Child in the dental clinic

The Materna Dental Clinic in Poznań is well adapted for the youngest patients. We know how important the first visit to a dentist is, so we do everything to make children feel safe and comfortable with us. There is a special children’s corner in our waiting room, where our little ones can “play dentists”, and parents can show them how to drill teeth on dental models.

In our clinic, we have two modern methods of anaesthesia available, thanks to which the comfort and well-being of patients are at the highest level.

You can read about The Wand computer-assisted anaesthesia and inhalation sedation here.

The first visit to the dentist should take place between 6 and 12 months of age. Subsequent regular visits allow the child to gradually adapt to the dentist and the treatments performed. Dental attitude depends on many factors m.in the age of the child, the reason for the visit, the parent's attitude, the dentist's attitude, and previous experience at the dentist’s. It is worth emphasising that the first visit should take place prophylactically, and not, for example, to remove a tooth. The child is then susceptible to the association of the dentist as a “bad doctor”, which will only make future visits more difficult, and what's more, may unnecessarily cause dental anxiety.

At the Materna Dental Clinic in Poznań, the first visit includes a family and general medical history, dental history, clinical examination, discussion of the treatment plan and, if necessary, first treatment.

https://maternadental.pl/en/services/prevention/

Prevention is extremely important among the youngest. Materna Dental Clinic recommends fluoridation, sealing and steel crowns as solutions for maintaining beautiful, healthy teeth of our little ones.

Fluoride supplementation in the form of tablets or drops is often a difficult method to implement, as it requires systematic and long-term intake of fluoride in the right amount, regardless of the child's attitude. Fortunately, fluoridation in the dental practice comes to the rescue. Topical application of fluoride preparations allows for long-lasting effects, thanks to professional and accurate application by the dentist. A single dose contains 5% sodium fluoride. Accordingly, with the patient's age, a certain amount of the preparation is administered, hence it is a completely safe procedure. Topical fluoride stops enamel demineralization, increases its remineralization and inhibits bacterial activity.

In children, increased fluoridation is recommended every 3 - 6 months (depending on the case). The fluoride treatment takes about 15 minutes, the patient should not eat hard foods and should not brush their teeth for about 2 hours after applying the preparation.

Sealing consists in closing cavities with a fissure sealant. Fluoride incorporated into the enamel increases the resistance of teeth to acids and reduces the access of bacteria and the accumulation of food debris, reducing the risk of tooth decay. Fissure sealants should be used prophylactically in patients from the moment of tooth eruption. Lacquers can be used as a temporary sealant until the teeth erupt.

Ready-made stainless steel crowns accurately reflect the anatomy of the teeth for better fit and function. The use of steel crowns is recommended for molars with extensive fillings, milk teeth after root canal treatment, teeth with developmental disorders, as well as for children at high risk of tooth decay. The durability of such restoration significantly exceeds the retention time of the amalgam filling.

Dental anxiety can often be confused with fear. Conducting a thorough interview with the parents and the patient, followed by a professional approach of a dentist who explains the activities performed in an appropriate way, can overcome this fear. At the Materna Dental Clinic, we use appropriate filling methods for the so-called special tasks: IRT (Interim Therapeutic Restoration) and ATR (Atraumatic Restorative Treatment).

A temporary therapeutic filling allows for the gradual removal of carious lesions before the final filling of the cavity in a patient of developmental age. It is an alternative, e.g, for non-cooperative patients, those with dental anxiety or those with special health requirements.

The first stage of treatment consists in securing the teeth with a temporary glass ionomer, which remineralizes the teeth from the inside. Further proceedings may take place after some time (max. 6 months).

The second stage is to rework the cavity at the next visit and rebuild the tooth with a permanent filling.

Atraumatic caries treatment is a treatment method that only uses hand tools. The cavity is washed with water, dried with a cotton ball and filled with a high-density chemohardening glass ionomer.

And at the end, a reward awaits the youngest!

But remember: while it’s great to reward your child with a special meal or activity, it’s also important to let your child know you’re proud of them. Children need to receive affirmations from parents, especially when they’re doing something difficult.

Bibliography:

“Contemporary Dentistry of the Developmental Age” Dorota Olczak- Kowalczyk, Joanna Szczepańska i Urszula Kaczmarek, Med Tour Press International, First Edition, 2017 r.