A branch of dentistry dealing with children from birth to adolescence.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF MILK TEETH

1. Eating & nutrition- healthy milk teeth/ primary teeth promote good chewing habits and facilitates nutritious eating. Children with badly decayed teeth are likely to develop dietary deficiencies and malnutrition.

2. Proper speech production & development- the correct way of speaking is essential for cognitive, social and emotional development. Proper positioning of the primary teeth aids in correct syllable pronunciations and prevents the tongue from straying during speech.

3. Self confidence- taking good care of primary teeth can make social interactions more pleasant, reduces risk of bad breath and increase in confident and positive smiles.

4. Proper smile line- the major function of primary teeth is to hold the spaces for developing adult teeth. The spaces later facilitate the proper alignment of adult teeth and also promote jaw development. When left untreated missing milk teeth cause the remaining teeth in the mouth to fill the empty spaces improperly, making it difficult for the adult teeth to erupt correctly in the designated positions. In such cases space maintainers are advised.

TREATMENTS OFFERED-

1. Black Decayed teeth/ painfull teeth- fillings/Root canal treatments/ crowns.

2. Early loss of milk teeth – space maintainers

3. Habit breaking appliances- eg. For thumb sucking, mouth breathing tongue thrusting etc.

4. Preventive measures

• Tips to maintain good oral hygiene

• Fluoride treatments

• Pits and fissure sealants