Pediatric Oral Health Management and Treatment

Dental caries is the most common chronic childhood disease

• 5x more common than asthma

• 7x more common than hay fever
• 51 million school hours lost to dental illness
• Poor children 2x the amount of caries
• Can lead to problems in eating, speaking, and learning

Oral Health Issues for Pedatric Patient Populations

• Trauma
• Caries
• Tooth Eruption Problems
• Pathology

Primary Teeth - Functional Role and Importance

• Allow for proper chewing
• Important in allowing good pronunciation and speech habits
• Guide the proper eruption of the permanent teeth
• Maintain arch integrity

Tooth Eruption Milestones - Developmental Table

• Central Incisor:   4-14 months
• Lateral Incisor:   8-18 months
• Canine:   14-24 months
• First Molar:   10-20 months
• Second Molar:   20-36 months