ASK YOU DENTIST ABOUT FLUORIDE TREATMENT FOR YOU CHILD
During a fluoride application, a concentrated fluoride solution is “painted” on the teeth in the form of a gel or varnish. This quick and painless procedure can be done during your child’s regular dental check-ups and cleanings, to provide an extra layer of defense against tooth decay.
Fluoride applications are particularly beneficial for children who are at high risk of developing dental caries, as the fluoride helps to remineralize tooth enamel and halt the progress of early decay. It’s a proactive measure that supports the long-term health of your child’s teeth by strengthening enamel against the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth.
Orthodontic treatment is often associated with teenagers and braces, but in many cases, early intervention can be beneficial. This is where Phase 1 orthodontic treatment comes into play. Phase 1 treatment, also known as interceptive orthodontics, focuses on addressing developmental issues in younger children, typically between the ages of 6 and 10. It aims to correct dental problems early, before they evolve into more serious concerns.
What is Phase 1 orthodontic treatment?
Phase 1 treatment is an early orthodontic intervention designed to guide the growth and development of a child’s jaw and teeth. The primary objective of Phase 1 is not necessarily to straighten all the teeth, but to address underlying structural problems that could complicate future orthodontic work.
Signs Your Child May Need Phase 1 Treatment
Not all children need Phase 1 treatment, so it’s important to know what signs to look for. Some indicators that your child may benefit from early orthodontic intervention include:
Early or late loss of baby teeth: If baby teeth fall out too soon or stay in too long, it may disrupt the eruption pattern of permanent teeth.
Difficulty chewing or biting: This could indicate a problem with the bite.
Mouth breathing: Chronic mouth breathing may signal an issue with jaw development.
Speech impediments: Misaligned teeth or jaw issues can cause difficulty with speech.
Thumb-sucking: If thumb-sucking persists beyond the age of 5, it can cause misalignment of teeth and affect jaw growth.
Crowded, misaligned, or blocked-out teeth: Teeth that are coming in crooked or overlapping may indicate a need for early intervention.
What Does Phase 1 Treatment Involve?
Phase 1 treatment typically lasts 9-18 months and may include the use of specialized orthodontic appliances. These appliances can be fixed, like partial braces, or removable, like expanders or retainers. The specific treatment plan is tailored to the child’s needs and may include:
Expanders: Used to widen the upper jaw to correct crossbites or create space for crowded teeth.
Partial Braces: Applied to specific teeth to guide their positioning.
Space Maintainers: Preserve the gap left by a prematurely lost baby tooth to allow proper eruption of permanent teeth
Functional Appliances: Help guide the growth of the jaw to improve bite and alignment.
What Happens After Phase 1?
Once Phase 1 treatment is complete, the child will enter a resting period where the remaining permanent teeth are allowed to erupt. During this phase, periodic check-ups are necessary to monitor progress. Phase 2, or comprehensive orthodontic treatment, typically begins once all the permanent teeth have come in, usually between the ages of 11 and 13.
When we think about Wisdom teeth Removal, most of us see questions hovering over our mind like –
Is it the right age for me to get my wisdom teeth removed?
How would I cope with all the pain associated with extraction?
How much would it cost to get my wisdom teeth extracted?
In this advanced age of dentistry, one thing is sure that it has made all the tedious processes so simple and smooth that we can’t afford to worry that much while thinking about a common dental procedure like wisdom teeth removal.
We have types of Anesthesia and sedation techniques to make sure you don’t feel any pain and a good dental clinic – like Crossroads Dental Clinic Dubai– also provides you aftercare to make it a rich experience at an affordable cost.
All that being said, so many folk tales and pre conceived fear about this is there in people that we at Crossroads tried to educate you through this article.
So let’s understand about wisdom teeth and its removal(extraction).
What are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth or third molars are the teeth furthest away in the dental arches and they usually are the last ones to erupt, normally between age 18-22.
When they have not completed their eruption at that time and are completely submerged under the gum those teeth are called “impacted”, if they are only partially covered by the gum “semi-impacted”.
