Children's dentistry Cluj Napoca

Fear disappears when we no longer associate a visit to the dentist with pain! For us, the first meeting with the little patient is among the most important. We know that dental education is often more precarious if it is associated with an unpleasant visit to the dental office. At the first meetings, we pay more attention to creating an experience based on trust and information through play. Our motivation comes from the desire to establish a healthy foundation of oral hygiene and to be able to help avoid unpleasant problems and complications in the future.

Before entering the office, children have fun but educational books and a table with toys in the waiting room.

During the procedures, patients can look at the drawings, because we know how difficult it is to spend time in the dental chair.

For better cooperation, when necessary, we can resort to inhalo sedation techniques.

It is the specialty that deals with the care of children's teeth. It represents a branch of dentistry that deals with the specific treatment of baby teeth and young permanent teeth (dental care provided to children) and includes:

– Curative and prophylactic treatment of children's teeth
– Prophylaxis of dento-maxillary anomalies
– Prevention of cavities and gum disease
– Plaque control
– Indications for tooth brushing and proper oral hygiene.

The pedodontist is more than just the one who puts fillings, he can help your child prevent cavities or even trauma. He can help avoid or reduce the severity of future orthodontic problems that the orthodontist will solve. Pedodontics also includes prophylactic treatments (fluoridation, sealing, etc.), because preventing cavities is as important as treating them and thus avoids the occurrence of disorders in the development and eruption of permanent teeth caused by various conditions of milk teeth. He can help you have a child with a beautiful, bright and cavity-free smile.

The age at which a child should brush their teeth begins with the eruption of the first tooth and continues until they learn the correct brushing technique, and the first visit to the dentist is made no later than 3 years old. This is the age at which the eruption of milk teeth usually ends (the child now has 20 teeth). It is necessary that the first contact with the dentist takes place at an early age, and familiarization with the dentist's office should be achieved gradually, before pain occurs or the need for laborious dental procedures occurs.

Our goal is a healthy child who will reach adulthood without cavities, without fear of the dentist and with good eating and dental hygiene habits that will be sustainable over time. This leads to the benefit of healthy teeth even at an older age. For the first visit to the dentist, the child must be prepared, parents must talk to the child about it and provide the doctor with a pleasant image without scaring him.

Talk to your child about how big he is and that it's time for him to visit the dentist. Try to have a positive attitude so that together we can create a pleasant experience for your child, and he will be happy to return to the office.

If you have anxiety related to your “past” in the dental clinic, try to hide it and not transmit your fear to him. Try not to use words like pain, fear, injection. We use a special vocabulary through which we explain to the child each procedure we will do, aiming for him to relax and enjoy the new beneficial experience for him. We must take into account that the little one may not be in a good mood at each appointment. In these situations, it is better to cancel the session so that he does not acquire repulsion towards dental treatment.

Our strategy in treating children (and not only) is based on prophylaxis and regular check-ups. In this way, we ensure the child's comfort because by early detection of cavities or possible orthodontic problems, dental work will be minimally invasive. We recommend regular check-ups every 6 months, which consist of consultation and professional teeth cleaning. We also recommend applying fluoride gels twice a year to increase the resistance of the enamel.

The best method of prophylaxis is to seal the grooves and pits (dimples on the tooth surface). Sealing the occlusal grooves and pits is the prophylaxis for cavities located on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth in grooves and pits. These cavities also occur due to the fact that hygiene in these cracks is more difficult due to their smaller dimensions than the diameter of the toothbrush bristles, situations in which deep cracks create spaces for food retention and bacterial plaque, ideal factors for triggering the carious process. Sealing the occlusal grooves is considered a method of immunizing dental surfaces and is performed with opaque or transparent photopolymerizable composite resins. Dental sealing is performed using a simple method that we perform in the Dental Chic clinic.

Useful tips for preventing tooth decay:
– Reduce the frequency of food consumption between main meals
– Encourage tooth brushing and flossing
– Be careful with the drinks you consume (with high sugar content)
– Avoid eating sticky foods (candy, gummy candies). 

A beautiful and healthy smile, which we most often associate with aligned and shiny teeth, sends an important message about us to those around us. However, straight teeth are not only aesthetic, but also play an important role in the chewing and speaking processes. Because many parents have understood this, braces treatments have become an option for all those who want to take care of their children's oral health.

