Paediatric dentistry in 1060 Vienna
Paediatric dentistry is a matter close to the heart of our paediatric dentist Dr Carina Wick. After all, special attention should be paid to milk teeth, which become visible from around the 4th month of life, and the first permanent teeth. Are you looking for a paediatric dentist in Vienna with a lot of patience and empathy? Book your appointment online!
Appointment
Our dental services for children
Children's oral hygiene in the practice and correct oral hygiene instructions at home
When should my child go to the dentist for the first time?
The first visit to the dentist with your child can or should take place from the age of 2. This is primarily to get to know your child and to establish a positive initial relationship with the dentist.
Important: The first appointment with the paediatric dentist should not take place when the first ‘little caries devils’ are already visible. An intensive dental treatment right at the first visit to the dentist can leave children with unpleasant memories and, in the worst case, lead to dental anxiety.
It is much more pleasant for everyone involved if there is no discomfort at the first visit to the dentist. This allows your child to familiarise themselves with our practice and the dentist's procedures without stress and leave with a positive first impression. An appointment for paediatric oral hygiene is also suitable as a first contact so that your child can slowly gain confidence.
Health insurance benefits at the paediatric dentist
In our dental practice in Vienna, we have an SVS & KFA health insurance contract for general dental services and removable braces and are a private practice for dental and orthodontic services for all other health insurance companies.
Our practice in Linz is a purely orthodontic practice with a health insurance contract for free braces. Dr Victoria Matheis is responsible for children's dental treatment in Linz.
Good to know:
- Amalgam fillings are no longer used for children's teeth. Instead, the health insurance fund covers the costs of amalgam-free white fillings.
- For children and young people between the ages of 10 and 18, the health insurance fund pays for or subsidises professional oral hygiene (teeth cleaning) once a year to remove tartar. For children with free fixed braces, this is even provided twice a year by the insurance companies. You can also have this done in our practice: >>> Book an appointment online <<<
- In the field of orthodontics, different cost coverage and subsidies apply to children depending on the misalignment of the teeth and the appliance used. These must be approved in advance by the insurance companies on the basis of X-rays, model scans, photos and special applications. There is also the possibility of receiving free orthodontic treatment for severely misaligned teeth - free braces (only in Linz).
Interesting facts about paediatric dentistry
Prevention is better than aftercare. Regular check-ups are essential, especially in the field of paediatric dentistry, in order to monitor the development of the teeth and, if necessary, to start the right dental treatment promptly. Regular and correct tooth brushing and a healthy diet also play a key role in keeping children's teeth healthy.
From the first milk tooth: clean your teeth!
In the beginning, parents clean the teeth, later the children can take over the toothbrush themselves. However, it is recommended that children between the ages of 2 and 6 check their teeth after brushing. Re-brushing is also recommended to gradually hand over responsibility for their teeth.
Tip: As soon as children have mastered handwriting, they should be able to brush their teeth independently. It is important to keep the milk teeth as long as possible, as they serve as a placeholder for the permanent teeth.
Nevertheless, just because the child refuses to brush does not mean that teeth do not need to be brushed. The responsibility for the condition of milk teeth and subsequently permanent teeth still lies with the parents.
We have summarised further important tips on dental care, prophylaxis and dental health for your child in our article on children's oral hygiene.
Is your child afraid of the dentist?
Fear of the dentist doesn't have to be a problem. Tip: Take young children to the dentist to familiarise them with the unfamiliar surroundings and show them that there is no danger from the dentist. This will help them slowly lose their fears and allow you to look inside their mouth after just 1-2 visits. If one or two ‘holes’ are found, there are little behavioural tricks to get the children ready for the treatment voluntarily and of their own accord.
If an anaesthetic is necessary, these are the ‘dream balls’ and the tooth is put ‘to sleep’. Fantasy language and stories about the tooth decay devil make it easier for the children to undergo treatment. Afterwards there is always a small gift as a reward.
Important: It is not advisable to promise children huge rewards (such as expensive gifts or similar) before their first dental treatment. This tends to cause scepticism in children, as they then want to know exactly why they have to be brave at the dentist.
Once the children have gained confidence, even the most fearful of them will allow themselves to be treated. In very difficult cases, where children cannot be expected to undergo treatment under normal conditions (in the case of numerous severely damaged teeth), general anaesthesia remains the last resort.
