Pedodontics is a specialized area of dentistry that covers all preventive procedures and treatment needs of infants, children, and adolescents aged 0-18 years, and also manages oral health programs for infants.

The first dental appointment with a dentist should occur either when the first primary tooth erupts or before the age of 1. This allows for the identification and correction of incorrect feeding habits.

Brushing Teeth for Babies and Children
After every feeding session for infants, even if no teeth are present, the gums should be cleaned using a wet gauze wrapped around a finger. Once the first tooth erupts, the gums should be cleaned with a wet gauze, and teeth should be brushed using a gauze or finger brush. It should be remembered that children under the age of 9 may not be able to brush their teeth adequately, and this responsibility should lie with the parents.

Early Childhood Caries (Baby Bottle Tooth Decay)
Early childhood caries refers to decay that occurs due to the failure of the mother to clean the baby's teeth after breastfeeding, allowing the child to fall asleep with a bottle, and subsequently not cleaning the teeth. Lactose, a sugar found in milk, has decay-causing properties. Therefore, dental hygiene after every feeding and healthy nutrition of the child are crucial in preventing early childhood caries.

Treatments for Primary Teeth
When dental caries are detected in the early stages, preventive or conservative treatments are applied. In cases where decay progresses and deepens, the decayed areas are cleaned, and restorative materials or crowns suitable for children's teeth are used for treatment. In cases where decay is advanced and restoration is not possible, tooth extraction may be necessary. Appliances called space maintainers are used to guide developing permanent teeth and prevent spaces from forming until permanent teeth erupt.

Dental Trauma
Dental trauma is commonly seen in school-age children or toddlers who have recently started walking. In cases where a tooth is completely displaced or a part of it is fractured, the tooth should be preserved in milk, saline solution, or clean water and the child should be taken to a pediatric dentist immediately. Successful treatment of dental trauma depends on seeking immediate care from a pediatric dentist.

Sports Dentistry
To prevent dental trauma, mouthguards can be fabricated for children and adolescents involved in sports activities.

Preventive Applications
The most effective way to prevent dental caries is regular feeding combined with tooth brushing. However, in children with high caries activity, unregulated feeding habits, and lower motivation for brushing, fluoride applications at appropriate doses and intervals and fissure sealants applied at appropriate times effectively protect teeth from decay.

Space Maintainers
Primary teeth act as guides for the timely and proper eruption of permanent teeth. Therefore, space maintainers are essential for maintaining proper alignment of permanent teeth until they are replaced. However, in some cases, primary teeth may need to be extracted. In such situations, space maintainers, which are appliances that guide and maintain space, should be carefully evaluated and applied based on intraoral conditions.

General Anesthesia/Sedation
In cases where dental treatment for children with dental anxiety or high anxiety levels cannot be performed under clinical conditions, treatments can be performed under general anesthesia or sedation in hospital settings to address oral and dental health problems.