The first visit to the orthodontist takes place after the age of 7, when the dentition is mixed. At this age, when there are both baby and permanent teeth, the orthodontist will be able to check whether the child's bite is correct, namely whether the mandible is correctly positioned relative to the maxilla, or whether the permanent teeth are growing in their correct position. In this way, the orthodontist can intervene in time and correct any orthodontic problems with the help of dental braces.

To help parents who want to know when it would be a good idea for their child to have an orthodontic check-up, we present some signs to look out for:

• Difficulty chewing food or biting it;
• Crowded teeth in the dental arch or improperly positioned teeth;
• Premature (before 4 years) or delayed (after 7-8 years) loss of milk teeth;
• The child breathes through the mouth, not the nose.
• Abnormal jaw growth;
• Speech difficulties;
• The existence of facial asymmetries;

• Vicious habits: using a pacifier for more than 2 years, thumb sucking, mouth breathing, and biting the inner cheek;
• Teeth grinding (bruxism) during the night or under stress.

Any of these situations could indicate the need for braces treatment starting at age 9 and up to age 14.

The role of dental braces is to correct certain orthodontic problems (crooked teeth, crowded teeth, large interdental spaces, overbite, underbite), either using brackets, in the case of traditional orthodontic braces, or using transparent trays, in the case of modern ones.

A visit to the orthodontist is essential when opting for braces treatment, as radiological investigations and measurements are required, which only the orthodontist can interpret, so as to obtain the desired results. After interpreting all the data, the appropriate braces are fitted. The orthodontist will also provide parents and children with the necessary information for proper oral care.

In general, the duration of braces treatment varies between one and a half to two years, depending on the particularities of each case. There are also situations in which braces must be worn for longer, but only if the orthodontic treatment was started later, after the appearance of the permanent dentition.

After the braces treatment is complete, the doctor will recommend a retention phase, namely wearing a retainer that will maintain the results obtained for as long as possible.

Removable dental appliances – is the right solution for children with temporary or mixed dentition, being recommended up to the age of 12. The main role of the removable dental appliance is to intercept and partially correct jaw growth abnormalities. It is indicated in case of milder problems, and can be removed for hygiene.

Fixed dental braces – is the most widely used type of braces, as it is very effective. Fixed braces are made of brackets, which can be made of metal, ceramic or sapphire, and elastic. This type of braces is recommended after the age of 12. Since they can exert greater pressure on the teeth, they are also successfully used in adulthood, for those with complex cases of oral rehabilitation. Depending on the complexity, the duration of a fixed braces treatment varies from a few months to more than 2 years. 

Lingual braces – It offers superior aesthetics because it is positioned on the back of the teeth, so it cannot be noticed by others. It can be fitted after the age of 12 – 14.

Another major advantage offered by this type of appliance is its effectiveness in a relatively short period of time. Due to the material it is made of, usually a gold alloy, lingual braces adapt quickly and can correct most orthodontic anomalies.

There are also functional appliances, called dental trainers. These correct tooth positioning anomalies and are recommended for children as young as 4 years old. They can also be useful when the child has difficulty breathing during sleep.

When opting for braces, the benefits for children's oral and general health cannot be disputed. Thus, orthodontic treatment:

• Ensures a correct bite, which significantly influences the chewing process, but also digestion
• Corrects teeth alignment problems (crooked, crowded teeth)
• Eliminates bad habits (thumb sucking, pacifier use over the age of 2)
• It improves the physiognomy of the face and helps us have an aesthetic smile.
• Contributes to increasing self-confidence

Fixed and removable dental braces need special care to ensure the best results and longest possible lifespan.  

As for removable braces, they can be removed and cleaned more easily, and dentists recommend using a special toothbrush, different from a normal toothbrush. It is also necessary to remind the child to brush their teeth thoroughly, using a dental floss, before reapplying removable braces.

In the case of fixed braces, oral hygiene is also essential. This time, the braces cannot be removed, but the intraoral elastics can be removed, which helps with better hygiene. It is advisable to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste, with which to carefully clean the tooth surfaces, each bracket and the metal wires that connect them. For areas that are harder to reach, it is good to use an interdental brush.

Hygiene should be supplemented with the use of mouthwash and oral irrigator, to remove the last food particles that may have remained between the teeth and brackets.

In conclusion, the recommendation of braces for children is made depending on the existing orthodontic problems. It is important for parents to remember that an early visit to a pediatric orthodontist is the easiest way to have a healthy and beautiful smile from childhood.