What is Paediatric Dentistry?
All parents know that a young child is not a small adult. Similarly, baby teeth are different from permanent teeth and present with their own unique set of conditions and treatment needs, such as Early Childhood Caries, an aggressive form of tooth decay in very young children often linked to milk bottle habits.
In addition to this, younger infants and pre-schooling children often present a challenge both in what they can understand, and what procedures they can cope with in the dental chair.
Paediatric Dentistry is thus an age-defined specialty, just like Paediatric Medicine. It encompasses all aspects of oral care in children from birth all the way to adolescence.
Here at TP dental our dentists are trained and adept in providing the dental care that your children require, in a safe and fun environment.
What to Expect on your Child’s First Dental Visit?
The primary goal of this visit is to examine your child by gaining their trust and cooperation. Your child will be orientated to the dental setting and shown the dental chair and examination tools in a fun and non-threatening way.
After an examination involving “counting teeth”, x-rays may be taken if necessary. A dental risk assessment and treatment plan will then be discussed, along with instructions on oral hygiene, diet and prevention.
Depending on the situation and cooperation of your child, the first visit may be brief and involve no treatment, especially if your child is fearful. However most children are able to cope with an initial round of tooth cleaning. Most importantly, your child’s first dental visit is the key to instilling a positive dental attitude in both child and parent, and in setting the tone for future treatment visits and reviews.
DO’s and DON’T’s of preparing your child for the first dental visit:
DO’s
- Show your child before-hand what a trip to the dentist looks like, using online resources, books or apps.
- Practice the examination at home before-hand, by asking your child to open wide while you place a toothbrush in their mouth like a dental mirror
- Before the visit, tell your child that they are going to the dentist to have their teeth “counted” and to learn how to brush their teeth better.
- Make sure that your child is well-rested and fed with a light meal before the dental visit.
- Bring along your child’s favourite comfort toy/blanket if it will help to calm them during the examination.
- Treat the visit as just another fun activity you introduce to your child, and not a particularly significant event.
DONT’s
- Threaten a misbehaving child by promising them a trip to the dentist.
- Use words like “pain”, “drill”, “needle”, “injection”, and “pluck out all your teeth” before and during the dental visit.
- Tell your child that you yourself are afraid of dentists, as this fear will certainly be transmitted to them.
- Feed your child too much food before the visit as there is a risk that they may throw up in an unfamiliar environment.
- Come for the dental visit if your child is feeling unwell or not rested properly and thus not in the best of moods.
- Tell your child that you are bringing them to the playground or shopping, when in fact you are coming for the dental visit.
- Wait until your child complains of pain before bringing them for a dental examination!
What Happens If Your Child is Simply too Fearful?
Sometimes however, no matter how well you prepare your children, they may simply be too young, fearful or unwilling to cooperate, or their treatment needs may be too complex. At TP Dental our Pedodontist is on hand for just this situation.
A pedodontist is a dental specialist who has undergone 3 years of extensive post-graduate training in addition to the basic dental degree in order to acquire the knowledge and expertise to manage all aspects of childhood dental health. Pedodontists are registered as dental specialists with the Singapore Dental Council (SDC).
The pedodontist cares for your child’s dental health in the following ways:
- Risk assessment and prevention of early childhood dental disease such as milk bottle dental caries.
- Behaviour management of childhood fear and anxiety in the dental chair, as well as behaviour-shaping for a positive dental attitude.
- Management of extensive and/or complex restorative dental needs, such as multiple fillings or root canal treatment in baby te
- Emergency management of accidental traumatic injuries such as falls or sports injuries to the teeth.
- Dental care of children with special needs or complex medical conditions (the pedodontist is accredited to perform hospital-care dentistry, in this case with the Mount Elizabeth Orchard Hospital).
