Pedodontics

Pedodontics, a word of Latin origin, means “child teeth”. Pedodontics (Pediatric Dentistry) is the healthy protection and treatment of milk and permanent teeth of children between the ages of 0-12.

Milk teeth usually begin to erupt in the 6th month after birth, and a total of 20 milk teeth are completed by the age of 2.5. Milk teeth show structural and anatomical differences compared to permanent teeth, and these differences make them less resistant to decay and wear.

Although the most important function of these milk teeth is the nutrition of the child, they also have functions such as speech, aesthetics and holding space for the permanent teeth that will follow. Decayed milk teeth cause pain during feeding and malnutrition in the child, while at the same time, decayed milk teeth lose their size and cannot hold enough space for permanent teeth. This may lead to space shortages in the future.