Treatment of baby teeth

Treatment of baby teeth is a necessary procedure, for the reason that any dental problem should be treatable.

Parents often think that there is no point in treating baby teeth, since they will fall out anyway. This statement is not true, treatment of baby teeth is necessary because the destructive process in the tooth is a source of infection and a large number of pathogenic bacteria that provoke the development of various types of pharyngitis, laryngitis, acute respiratory infections, up to gastrointestinal diseases. And another reason why it is necessary to treat baby teeth is, of course, their aesthetic appearance.

Treatment of baby teeth in children

Very often you can hear the statement that children do not need to treat their baby teeth. This is a mistaken idea, since teeth need to be treated in any case, whether they are baby or permanent. The most common problem in children is caries, which is reflected in baby teeth a little differently than caries in adults on permanent teeth. The enamel of baby teeth is very thin, especially in the areas between the teeth, so if there is even the slightest damage to the enamel of the tooth, it becomes very easy for bacteria to get to the dentin (the main tissue of the tooth). Externally, caries may not be noticeable, there may be only a small hole in the enamel of a carious tooth, although in fact there may be significant carious destruction inside the tooth.

Caries of baby teeth in children is very treatable, so curing it is not a problem. During the treatment, the dentist removes all diseased tissues affected by caries, sterilizes the entire space where there was caries and hermetically seals the hole in the tooth with special materials. Thus, the carious tooth is cured and bacteria have no way to the tooth.

Methods of treating baby teeth

Usually, when the painful process is not started, dentists use the most gentle methods of treatment. But if the disease progresses (especially caries), then it is necessary to resort to removing the affected dental tissue and filling the tooth. In modern dentistry, there are several of the most common methods of treating baby teeth. Among them:

• Coating teeth with fluoride varnish. This is the most gentle method of treating initial dental caries. This method is used only when the first symptoms of caries appear, when there is no need for filling. Thanks to this procedure, you can prevent the progression of caries and protect tooth enamel.
• Silvering of enamel. This is one of the most effective methods of treating caries at the initial stages. Its essence consists in applying a solution of silver nitrate to carious teeth. Silver nitrate, in turn, has an excellent antibacterial effect and caries is suspended.
• The advantage of the method is that it is painless, but the method also has one significant drawback: teeth treated with silver nitrate become black and remain so until they are replaced with permanent teeth.
• Ozonation. In essence, it is almost the same as silvering of enamel, only here ozone is used instead of silver, which also helps to get rid of pathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms. The advantage of this method is that no black plaque remains on the teeth.
• Remineralization. This method is more of a preventative measure for caries than a direct method of its treatment. The essence of the method is the application of special pastes with fluoride, calcium or phosphorus. They strengthen and renew enamel, and can also be used for caries in the "spot" stage.
• Fissure sealing. This method is the most modern in pediatric dental practice, it allows for the treatment and prevention of caries. With this method, a special glassy substance is applied to the chewing surface of the tooth, which covers it with a dense layer. The tooth surface becomes smooth and protected from caries and pathogenic microorganisms. The fissure sealing procedure is painless and can be performed at any age.
• Photodynamic therapy. This method has become popular relatively recently, its essence lies in the application of special materials to the tooth, which are subsequently irradiated by a laser. Therefore, under the influence of the laser, the materials release medicinal substances and thus contribute to the treatment of caries in baby teeth. The method is absolutely painless, which is very convenient to use even for small children.
• Treatment with a drill. One of the most reliable methods in the fight against dental diseases. The dentist removes the affected dental tissue and fills the tooth.
• Prosthetics. This method is rarely used, but it is still used to prevent the formation of malocclusion.

Treatment of caries of a baby tooth

Despite some beliefs that caries in children should not be treated, there is still a need for its treatment. The first reason is that carious teeth are always a source of infection for the entire body, since pathogenic flora in the form of streptococcus, staphylococcus and other bacteria can be found inside a carious tooth in all cases. They can contribute to the development of ENT diseases, as well as complicate the treatment of these diseases. The initial stages of caries treatment, when it is only superficial, are reduced to minimal use of a drill. In these cases, ozonation, remineralization or silvering of enamel are used. In more complex cases, when caries has destroyed the enamel and internal dental tissues, a drill is used and all cavities are extensively sealed without fail, so that the disease does not completely affect the entire tooth. If caries has completely covered the entire tooth and there is no “living space” on it, then the best solution is to remove the diseased tooth.

Treatment of pulpitis of baby teeth

Pulpitis is an inflammation of the vascular-nerve bundle of the tooth. Pulpitis occurs as a result of deep caries and it is quite possible to prevent this disease, it is enough to visit the dentist regularly and treat all early manifestations of caries. But if pulpitis does occur, then in this case the treatment of baby teeth is more complicated and involves the use of both conservative and surgical methods, everything depends on the stage of the disease and the individual characteristics of the child.

Conservative treatment involves treating a tooth with the possibility of preserving the pulp. It is used for acute partial pulpitis and chronic fibrous pulpitis. The essence of the procedure is to open the carious cavity and remove the affected tissues of the tooth, then the cavity is treated with antiseptic solutions and filled. Conservative treatment is carried out under local anesthesia and only in the absence of multiple caries.

