Pediatric Dentistry

Dental care is essential for people of all ages. But it carries extra importance when it comes to children. At Elite Dental, we devote ourselves entirely to children and have served young patients from 3 to 15 years old. Healthy teeth are essential to a child’s overall health. The sooner children begin getting regular dental checkups, the healthier their mouths will stay throughout their lives.

At Elite Dental, we are highly-qualified and skilled orthodontists who are dedicated to offering the best possible standard of paediatric orthodontic treatments in Ho Chi Minh City. We provide unique, state-of-the-art technology in a child-friendly, playful and relaxed atmosphere. 

1. What is Pediatric Dentistry?

Pediatric dentistry is one of the seven recognized clinical specialties of dentistry. It includes all areas of treatment that can apply to children. There are many reasons to choose a specialist for your child’s care. Just as you choose a pediatrician for your child’s overall health care, you should choose a pediatric dentist for your child’s dental care. Children are not smaller versions of adults—they have different anatomy and different needs. Likewise, baby teeth are not just smaller versions of adult teeth. They cannot be treated the same way.

Education is a key component of our practice as pediatric dentists. Our focus is not just on prevention and early detection but also on shaping a child’s perception of oral care. Promoting good habits and creating positive experiences at the dental clinic can help develop a healthy lifestyle for your child in the long run. For parents, we can also provide guidance on proper diet, brushing habits, the timing of snacks, and other issues during your child’s development.

2. Different Stages Of Pediatric Dental Care

When your baby was born, all 20 primary “baby” teeth were already present and developing in their jawbones. The first baby tooth erupts at around 6 months of age. These baby teeth help in the development of the face and jaws structures. They are also vital for eating and chewing food to aid in proper digestion. Another important function of baby teeth is holding space and guiding the permanent teeth in place.

At the age of 3, children should have acquired their full set of primary teeth.

This set of teeth generally arrive in the following order: 

Firstly, the central incisors These four front teeth come through in both the upper and lower jaw as early as  6-12 months old. 

Next, the two lateral incisors in both the upper and lower jaws grow outside of the central incisors, this normally occurs when children reach the age of 9-16 months old. These help them to bite and cut food.

In the next stage of milk-teeth growth, the first two molars appear any time from month 13 to month 19 and these help your child to chew their food, making it easier to swallow. 

The Canines or cusped teeth follow by the age of approximately 23 months. These teeth are used for tearing food and allow your toddler to eat more solid food.

Finally, the second molars, two in both the upper and lower jaws appear, completing the full set of 20 milk teeth by the time they reach their third birthday.

It is recommended that parents should prepare their child for the first dental visit. Your child’s first visit to the dentist is simply an examination and evaluation to determine the risk for any dental diseases. This trip also allows your child to be familiarized with the dental office setting in a positive way and introduce them to their bi-annual check-ups in the future.

Getting the first permanent “adult” tooth is a milestone for your child. Typically, this event occurs at the age of 6 and continues until all the adult teeth have come through at around 12 years old. This process of getting adult teeth is a significant event because your child is getting their permanent set of teeth.

The timeline for adult teeth can be estimated following the order below:

• First molars – 6-7 years. 
• Central incisors – 6-8 years. 
• Lateral incisors – 7-8 years. 
• Canines/Premolars – 9-13 years. 
• Second molars – 11-13 years. 
• Third molars (wisdom teeth) – 17-21 years, if at all. 

At this stage, without proper care and monitoring, it can affect not only their smiles but also their oral health in the future.

Common oral conditions that affect children include:

• Tooth decay: a decaying tooth is caused by certain bacteria that live and thrive in the mouth.
• Tooth eruption issues: the process of getting permanent teeth may seem chaotic, there is a natural order to it. Tooth eruptions issues include permanent teeth that never appear, impacted permanent teeth, misplaced permanent teeth.
• Malocclusion of teeth: overbite, underbite may affect abnormal bite patterns. These issues are often caused by habits, such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, pacifier use. In addition to that, the shape of the jaws or birth defects (cleft lip and palate) can also be the reason for malocclusions.
• Early wisdom teeth: sometimes wisdom teeth coming in too early can cause pain and swell with eruption. If wisdom teeth are impacted, they potentially also grow crooked due to the lack of room in your mouth and push against the other teeth.

Bad habits during the early stages of life, such as thumb sucking, prolonged bottle-feeding, and non-nasal breathing are often the root causes of many of these later issues. These dental complications need correcting as soon as possible and, indeed, by the time they reach 6 (the beginning of the tooth transition period)

3. Different types of dental problems in children

• Cavity fillings: when a child has tooth decay, it is treatable with a simple filling. Glass ionomer cement (GIC), which contains organic materials, is often used to fill tooth decay in children. Additionally, dental sealant, a plastic coating can be applied if the child is more cavity-prone.
• Extraction: there are 3 common reasons for a child to get tooth extractions. Most often, baby teeth are recommended for extraction when they prevent permanent teeth from erupting. Tooth decay is also needed to extract when it is severely damaged. Lastly, early erupted wisdom teeth may be removed to prevent crowding.

• Orthodontic: by around age 7, most malocclusions have become evident. Orthodontic treatment is the solution to straighten crooked, crowded, or protruding teeth, close gaps between teeth, correct the bite, and maintain healthy jaw growth.

4. Tips for a great first dental visit

Most first-time dental appointments are actually quite pleasant, especially if you properly prepare yourself and your child beforehand, giving them the confidence they need to make it through. 

How to help your child prepare

To help your child feel more comfortable and get the most out of their visit, a little preparation can go a long way. The unknown can be scary, no matter your age. Make sure your child has some idea of what will happen when they visit the practice so they won’t be surprised when their dentist asks to look in their mouth. There are lots of cartoon characters who have enjoyed their trips to the dentist, which could help your child to feel more confident about their visit. You should have no trouble finding books and YouTube clips that may be appropriate based on your child’s age and interests.

Parents can bring their kids to a family dental clinic to observe and see how things work there, such as dental chairs, dental tools, play area, dentists, machines, dental treatments. This will allow them to feel more comfortable with the dental atmosphere and treatments.

In the case of having certain dental treatments, parents should explain more about those treatments and how they can help in staying healthy and maintaining their beautiful smiles.

How to prepare yourself

As mentioned previously, children are not smaller versions of adults – going to the right dentist who specialized in children is absolutely worth considering. Do your research to find a suitable dental clinic and dentist for your child.

At Elite Dental, we provide comprehensive and preventive oral health care for children, from toddlers through teenagers. Our pediatric dentists have techniques to help soothe your child, which you will both appreciate. They also have extensive knowledge and advanced training in children’s dental development. This helps ensure your child receives the most appropriate care for their dental and jaw development. We also understand that you and your child need to receive treatment in a practice where you feel safe and welcome. For that matter, we pay a lot of attention to colors and designs that make our young patients feel more comfortable. 

Treatment price list at Elite Dental

Detailed advice on costs and treatment plans

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Elite Dental is always available to talk with you and address any concerns you may have about your child’s dentist visit. Please feel free to contact us at 090 266 1100. We will be very happy to help you!

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