dar si din perspectiva parintilor, bazandu-ne pe experienta acumulata in timpul tratamentelor pedodontice.

First and foremost, parents should be informed and educated about their child's oral health right after birth or at the latest. until the age of 1 year. Thus, the negative feelings related to the visit to the dentist would be considerably diminished and the prevention would acquire a much more important role. Although parents do not like to hear, we are not afraid to say that parents are fully responsible for the oral health of their children.

1. Fear of the dentist is one of the learned fears and not one we are born with, psychologists say . Many habits are learned from childhood, "inherited" from parents / grandparents / society, because we do not necessarily need words to learn something, gestures, facial expressions that children see. Long before the first tooth appears, habits, including fears, are already subconsciously impregnated. In addition, parents often have the habit of scaring their children with the dentist. Does that sound familiar to you? "If you don't brush your teeth, they will decay and it will hurt" or "If you eat sweets we will have to go to the dentist"

In fact, visits to the pedodont should be part of our normal life, as should visits to a pediatrician or family doctor. Especially since nowadays pediatric dentistry is very friendly and gentle with the little ones. Our staff has a lot of experience and patience and the advanced equipment and materials allow us to offer painless treatments.    

2. Baby teeth and permanent teeth

Each baby is born with 20 baby teeth that will erupt in turn (or sometimes more at once) until the age of 3 years. These baby teeth will fall out and permanent teeth will appear in their place, but in addition, 12 more teeth will appear. 

Baby teeth (temporary) are the guide to permanent teeth. To make it easier to understand, children have a row of baby teeth, and under these teeth are the "buds" for future permanent teeth. That is, they have two rows of teeth on each arch as seen in the picture shown.

The permanent teeth will take the place of the milk ones and will erupt in approximately the same place after they make the root (destroy the root) of the others. At that moment, the baby tooth will move and fall out on its own or with the help of a dentist. To keep baby teeth until they fall naturally, it takes a lot of care and visits to the pedodontist. Baby teeth have much more vulnerable enamel, as a result, cavities form easily and worsen quickly. If a tooth is extracted prematurely - due to a major caries or infection - there is a gap and the other teeth begin to migrate to that free place, disregarding order. As a result, problems will arise with the beautiful and correct line of the final teeth, later orthodontic treatment will be needed and the child will have to wear braces for correcting this.

3. Etching is the first step in the process of caries. In the case of children with baby teeth, it is not known if it is demineralization or hypomineralization (since the period of intrauterine development), it is certain that as a result of this chemical process calcium and other minerals are lost that are found naturally at this level. Therefore, the enamel is weakened, thus becoming sensitive to the attack of bacterial plaque. Demineralization on the teeth appears as white spots on the enamel, which cannot be easily noticed. No wonder parents don't see the problem. As demineralization progresses, these spots become yellow, brown, even blackish.

But regular checkups can help prevent problems.

The causes of demineralization can be multiple:

•  Insufficient attention to dental hygiene: is the most common cause among children. In addition, a diet rich in refined carbohydrates (sugars, flour) has a significant role in the occurrence of demineralization and caries.

•  Genetic predisposition: If you or your parents have significant problems with your teeth, we advise you to pay special attention to your child's dental hygiene, to go with him to regular check-ups, to administer the vitamins and minerals necessary for bone formation (D3, Ca, Mg, K2, Phosphorus) and brush your teeth with a toothpaste with hydroxylapatite (or hydroxyapatite)   

•  Babies born prematurely: These babies need special care from the first second of their lives, so their future teeth will need more attention and care.

• Multiple infections: infections of any kind must always be treated seriously, because their effects on the body can be extensive and unpredictable. In addition, the administration of certain antibiotics, such as tetracyclines, has negative, irreversible consequences on permanent teeth. New research links high-dose amoxicillin to a condition called fluorosis, which involves altering tooth enamel.

4. Proper dental hygiene for children:

You have to know, as a parent, that your little one until age 7 has to be helped to wash their teeth. In fact, it would be better for you to wash it, because up to this age it does not have the dexterity necessary for such movements and does not understand the importance of oral hygiene. You need to buy your child an age-appropriate toothbrush and toothpaste. Our pedodontist can teach you the best technique for brushing baby teeth or you can search for tutorials and videos on the internet.

But the most important thing is to brush those teeth at least twice daily for at least two minutes. It would be advisable to buy a special mouthwash for children and floss for use by small gloves. Of course, in the beginning, every child must be taught how to use these products, but we guarantee you that the good example is the best teacher.

Platinum Tip: -> buy your child an electric toothbrush, it is an investment in your child's health, which is really worth every penny.

5. How are you behaving at the dentist?

When you take your baby to the dentist, it would be good to stay in the waiting room during treatment and let the specialist deal with the problem. Of course, we really encourage you to participate in dental evaluation and discussions.

During dental treatment, children are more anxious in the presence of their parents and try to "play theater" with them, thus trying to manipulate their parents to get rid of the dentist. The parent, in turn, transmits to the child the subconscious concern and distrust of the pedodont, which leads to failure. The visit to the dentist is somewhat similar to the first days in kindergarten or school, but the parents' trust in the medical team is indispensable for the success of the treatment. If it is difficult for you to stay in the waiting room during the treatment, we welcome you in the consulting room, but our experience is that the duration of the treatment is shorter and the efficiency is longer if you look only through the door glass 🙂

6. Diet really has a major effect on oral health

You as a parent should know that not only carbonated juices, with a lot of sugar (Cola, sweetened tea, fruit juice, etc.) and sweets destroy tooth enamel, but all products in the category of refined carbohydrates. Many times we do not even realize about a food, that it is harmful, such as pastries. Of course, these products are harmful not only for the teeth but also for the whole body. This does not mean that these products should be excluded from a child's diet (although they would be very healthy), but, combined with poor oral hygiene, they cause tooth damage at a fast pace.

Try to avoid these foods in favor of fruits, vegetables and wholemeal products. Build the little one's menus in such a way as to assimilate the vitamins necessary for the body for a harmonious development.

Platinum Tip -> If your little one has a craving for sweets, give him a candy, a piece of chocolate, wafer or some sugar-free gummy candy, which contains stevia or xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar-like natural substance that has caries-preventing properties.