How to prepare your child for their first visit to the dentist
The important thing is: Expectations should be reduced. If an anxious child opens their mouth on their first visit to the dentist on their own, this is a great success. Terms such as ‘You don't need to be afraid’, ‘It won't hurt’, ‘syringe’ and ‘tooth extraction’ should be avoided as far as possible. The first visit to the dentist is always exciting and for some families almost a family event. Nevertheless, we ask that only a small number of family members come along to the first visit to the dentist.
With these positive new impressions, together we will lay the foundation for regular visits and thus for your children's healthy teeth. If you have any further questions, please call us or use the option to book an appointment online. Our team will be happy to meet you for a consultation.
Harmful habits in children
The treatment of bad habits such as thumb sucking, tongue clenching or a tongue misalignment can, if recognised early, prevent possible malformations later on. Co-operation with speech therapists plays an important role here. So-called myofunctional exercises (such as muscle training for the tongue and cheek muscles) are used to change the position of the tongue. This can have a positive effect on growth and improve or even prevent malocclusions.
Treatment of malpositions in childhood
If we recognise that your child has misaligned teeth or jaws, we have numerous orthodontic treatment options at our disposal. Jaw growth can also be corrected using removable braces or invisible braces.
Frequently asked questions about paediatric dentistry
Paediatric dentistry is a field of dentistry that specialises in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of dental, oral and jaw problems in children and adolescents. It covers dental care from infancy to adolescence and also includes advice on oral hygiene and nutrition.
Children should visit the dentist at least once a year. Regular check-ups are important to monitor oral health and to recognise and treat dental problems at an early stage.
The paediatric dentist carries out oral health examinations, treats tooth decay, advises on dental care and fluoridation, and monitors tooth growth and development. If necessary, fillings, milk tooth extractions and orthodontic consultations are carried out.
A visit to the paediatric dentist typically makes sense until the teenage years. After that, teenagers and young adults can switch to a general dentist who specialises in adult dentistry. At our practice, we continue to treat all patients, i.e. no child has to suddenly switch to a new dentist due to their age.
Every milk tooth that is lost too early disrupts the development of the dentition, because milk teeth are placeholders during jaw growth. They should therefore never be neglected, even if they eventually fall out.
Tooth decay itself is not directly contagious, but the bacteria that cause tooth decay can be transmitted. Sharing cutlery or kissing can favour the exchange of bacteria.
Breastfeeding at night can increase the risk of tooth decay, especially if the child falls asleep with milk or juice. As soon as the first teeth have erupted (at around 6-9 months), it is advisable to minimise night-time breastfeeding or to give only water before going to bed in order to minimise the development of tooth decay. If milk is still given at night, it is advisable to clean the teeth again briefly (toothbrush, no toothpaste).
In children, amalgam-replacing fillings made of plastic (composite) or, even more frequently, glass ionomer cement are used. These materials are tooth-coloured and offer good durability.
Silver diamine fluoride is a dental treatment used to inhibit caries. It is applied to decayed areas to stop the progression of decay and strengthen the tooth, especially in children.
MIH stands for molar incisor hypomineralisation, a developmental disorder of the teeth. Affected teeth show reduced mineralisation and are more susceptible to decay and other problems. Early dental examinations are important in order to be able to intervene in good time. Depending on their severity, the affected teeth are treated with special pastes or fillings. In the case of severely damaged first molars (sixth molars), removal is recommended by the age of 12 to allow the subsequent second molars to break through into the place of the sixth. In rare cases, orthodontic intervention is then necessary.
Fluoride in toothpastes strengthens tooth enamel, protects against tooth decay, promotes remineralisation and inhibits the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay. It is a crucial component of oral hygiene to maintain dental health.
They are the first permanent teeth in the dental arch, also known as 6-year molars, because they erupt around the age of 6. Due to their posterior position, they are often overlooked or not recognised as permanent teeth. As soon as they become visible, it's time to brush well!
You should start to wean your child off the dummy by the age of 3 at the latest (age 2-3 years) in order to avoid misaligned teeth and jaws.
A persistent sucking habit should be stopped quickly. As with the dummy, the earlier it is stopped, the better, as otherwise it can have a lasting negative effect on the development of the teeth. In order to break the thumb-sucking habit, it is sometimes advisable to switch to a dummy first, as this can be removed more easily.