The extraction of third molars that are “symptomatic” is generally recommended, this means in cases where they cause pain, infections, damage to other teeth or if they are related with other pathologies like cysts and tumours.
The reason behind impaction of wisdom teeth, why some wisdom teeth are impacted, is not an such an easy question to answer. Generally a primary cause simply seems to be a condition of inadequate jawbone space behind a person’s second molar.
But why this lack of space exists is not yet fully understood.But there does seem to be a correlation between large tooth size and/or the presence of tooth crowding and having impacted wisdom teeth.
One of the most common clinical problems associated with third molars is “acute pericoronitis”. Its symptoms are sharp or throbbing pain, redness, swelling and/or purulence associated with the erupting tooth.
Additional symptoms may include limitation of mouth opening, dysphagia (difficulty to swallow), fever and lymphadenitis (swollen nodes). Pericoronitis occurs most of the times in molars that start erupting but remain partially capsuled by the bone or the gum, both of which retain bacteria preventing proper oral hygiene, resulting in inflammation and infection.
Decay can form on any tooth surface where dental plaque remains for extended periods of time. If the positioning of a wisdom tooth is such that it’s difficult to clean (which is frequently the case), it will be at increased risk of cavity formation in the adjacent teeth.
Even in cases where the decay is in the third molar and a filling could be successfully placed, if the wisdom tooth still cannot be adequately maintained and its surface kept plaque , it will run the risk of developing “recurrent decay”. This simply means that a new cavity has formed on an area of a tooth adjacent to an existing filling.
For the reasons above, once a cavity has formed on a wisdom tooth it’s generally advisable to simply extract it.
Root resorption
In some cases, depending on the position and angulation of “impacted” third molars, these become responsible for root resorptions (vanishing) of the adjacent second molars. The prognosis in these cases is bad and the patient may in the end lose more teeth.
Alterations of eruption process
Supra-eruption:
A tooth may supra erupt beyond the level of the neighbouring teeth if there is no supporting tooth opposing it. In this case the upper wisdom tooth supra erupts and erodes into the soft tissues of the mouth causing damage to the gum and infections.
Mal-erupt:
An impacted third molar may affect the normal eruption of an adjacent tooth. In some cases the permanent second molar’s eruption is adversely affected by the impacted third molar behind it, requiring the removal of both the third molar and the second molar.
All teeth form within a sack and occasionally this sack can expand and grow resulting in a cyst formation around the wisdom tooth. Over time, this cyst can become larger and cause damage in the bone and other anatomical structures. The third molar also can be related in few cases with the formation of tumours in the jaws.
It is very important to consider that every patient and every case are unique. The decision regarding removing a wisdom tooth or not must consider:
• Detailed assessment of signs and symptoms. • Careful examination of the oral cavity • Radiographic examination with X-rays or a CT scan. • Reach an accurate diagnosis. • Good communication between patient, dentist, and oral and surgeon. • A balanced discussion of the benefits and risks of retaining the third molar versus benefits and risks of removing it with surgery.
A Few FAQs About Wisdom Teeth Removal
So what are the reasons wisdom teeth may need to be removed?
you may have a badly broken tooth.
you may have a decay condition that cannot be restored.
you may have formation of a cyst.
Infection around a wisdom tooth that is partially erupted.
For prosthetic or orthodontic reasons.
You may have decay of an adjoining tooth caused by a wisdom tooth.
Why are wisdom teeth considered so tough to be removed?
That is because the jawbone in the area is very dense, and teeth there may have multiple roots. In some cases, the wisdom teeth may even be covered partially by jaw bone and gum.
About Author:
Crossroads Dental Clinic is one of the most modern clinics in Dubai and the best dental clinic in Deira having highly experienced and professional dentists. Our services include from Orthodontics to modern cosmetic dentistry like Wisdom teeth removal, braces, veneers, dental implants and Invisalign dentist services. Looking for the best dentist in Dubai for your dental concerns? Well, you found us now. Visit our Clinic near Deira City Centre and we make sure you get a world-class and painless dentist experience at the best cost in Dubai.
