Pediatric dentistry

Caries is considered one of the most common dental diseases in children. This pathological process is becoming increasingly prevalent among younger children, even those under the age of 2. Baby teeth, with their thinner enamel and dentin layers, are more prone to carious lesions and rapid destruction.

In most cases, timely visits to a pediatric dentist can save the tooth. However, in advanced stages with complications, tooth extraction becomes necessary. Regular preventive check-ups are crucial for maintaining your child’s oral health. At Sigma Dent, our pediatric dentists ensure treatment is as comfortable and effective as possible.

“Why treat something that will fall out anyway?”

This is a common argument among parents who fear traumatizing their child’s psyche. However, delaying a dentist visit often means missing the early stage of caries in baby teeth and losing the opportunity to stop the process unnoticed by the child.

Timely treatment of baby tooth caries prevents periodontitis (infection at the root tip) and helps maintain healthy jaw tissues. It is essential to preserve baby teeth for their entire functional period to avoid developing malocclusion.

How Sigma Dent treats pediatric caries:

• The gum is numbed with a gel (local anesthetic) with a pleasant flavor;
• Decayed tissues are drilled out using a high-speed handpiece with water cooling;
• The resulting cavity is thoroughly cleaned with a disinfectant solution;
• The tooth is filled with composite material (optional colored filling);
• Excess filling material is removed, the filling is polished, and a protective coating is applied.

There are cases when a baby tooth cannot be saved or must be removed due to specific indications:

• The baby tooth is loose;
• The root does not resorb naturally;
• The root has resorbed (confirmed via X-ray), but the tooth does not fall out;
• Space is needed for an emerging permanent tooth;
• A loose tooth injures gum tissue;
• A baby tooth is severely decayed, posing an infection risk to the developing permanent tooth;
• The child has bite issues (removal recommended by an orthodontist).

There are no absolute contraindications to baby tooth extraction; restrictions are usually temporary. For instance, the procedure should be postponed if there is inflammation in the oral cavity (stomatitis, gingivitis) or if the child has an infectious disease (tonsillitis, whooping cough, pneumonia). Special care is taken when extracting baby teeth in children with heart and vascular abnormalities or kidney and blood disorders.

Sealant application (fissure sealing) is a preventive measure for permanent teeth caries, involving the application of a special sealant to fissures to prevent plaque and caries formation. Sealing pits and fissures on the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars is an effective way to prevent tooth decay. Permanent molars with fissures are treated, following the principle of preventing contact between carbohydrates and oral microorganisms with the fissure enamel.