Pediatric dentistry is a specialized branch of dental science, which especially covers children and young people. These strata have their own spiritual characteristics, and for this reason, specialists in this field deal with different challenges. Sitting on the dental unit may not be pleasant for them. Children are not always calm and compliant, and therefore it is not easy for them to endure pain, injections, wait and cooperate with the dentist.

Common challenges when treating children

The most common problem in dealing with children is fear and behavior management. Failure to manage this issue can have serious and harmful problems on the treatment process. The sound of the child's screams easily disturbs the concentration and calmness of the treatment staff and even other clients and disrupts the work flow.

Lasting ideas in the mind!

Improper treatment of the dentist with children can ruin his mentality forever. Their not-so-interesting and pleasant experiences stay with them for the rest of their lives, and in adulthood, the stress of visiting the dentist prevents them from taking care of their oral and dental health, and this delay in itself reinforces the cycle of fear. The same issue can lead to "replacing teeth" instead of "saving teeth". But what are the challenges in this field and how can we act to solve them?

* Build trust

The initial encounter with Kokan can strengthen or weaken many subsequent issues. Being calm, joking, entertaining, and friendly can have positive effects. Let them befriend you and feel like everything is fine!

* Reconsider your repair material

Time is the basis of working with children. Therefore, simple and quick solutions to perform similar methods can create better experiences. The use of more flexible composites can bring more suitable restorations for children due to their speed and compatibility with small cavities in children's teeth. Also, the use of glass ionomers instead of composite restorations can be useful due to their greater resistance, release of fluoride, and reduction of the risk of frequent caries. GC Fuji TRIAGE glass ionomers are recommended for pediatric use. The material of these materials is hydrophilic and needs surface moisture to set. Adding a 20% polyacrylic acid conditioner solution instead of traditional methods can achieve better results. If your patient is a child with a deep cavity in a permanent tooth and you cannot determine whether he needs root canal therapy or not, Biodentine product can be a suitable option to wait and see how the result will be without any permanent restoration. You will get what you want.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is another suitable option for the treatment of caries recommended by leading experts. Using this material is fast, simple and painless and can stop the decay process until the implementation of permanent restoration becomes possible.

* Get help from products

A pediatric dentist is very familiar with children's fear of seeing harsh dental tools and equipment and understands this fear, especially the fear of injections! Kovanaze spray (with a combination of tetracaine hydrochloride ester and oxymetazoline hydrochloride) is an alternative and very safe method for numbing maxillary milk teeth, which is approved by the FDA and is inserted through the nasal cavity.

Maintaining oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment is important but a bit difficult. Especially if the patient is a child. Platypus Flossers is a good and new product that can be used to clean teeth during this period.

* Introduce the tool to children

Children have never seen anything like dental tools before meeting you. The specialist in this field patiently tries to introduce these tools to the child and even let him touch them. This will help a lot to create intimacy and reduce his anxiety. Don't forget that most of the children's fear is due to the unknown of the tool.

* Say, show, do!

1) Tell the patient what you are going to do.

2) Show how you do it.

3) Do it!

These three commands transfer a lot of trust from you to the patient. Following it conveys the message to the patient: "I say what I do and I do what I say!" This recipe is especially useful when working with handpieces and instruments, but Except the dental needle! It is best to never point the needle directly at the child.

* Do not ignore the power of distraction!

There are many ways to manage dental anxiety in children. One of these methods is establishing a dialogue and arranging a targeted conversation with the child. This can distract him and this leads to a significant reduction in his fear. Use other techniques as well. Getting a monitor that plays children's programs and their favorite cartoons can help.

* Increase speed

One of the most important differences between adult and pediatric dentistry is the time available. An adult sits on the unit, calmly opens his mouth and continues the treatment process with your cooperation. But this process is almost impossible for children! The best thing that can happen is a short cooperation of a few minutes! So you should try to make the most of this time and finish your work. So seizing time is an important concept.

* Build a child-friendly office!

If you specialize in children, the decor of the office can be completely tailored to a child's taste. Therefore, it needs to be fun, relaxing, exciting and attractive. The use of bright colors, the presence of toys, books, magazines, television and cartoon CDs, and children's play environments are among the characteristics of a pediatric dental office.

* Learn communication skills with children

Children are children! They do not have a clear and important responsibility in controlling their behavior, but you, as an adult and a doctor, have this responsibility to the greatest extent. Learning communication skills with them can make your job easier and less challenging. Working with children primarily requires patience. Engage them with the right eye contact and the right words. Tell children's stories and sing to them! With these methods, have a pleasant and interesting visit and become the children's favorite dentist!

* Discover the golden time!

There will be times when none of your efforts will work. Determining the appropriate meeting time is an important point that is often done in cooperation with the child's parents. They know very well when their child is more compliant and calm. It is better for him not to be tired, not hungry, and not to be bothered by anything during this meeting.