Department
Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry
Dental care for children, from first teeth to the early teens.
About the department
Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry provides dental care for children, from infancy to adolescence, including children with special health care needs. Alongside treating decay and injuries in milk and permanent teeth, the specialty puts weight on prevention: guiding children and parents on diet and brushing, and protecting teeth with fluoride and sealants.
The department teaches undergraduate students how to examine and treat children, how to manage a child’s behaviour and anxiety in the dental chair, and how to prevent dental disease. It also trains postgraduate students for the MDS degree in this specialty, who treat patients under the supervision of the faculty and carry out research for their dissertations. The department also takes part in school dental programmes and the college’s outreach activities.
Treatments offered
- Check-ups for childrenRegular check-ups, with advice for parents on caring for children's teeth.
- Fluoride and sealantsProtects children's teeth from decay.
- Fillings for milk teethTreats decay in milk teeth so they last until they fall out naturally.
- Root canal for milk teethSaves badly decayed milk teeth.
- Space maintainersKeep space for adult teeth when a milk tooth is lost early.
- Habit-breaking appliancesHelp children stop thumb-sucking and similar habits.
A child who leaves the dental chair unafraid is likely to keep coming back for life. We treat children gently and patiently, take prevention into schools in the villages around us, and teach our students that caring for a child's teeth begins with caring for the child.
Dr. E. Rajendra ReddyHead of Department