Surgical treatment is used in more complex cases and involves the use of several of the most popular methods. Among them:

• Vital pulp amputation – this method of treatment is used during the formation of the root. In this case, the coronal pulp is removed, and the molar remains viable.
• Vital pulp extirpation is used only when the tooth is fully formed and this procedure is carried out according to the principle of adult patients - the pulp is completely removed. But in pediatric dentistry this method is not very widely used due to the increased pain of the procedure.
• Devital pulp amputation is the most popular today. Its essence consists in removing the coronal pulp by temporarily placing arsenic paste into the tooth cavity, which promotes the "death" of the pulp and its painless removal.

Treatment of baby teeth under anesthesia

In pediatric dentistry, there are cases when it is simply impossible to treat a child's teeth normally and efficiently due to the child's restless and hysterical nature, when it is necessary to treat more than 4 teeth at once, or when urgent emergency treatment is required. In such situations, dentists are forced to treat baby teeth under general anesthesia, since anesthesia will allow for quick, high-quality, effective treatment and will not cause stress to the child.

Not every dental clinic can perform dental treatment under general anesthesia, as this requires a special license and a team of specialists consisting of an anesthesiologist, an anesthetist nurse, a pediatric dentist and his assistant. Today, only one type of general anesthesia is performed in dentistry - inhalation. General inhalation anesthesia is inherently safe and does not cause harm. In almost all cases, the drugs "Sevoflurane" or "Supran" are used. These drugs have almost no side effects and are very quickly eliminated from the body from the moment they are stopped (after 15-20 minutes).

Before prescribing general anesthesia to a child, he must undergo an extensive medical examination and take many tests to make sure that there are no contraindications to anesthesia. The algorithm for administering general anesthesia is as follows: the child takes a few breaths through a special mask and after 2-3 minutes he falls asleep, then the doctors begin treatment, throughout the entire treatment the anesthesia is not stopped, after the completion of the treatment the anesthesia is stopped and after 15-20 minutes the child comes to his senses. After waking up, he will still be sleepy and lethargic for 6-12 hours, so he must be given the opportunity to get a good night's sleep, this is especially important in the first 6 hours after anesthesia.

Another very important point is informing the child's parents about the general anesthesia procedure and its possible consequences. In fact, general anesthesia during the procedure of treating baby teeth is not dangerous and does not lead to any health problems for the child, especially for the nervous system, so there should be no reason for concern on the part of the parents.

Treatment of periodontitis of baby teeth

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the periodontal tissues, which include bone, ligaments, gums and mucous membranes. Periodontitis in children is much less common than in adults, but in terms of prevalence it is second only to caries. This is a complex disease and its treatment should be quite long. The cause of its occurrence is most often age-related changes in children and mainly children aged 8-10 suffer from it.

A feature of childhood periodontitis is that it affects immature and constantly forming tissues. In addition to all this, local factors such as poor oral hygiene, tartar, a short frenulum of the tongue or lower lip, anomalies and deformations of the teeth and jaws, and gum injuries will also play an important role. Children with endocrine diseases, hypovitaminosis, and diabetes are also at risk of this disease. Regarding the course of the disease, chronic and acute periodontitis, local and generalized, prepubertal (during the eruption of baby teeth) and pubertal (in adolescence) are distinguished.

The method of treating periodontitis depends on the factors that caused the disease and its current stage. In order to provide high-quality treatment of baby teeth with periodontitis, dentists use both surgical and conservative methods. Conservative methods include eliminating local causes of the disease, sanitizing the oral cavity, removing tartar and plaque, and treating caries. Surgical methods are used in more severe cases of the disease. These include frenuloplasty, surgical treatment of interdental and gingival pockets, and applications of medicinal preparations. After treatment, both surgical and conservative, it is imperative to adhere to oral hygiene rules, use antibacterial rinses, and undergo vitamin therapy. If you adhere to all of these complexes, then in the future you can prevent a relapse of this disease.

Treatment of milk teeth without drilling

Milk teeth are not always treated with a drill and drilling. Often, children have superficial caries, which does not require drilling. The main methods of treating teeth without drilling are silvering of enamel, ozonation, remineralization, photodynamic therapy and coating teeth with fluoride varnish. These methods allow you to slow down the progression of caries at the earliest stages and destroy pathogenic microorganisms that are on the surface of the teeth.

Treatment of enamel hypoplasia in primary teeth

Enamel hypoplasia of baby teeth is a dental development defect when the enamel of a baby tooth is not formed sufficiently during its formation and eruption. This is not very dangerous for temporary teeth, but treatment measures must still be taken, as this disease can provoke the appearance of deep caries, pulpitis, and the formation of malocclusion. The cause of hypoplasia in 90% of cases is pregnancy pathologies in the mother of the child. These can be various toxicoses, prematurity, birth injuries, diseases of the blood system.

Also, the cause may be previous infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, allergies. The best way to prevent this disease is to monitor the pregnant woman and especially monitor her well-being and balanced diet. But if hypoplasia is already present in the newborn, then it is necessary to resort to its treatment by increasing the mineralization of the tooth and tooth enamel, treating caries (if any), and restoring the external aesthetic appearance of the teeth.

Treatment of baby teeth is a very important stage that should never be ignored, since diseased baby teeth are a source of infection (especially staphylococcal and streptococcal), which can spread to any system of the body, especially if the child has a weakened immune system. Therefore, parents should constantly monitor the health of their child's teeth and regularly make preventive visits to a pediatric dentist.