Prevention for children
The Golden Rules for Your Child
For your child, the following golden rules are applied in our practice to ensure optimal oral health.
The First Step
The first step towards a healthy mouth is prevention.
Prevention includes all procedures applied from early childhood onwards, aimed at detecting and addressing potential problems at an early stage.
When should you take your child to the dentist for the first time?
Baby teeth usually start to appear around 6 months of age. By approximately 2 years of age, all primary teeth are generally present.
For this reason, we recommend a first dental visit at around 2 years of age. This visit simply consists of a brief examination to identify any early signs of tooth decay and to inform parents about proper oral hygiene, nutrition, and the use of products such as fluoride.
It is advisable that the child’s first dental visit does not involve actual treatment. If the child feels relaxed, the dentist may count the baby teeth while the child observes what is happening in their mouth using a mirror.
An early first visit is important to establish a positive relationship based on trust and comfort between the child and the dental team, making future visits easier and stress-free.
Why are baby teeth important?
Baby teeth are important primarily because they preserve space for the permanent teeth, which usually begin to erupt around the age of 6.
Baby teeth, gums, and the tongue are essential not only for chewing but also for the proper growth of the jawbones and for the correct eruption of permanent teeth.
In addition, baby teeth play a key role in speech development. For this reason, their care is essential and may include treatments such as fillings.
Only in cases of very extensive decay where restoration is not possible, or when a baby tooth is close to being naturally replaced by a permanent tooth, will extraction be considered.
Professional oral hygiene sessions for children: why?
Professional oral hygiene is often the first treatment that introduces the child to the dental environment in a gentle, pleasant, and playful way.
The first hygiene session can already be performed from the age of 4. This allows the child to experience the dental chair as something familiar and positive.
The goals of these sessions include:
Proper removal of plaque and tartar, which can cause gum inflammation and tooth decay
Topical fluoride applications when necessary
Instruction on correct home oral hygiene practices
Children learn how to use manual and electric toothbrushes, dental floss, and plaque-disclosing tablets.
Dental hygienists specialize in this important aspect of prevention. In our practice, we work with Dr. Lucia Gremi and Dr. Costantino Macris.
Regular recall visits: why?
After the initial course of treatment (first visit, professional oral hygiene, dental care), the child is enrolled in a program of regular check-ups.
Periodic dental examinations allow us to monitor the child’s growth and development up to around the age of 16 and to detect any new cavities at an early stage.
Regular hygiene recall appointments also help motivate the child to improve daily oral hygiene habits.
Fissure sealing of the first permanent molars: what is it?
The chewing surfaces of the first permanent molars often have deep grooves where plaque can easily accumulate. These teeth erupt at an age when children are not yet fully capable of maintaining proper oral hygiene, and newly erupted enamel is more susceptible to decay.
Fissure sealing is a procedure that involves thoroughly cleaning the tooth surface and applying a special, highly fluid resin into the grooves, which is then hardened with a curing light.
Once applied, the sealant prevents bacteria from penetrating the grooves. It is a quick and painless procedure.
Orthodontics: what does it involve?
Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that focuses on maintaining, restoring, or creating correct relationships between the jawbones, dental arches, and tooth alignment. This is essential for proper speech development, correct chewing function, and facial aesthetics.
Early detection of incorrect relationships between these structures allows for harmonious development of the jaws.
During the first visit, potential orthodontic issues can already be identified and later investigated through a more detailed diagnostic process.
Our practice collaborates with Dr. Rathenow Lutz, a specialist in Orthodontics.