Pediatric Dentistry
Department of Pediatric Dentistry provides oral and dental health care for individuals from birth to the end of puberty (0 – 15 year-olds) by performing conservative, preventive and therapeutic procedures. The scope of practice involves;
- Preventive procedures for dental caries
- Restoration of carious primary and permanent teeth
- Extraction of teeth with hopeless prognosis
- Prevention of adverse effects of early teeth extractions by use of appliances to ensure that teeth erupt in the correct sequence
- Diagnosis and treatment of traumatic dental and supporting tissue injuries and their long term follow-up
- Follow-up of tooth eruption and teething and prevention of any anomalies in the eruption patterns
- Preventive and interceptive orthodontic treatments
- Diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of periodontal diseases (gum diseases) seen during childhood or adolescence.
In addition to healthy children and adolescents, patients who have special needs, chronic systemic diseases, syndromes, physical disabilities and learning difficulties can all benefit from the examination, treatment and follow-up procedures provided by the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.
Specialist dentists carry out the initial examination, diagnosis and treatment planning of patients attending the Department of Pediatric Dentistry. Dentists, who are currently undergoing their postgraduate training in this department also provide the same services. If a radiographic examination is required for diagnosis and treatment planning, patients are directed to the Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology with their parents. Once treatment planning is complete, patients are given appointments for continuation of treatments.
Treatments under general anesthesia are provided at the operating theatre of the dental hospital for patients with lack of or cooperation due to being very young or as a result of having a physical or a mental disability, those who have a syndrome or for patients who travel from far and require completion of treatment of multiple teeth at a single visit. A pediatric dentist together with an anesthesiologist provides the treatments under operating room conditions.
Once treatment is complete, periodical recall visits are scheduled according to the caries risk status and special needs of the individual patient. Pediatric Dentistry Clinics should be regarded as a ‘dental home’ that the child and his/her parents should visit at determined intervals until growth and development is completed. Regular and long-term visits will ensure a strong foundation for an individual’s lifetime oral and dental health status.
