Paediatric Dentistry

Routine Dental Check-Ups

Paediatric dental care is a crucial part of your child’s life, from the time they are born until they become adults. We pride ourselves on working with young patients and endeavour to make a lasting difference in their lives.

As a parent, knowing how to care for your child’s teeth and gums through their stages of teething, development, dental habits, and prevention is essential. Our team is happy to assist you with any questions and will always welcome a visit to the clinic for a check-up, treatment or emergency care.

Your child’s first visit
There’s nothing more exciting than reaching new milestones with your little one and seeing that first baby tooth is a big one. During your baby’s first 6 months, they will start to develop their baby or deciduous teeth. These are crucial for their development and help them learn to chew and speak. Therefore, it is essential to clean their teeth even before their permanent or adult teeth set in.

Once these baby teeth have started to erupt, your little one is ready for their first dental check-up, typically around their first birthday. Our team will welcome your baby to their new dental home and provide comprehensive care with a gentle touch.

First, we will take a complete medical, dental and social history to gather information on your child’s general health. Then, we do a physical examination of your child’s teeth and gums to ensure that their oral health is on track and to prevent any issues that may come about later on. We will pick up on non-nutritious oral habits that your child is engaging in. Systemic conditions and oral habits could impact the health of their teeth, development and general health.

You will also receive a complete guide on how to care for your baby’s dental health at home.

Routine examinations
Preventative care is the backbone of dentistry, especially so for children who are constantly developing and growing. We encourage parents to bring their children for regular dental screenings every 6 months to assess their growth, get a fresh clean, and look out for any malalignment concerns or diseases.

Each visit will include a comprehensive physical examination of your child’s face, teeth and gums, oral hygiene status, tongue and cheeks, and the presence or absence of cavities. Our compassionate team will also keep you updated on your child’s development, what next steps should be taken for their stage of life, and how you can continue to implement preventative care at home.

Dental cleanings
Because baby teeth are quite sensitive, we provide age-appropriate cleanings. This also helps us take away the misconception of pain associated with dental work. Babies only require gentle brushing with warm water and a cloth to wipe their gums. Around 2 years is when you can start implementing fluoride toothpaste. Once your little one is able, you can show them how to brush their teeth daily and monitor this until around age 7. We will advise when your child is ready to receive their proper dental cleanings during your routine visits.

Fillings & Sealants

Young children are more prone to tooth decay and cavities due to their consumption of starches and sugars. However, it is easily treatable and can be prevented with regular teeth and gum cleanings at home.

If your child has developed a cavity, we provide fillings and sealants to treat them. These help to close cavities, prevent re-infection and restore the tooth to its natural function and health. We use a tooth-coloured material for fillings called composite resin. This durable material looks natural on the tooth and provides support and structure.

After the tooth has been examined and we have established all the symptoms, we diagnose the problems and use this to create a treatment plan.

During the filling procedure, we remove all the decayed tissue and thoroughly clean the tooth. We then apply the filling material in layers, curing them in between. The tooth is polished and restored to its natural appearance and function.

Root Canal Therapy

Baby teeth are smaller and have bigger pulps (the nerve house of the tooth) than permanent teeth, making them more prone to damage and disease. Root canal therapy is a standard treatment among little ones as a lack of hygiene, trauma and a diet full of processed foods lead to nerve damage.

The material used in baby teeth during root canal therapy varies from the one used in adult teeth, as it can resorb at the same rate as the roots in the process of exfoliation. Therefore, the tooth will remain functional in the mouth and fall off when it is time.

When a baby tooth becomes deeply infected, you may feel that an extraction is the best and safest option, but this isn’t always the case. Root canal therapy can effectively save a damaged tooth and prevent the need for space maintainers necessitated by early extraction. An extraction can also cause structural damage to the growth of the jawbone, especially at a young age. As an older child, orthodontic treatment, which is even more expensive, may also have to be carried out to realign teeth which failed to align correctly.

When is root canal therapy performed?
When a tooth is infected, we use root canal therapy to restore the damage. Your child may be experiencing the following symptoms:

Tooth pain
Inflammation around the tooth
Sensitivity

When we meet to discuss your child’s symptoms, we take care to listen to them and what they are going through. It’s crucial that children are heard and understood, so we chat with our young patient and their parents to get a complete picture of the issue. Then, we do a comprehensive physical assessment and X-ray of the tooth to determine the extent of the damage. After examining the tooth, we will provide you with the optimal treatment recommendation.

What can my child expect during root canal therapy?
Root canal therapy can be an invasive and scary procedure for our young patients to endure, so we always ensure we discuss sedation options available to those who may need it. In addition, our professional staff are highly experienced and excellent at keeping little ones entertained during treatments so they feel safe and relaxed.

First, we numb the area so your little one doesn’t experience any pain or discomfort during the procedure. A special rubber barrier is placed on the teeth to isolate the tooth from the mouth. This is important to ensure that no saliva contaminates our working field. The next step is cutting into the tooth to expose the infected pulp. Then, we remove all the infected tissue, clean the area and apply an antibiotic to prevent the infection from returning. The area is filled to seal it completely. In specific cases when the tooth is severely damaged, a crown may be necessary to protect the weakened tooth.

Tooth Extractions

Tooth extractions are common among children as they are prone to decay and improper eruptions. Although we always aim to save the natural tooth, there are specific cases where it is necessary to remove the tooth entirely and place a space maintainer until the adult tooth erupts.

Often a tooth has succumbed to decay and cannot be saved, or an adult tooth cannot erupt properly because the baby tooth is still intact. In these cases, we perform an extraction. First, we numb the tooth and gums and then gently sway the tooth to pry it loose. In complex cases, we cut into the tooth and remove it in smaller pieces.

