Why is pediatric dentistry even a specialty, and why does it take two to three years to train? What could take so long to learn? Isn’t prevention the same for children as adults—just brush your teeth?
Kiki is the first Tooth Fairy built for today’s world: a fully animated, movie-quality tooth fairy with warmth, humour, and an entire universe built around her.
Publications have documented supernumerary bicuspids arising up to 11 years after completion of development of normal teeth. This paper reports a case of late development of supernumerary fourth and fifth molars in the maxilla.
Acute dental pain in children can stem from various conditions, such as extractions, pulpitis, or apical abscesses. Managing this pain effectively is crucial for improving the child’s comfort and reducing distress for both the patient and their caregivers.
This case report describes a rare instance of a five-year-old pediatric patient who exhibited extreme refusal to eat or drink for approximately 1 week following anesthesia for full-mouth dental restorations.
Early Childhood Caries (ECC) or Baby Bottle Syndrome (BBS) is a rampant form of tooth decay that destroys the newly erupted primary teeth very quickly. The tooth decay progresses at an astonishingly quick rate and will occur even before the tooth fully erupts.
With great care, orthodontic retainers would serve for a long time without any major issues. However, in some cases, the failure to notice the clinical problems early on results in functional issues that would require a comprehensive orthodontic treatment to correct it.
Oral health professionals, dentists and hygienists, are in a unique position to recognize and report signs of abuse and neglect during their dental exams and procedures as it is estimated over 50% of injuries from child abuse occur on the head and neck.
Advances in detecting early childhood caries (ECC)—from improved diagnostics to emerging AI tools—promise earlier intervention and expanded treatment options. Yet ECC is more than a microbial condition. For many children, especially in marginalized communities, it is a visible marker of systemic inequity. The view from the dental chair Oral health professionals see health disparities in … Read more
Toothbrushing—everyone knows they should do it, and that it’s the primary way to prevent tooth decay and periodontal disease. Yet dental disease remains widespread. Why? As with other forms of preventive healthcare, such as diet and exercise, the problem lies not in knowledge but in the application of knowledge. Patients must be taught, motivated, and … Read more
Orthodontics has always aimed to create aesthetically pleasing smiles and functional occlusions, but today, we strive for even more. Modern orthodontic care emphasizes not only straightening teeth and correcting malocclusion, but also optimizing facial balance, smile aesthetics, airway development, and long-term stability. Early orthodontic treatment, typically initiated between the ages of 7 and 10, is … Read more
Treating children, not teeth The assessment of the child-parent interaction is important in determining how to deal with the dental situation. First of all, I recommend the doctor does an initial exam and have the preventive aspect at a follow-up appointment. For young children, timing is important—a morning appointment is highly recommended. Children are more … Read more
Treating children, not treat Fluoride dental treatment has been around for about 75 years, serving hundreds of millions of people without any proof of detrimental effects, unless over ingested. The great majority of cases being dental fluorosis. Fluoride works on the dental complex in three essential ways. But there are two modes of action: systemic … Read more
Treating children, not teeth Infant toothbrushing is not really important until about the ages of two and a half to three. The reason is that there are large interproximal spaces between the erupting teeth and all the surfaces, especially the interproximal surfaces which are self-cleaning. At two-and-a-half to three years, the second primary molars erupt … Read more
Treating children, not teeth If toothbrushing is not rocket science, how come it is so difficult to do it effectively, as dental caries is the most common disease in the world? Why is it not effective in preventing tooth decay? You need to be able to answer your patient’s question: why do I still get … Read more
Treating children not teeth The best time to implement an oral hygiene program is right at the beginning, when teeth are erupting, before there is any irreversible pathology. Prevention is a program for life, like a dietary or physical fitness program. It is only as good as its implementation. There will be ups and downs, … Read more
Case report An 8-year-old boy was referred to an ENT specialist with acute pain in the right ear. The patient had initially been treated conservatively by a general practitioner, but upon further inspection with an otoscope, a “tooth” was found lodged deep in the auditory canal. The parents explained that the child had left the … Read more
Sommaire Les malpositions dentaires, telles que les béances antérieures et les crossbites latéraux, ainsi que les troubles fonctionnels, tels que les schémas de déglutition infantile persistants, sont courants chez les jeunes enfants. Ces conditions sont souvent causées ou aggravées par des habitudes comme la succions du pouce ou l’utilisation de biberons. Cette série de cas … Read more
Summary Dental malpositioning, such as anterior open bites, posterior crossbites, and functional disruptions, such as persistent infantile swallowing patterns, are common in young children. These conditions are often caused or exacerbated by habits like thumb sucking or the use of baby bottles. This case series aims to demonstrate the effects of a new type of … Read more
Summary Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by various systemic manifestations, including pancreatic insufficiency, bone marrow dysfunction, and skeletal abnormalities. The dental management of patients with SDS is an emerging area of interest and this narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of SDS, its symptoms, and the implications for … Read more