Pedodontics

Pedodontics, analogous to pediatrics in medicine, is concerned with the dental care of children and adolescents.

Much of the routine of practice is centered around the control of caries (tooth decay) and involves the use of fluoride and dietary and hygienic instruction. The need to influence tooth positions presents the next most frequently encountered problem. The correction of incipient abnormalities in tooth alignment may obviate the necessity for lengthy treatment. Many pedodontists use growth influencing techniques to correct jaw alignments. A working knowledge of children's behavior patterns, patience, and a knowledge of childhood physical and mental diseases and their ramifications are important qualifications of the pedodontist.

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Taken from Britannica Online

"Dentistry." Encyclopedia Britannica from Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
< http://0-search.eb.com.library.lib.asu.edu:80/eb/article?tocId=35599>
[Accessed April 24, 2005].