Pedodontia, more commonly known as pediatric dentistry, is the branch of dentistry that deals with odontostomatological problems in the age of development, from birth to puberty.
Pedodontics: a conference in Milan dedicated to the care of children’s teeth
On November 29th and 30th the XX SIOI National Congress – Italian Society of Childhood Dentistry, will be held in Milan, where the topics of pediatric odontostomatology and, in particular, oral hygiene care in children from 0 months to 6 years will be discussed.
The care of oral hygiene in children is in fact an essential prerequisite for the development of a healthy organism.
Some advice from pediatric dentists
Clean newborn gums
Oral hygiene in newborns is a generally neglected practice, probably because it is thought that for the child, not having teeth yet, is something superfluous.
In reality, milk residues and other microorganisms accumulate in the mouth, so cleaning the baby’s gums is a practice that should be done daily.
Gum cleansing in newborns must be performed with the utmost delicacy:
- avvolgere una garza umida attorno all’indice;
- perform rotary movements on the gums without applying too much pressure.
This action must be repeated after each feeding and in particular after that of the evening, because during the night the salivation is reduced and therefore the natural cleansing of the mouth through the saliva.
Cleaning the first teeth
The eruption of the first teeth occurs between 6 and 8 months. For the cleaning of the first teeth we recommend using a small brush with soft bristles, to pass over the teeth always with extreme delicacy.
Oral hygiene for 6-year-old children
Pedodontics experts advise, for children around 6 years of age, a gradual acquisition of autonomy in performing the daily practices of oral hygiene.
With adult supervision it is important that the child learns to brush their teeth alone, acquiring a proper brushing technique.
It is important to also use the right toothpaste, not to abound in the quantity and choose a product suitable for children that contains an amount of fluoride suitable for the age and that favors the remineralization of the enamel.
The guidelines and the focus in the pedodontics conference
The experts of pedodontics present at the conference will also discuss new therapeutic indications in the ortho-pedodontic field for all stages of growth, also taking into account the national guidelines for the promotion of oral health and the prevention of oral diseases in the developmental age promoted by the Ministry of health.
