Pediatric Dentistry
Pediatric dentistry is the branch of dentistry devoted to study of oral care for children. Pediatric dentistry concentrates on the techniques, procedures, treatment options and diseases specific to children. Pediatric dentistry is usually concerned with patients who are 12 years old and younger.
Most children who need specialized care are often 6 years old and younger. The younger the child being treated the more likely they are to have behavioral aspects that require the expertise of a doctor who is specifically trained to treat younger patients who are uncooperative towards their treatment, a pediatric dentist. Children also have specific needs such as monitoring and controlling their fluoride intake so that it’s concentration can be optimized to prevent caries, or dental decay, and not so high that it causes modeling, or the brown fluoride discoloration of the child’s teeth.
Pediatric dentistry employs several methods and techniques to treat patients. At the heart of these techniques is an unbelievable amount of patience with the children. The first task is to make the child feel comfortable in the dental environment. To this end many pediatric dental offices are like a game room for kids. Pediatric dental office’s reception rooms are often stocked with the latest games and toys for ages two through twelve. This gets the children into a relaxed happy mood and allows them to interact in an environment that they like and find enjoyable. They can actually like going to and being at the pediatric dentist’s office rather than being afraid and anxious about going to see the dentist.
The primary treatment technique that pediatric dentistry uses on all children is the show, tell and do method. In this technique every child is shown the dental instrument, told what the doctor is going to do to them and what they should expect prior to anything being done to the child. This builds trust between the child and the doctor and the doctor will also establish that he or she is in charge of the situation as long as the child is in the doctor’s office. Children understand that the adult who house they are in is in charge. To reinforce this parents are not allowed in the treatment room with children because a child will always defer to their parent as the authority figure if they are present and this will undermine the doctor’s authority and make it much more difficult for the doctor to control the child and administer the child’s treatment.
So don’t be surprised when the pediatric doctor’s staff asks you to wait in the reception area while they take your child to the treatment room to see the pediatric doctor and receive the dental treatment they need. These two simple and affective techniques allow for the vast majority of children to be seen and successfully treated in a pediatric dental office without any undo stress, anxiety or cause the child any psychological trauma that will scare them for life and make future dental care and treatment a nightmare for that patient.
For children who are less well behaved and are still unmanageable with the preceding techniques pediatric dentists will employ sever other methods to gain control of the patient and administer the care the patient needs even in spite of themselves. Children who are physically out of control and flail their arms and legs can be gently wrapped to keep them from injuring themselves while they are being treated. This restrains their arms and legs and keeps their body and most importantly their head stable and steady making their treatment safe for them and the pediatric dental staff treating them.
Most young children accept this type of restraint very well because they are used to being wrapped in blankets and sheets since they were infants and often find it a reassuring familiar feeling. For children who are older or do not respond well to being restrained the pediatric dentist may chose to sedate these patients. Pharmacological sedation can be safe and effective in making children comfortable and cooperative in the dental office.
This is sometimes the only method that is effective on very dental phobic children or children who are hyperactive and cannot sit still for the amount of time required for their treatment. As with any other form of pharmaceutical sedation this is used only as the last way to achieve patient cooperation. There are associated risks involved any time anyone is sedated and they should not be taken lightly.
Thankfully the risks are small and are usually far less than the risks associated with not treating the patient. Pediatric dentistry can successfully treat almost every child in the dental office setting and for the very rare cases the patients can be treated in a hospital setting.