With baby tooth extractions, it’s essential to keep the space open so that the permanent tooth can erupt. We use space maintainers to ensure that the gap remains open and there are no misalignment issues.

Crowns

Dental crowns are ceramic tooth-shaped caps cemented over a tooth damaged from decay, cavities or chipping. In children, crowns protect damaged baby teeth until they are ready to fall out and be replaced by adult teeth. A baby tooth with a fitted crown will exfoliate naturally when it is time, so there is no negative impact on the tooth.

Crowns have many benefits and can be used for various dental health concerns in little ones:

Crowns protect baby teeth damaged from decay and those surrounding the decayed baby tooth.
They restore function to a tooth and hold its place until the permanent tooth is ready to erupt.
They help with the normal development of the jawbone.
Crowns aid in speech development and chewing.

What are the different types of dental crowns?
There are a few different materials available for baby crowns depending on the location and damage of the tooth, your budget, and if your child has any allergies to specific materials.

The 4 most common materials used are:
Resin veneer
Zirconia ceramic
Stainless steel
Silver (amalgam)

What is the dental crown procedure for children?
We will only place a crown after extensive consultation and an examination confirming that a crown will be the best option for restoring your little one’s damaged tooth. Our experienced staff will be dedicated to ensuring your child’s comfort during the fitting procedure.

First, we apply a numbing gel to the tooth and surrounding gum before providing local anaesthesia. We need to ensure the tooth is clean and all the decay has been removed before placing the crown, which may include a small filling.

Once the tooth is ready, we cement the crown over the damaged tooth and check the fitting before your little one is all set. The procedure may vary slightly depending on the type of crown your child receives.

Childhood Orthodontics

Our formative years are filled with growth and development and are a time when we adopt lifelong habits and participate in activities that can impact our physical health. Children require special care and tools to help them thrive during these years, whether establishing the correct tongue position or protecting their teeth during sports.

 

At Dr SG Jauch, we supply custom paediatric devices to assist children with specific dental issues they are facing.

 

Braces

Children can face many dental issues as they age, but the most common include teeth misalignment and malocclusions (bad bites). These impact the growth of the teeth and jaw and how your child eats, speaks, and smiles. 

 

Signs of these dental problems include:

 

• Thumb-sucking
• Overcrowded teeth
• Bite issues – overbite, underbite, crossbite
• Teeth that are misaligned (skew, overlapping or stick out)
• Difficulty chewing
• Grinding or clenching

 

Braces are the most common orthodontic device used to treat malocclusion and misalignment, especially in children. They are made of high-grade stainless steel and are cemented to the front of the teeth. Archwires are then weaved through the brace brackets and tightened. These are typically more popular with our young patients because they have the opportunity to select colourful rubber bands that keep the wires in place and can change them out with each visit.

 

We advise parents to bring their children for their first orthodontic check-up at the age of 7, where we can assess if braces may be necessary to treat dental concerns.

 

Space maintainers

Losing baby teeth prematurely may not seem like a big deal, but baby teeth are essential to your child’s growth and development. Baby teeth help your child learn to eat, speak, smile, and aid jaw structure.

 

When a child loses a baby tooth too early, we use orthodontic appliances called space maintainers to help fill the missing tooth’s gap. This prevents the surrounding teeth from moving into the gap and allows the permanent tooth to erupt naturally.

 

Space maintainers can also help to prevent:

 

• Overcrowding
• Crooked teeth
• Overlapping teeth
• Misaligned bite
• Speech problems
• Need for further orthodontic treatment

 

There are a few variations of space maintainers, including fixed or removable options. After assessing the tooth gap and surrounding teeth, we can effectively advise on the correct space maintainer for your child’s needs and provide treatment.

 

If your child has lost a baby tooth prematurely, contact us for an appointment so that we can assess the gap and apply the best space maintainer to protect your little ones’ teeth.

 

Habit breakers

Children, at times, may practice some non-nutritive oral habits, such as tongue sucking or thrusting and thumb sucking. These habits must be prevented as soon as permanent teeth erupt. Otherwise, it can lead to facial issues and malocclusion. At our clinic, we have appliances that can be used to assist in breaking these habits.

 

As orthodontic devices, habit breakers are made of a unique plastic material and fit over your child’s teeth, similar to a mouthguard. They help your little one’s tongue sit in the correct position and allow them to breathe through their nose rather than the mouth. This is especially important at night when most positional issues occur. 

 

First, we will need to take X-rays, digital scans and an impression of your child’s teeth, gums and palate to create a mould for the habit trainer. Once the trainer is made, it is fitted in a follow-up appointment. We will advise on all the guidelines and care required for the habit trainer, but typically your child will need to wear it every night and for 1-2 hours during the day.

 

Mouthguards

Playing sports is a healthy addition to any child’s life, and we fully encourage our patients to let their little ones partake in physical activities, but with caution. Unfortunately, sports injuries are a leading cause of dental injuries among children. With the help of custom mouthguards, your child can participate in games and competitions with the necessary protection.

 

Mouthguards are thick devices that fit over your child’s teeth. They are made of high-grade silicone to absorb shock and provide comfort during falls or on impact.

 

The most common sports requiring mouthguards include:

 

• Rugby
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Hockey
• Boxing
• Martial Arts
• Gymnastics
• Skateboarding
• Netball
• Volleyball

 

We provide both ready-fit and custom mouthguards for your child’s protection. To create a custom mouthguard, we will need to take an impression of your child’s teeth and mouth to be sent to a specialised laboratory for creation.