CHILDREN DENTISTRY
At Fauziah Dental Surgery, We Advocate An Early Start In Children’s Dental Care. Starting Children Early Means Getting Them Used To The Procedures And Also The Environment.
We start-off their first visit as an introduction, explaining why the need to visit a dentist and what dentists do. We ‘show and tell’ on common instruments used by dentists, and demonstrate what a dental chair can do.
We’d show them how the dental chair goes up and down, how light is controlled, the hand piece and tiny brush we use to clean their teeth. It is only after answering all their questions that we begin examining their teeth, and take note of treatments that they may need on subsequent visits.
If any emergency treatment is needed, we do what is necessary but with the view that ‘it’s better to win the war than to win the battle’. It is always better to have the child wanting to visit the dentist subsequently without fear, than to do everything in a single visit. Treatments that are cramped into a single visit usually does not work well for the child’s interest, as it may tire or scare the children.
The treatments we provide for children’s dentistry are comprehensive and complete:
A dental restoration or a filling is the repair of decayed tooth. Once a tooth is repaired, the child will be able to eat and chew normally immediately.
As dentists our main goal is to preserve teeth and keep them healthy for as long as possible. However, there are times when it is in your best interest (or your child’s) to have a tooth extracted (removed). This could be the case for a variety of reasons. Perhaps your younger child has a baby tooth that is stubbornly adhering to the gums, even though the replacement permanent tooth is already present. Perhaps an extraction is needed due to a severely damaged or traumatised tooth. Or it may be that your teenage child will soon need to undergo orthodontic treatment, and has insufficient space for his / her adult teeth. Less commonly, it could be due to an impacted (buried) tooth that could cause problems later on.
Fissure sealant is a coating painted on the biting surfaces of back teeth (molars and premolars). It forms a protective layer that prevents food and bacteria from getting stuck in the tiny grooves in the tooth that may cause decay. The application is fast, comfortable, and could effectively protect the teeth for up to 5 years.
TIPS FOR PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR A DENTAL VISIT
• Don’t scare your kids. Dental visits don’t have to be scary, so please watch out of what you say about going to the dentist. Sometimes parents threaten their kids with “be good or I’ll take you to the dentist and she’ll take out all your teeth!”. Always remember, your kids believe in you and seldom forget what you say to them. Always remember you are their role models too!
• Let your child observe you brushing your teeth and observe you being treated when you visit the dentist.
• Do role play with your child. Pretend to be a dentist and explore their mouth, then switch roles.
• Don’t use words such as extraction, pain or drilling. Our dentists have special words and ways to explain to the child so they won’t be scared.
• Tell the dentist if your child has any medical problems, allergies or had a traumatic experience previously.
We always do our best to make our little patients have a great time at the dental clinics. After all, their experience each time builds into routine that supports their overall health. A child that has good memories of each dental visit would most likely want to return for the important 4 monthly check-ups that they need, as they gradually shift from their milk teeth to permanent teeth. They need check ups more often as their manual dexterity when brushing may not be so good and their diet may be high in sugary foods. Milk teeth are as important for their healthy development as permanent teeth!
