Paediatric dentistry

There is a misleading belief that children’s primary teeth do not need to be treated. This is not true. The dentists working at our clinic pay great attention to the condition of primary teeth.

When to start?

A child should get used to brushing their teeth from a very early age. By the way, until the age of 6–7 the teeth should be brushed by the parents. Until a child learns to write, their hand movements are not coordinated enough to clean the teeth properly. Of course, a small child can practise brushing with a toothbrush themselves, but the parents should finish the brushing. In addition, mum and dad have to be the example that the child watches and imitates.

How often to visit?

For some little patients it is enough to come for a preventive check-up with the dentist a couple of times a year and to have procedures for the prevention of caries, such as plaque removal, fluoride application and sealing of the molars. Others, who face bigger problems, may need procedures such as fillings for primary teeth, root canal treatment, extraction or the placement of steel crowns.

What procedures are performed for children?

At the clinic, little patients and their parents are introduced to oral hygiene procedures and to the tools and ways of brushing teeth. Applications of fluoride varnish, which “strengthens” the tooth surface, are also carried out at the clinic. At around the age of six, when the first permanent molars erupt, it is recommended to cover their chewing surfaces with sealants. Sealants are a material intended for the prevention of caries in pits and fissures. Applied to healthy fissures not affected by caries, sealants mechanically close the fissures and pits and thus prevent caries from developing. Modern sealants also release fluoride, which has a cariostatic effect. It is best to apply sealants while the permanent teeth are erupting – at 5–8 years (when the first permanent molars erupt) and at 9–13 years (when the premolars and second molars erupt). The dentist carries out a preventive check-up, prepares the child psychologically, teaches children to brush their teeth correctly and assesses how effective the brushing is;

Why is it necessary to treat primary teeth?

If primary teeth are not treated, the child feels constant pain and swelling may appear; this can also damage the formation of the permanent teeth and contribute to orthodontic problems in the future. If we find that a child feels great fear during treatment or for other reasons, we can carry out all the treatment your child needs under sedation.