Full mouth rehabilitation under local anesthesia is a dental treatment where multiple teeth are restored or treated in one visit while the child is awake. Local anesthesia numbs the mouth so the procedures—such as fillings, crowns, or extractions—can be done comfortably. It helps restore the child’s overall oral health and function in a single, well-planned session.

Full mouth rehabilitation under general anesthesia is a dental procedure where all necessary treatments—such as fillings, crowns, or extractions—are done in one session while the child is fully asleep. General anesthesia ensures the child feels no pain or fear, making it ideal for young, anxious, or special-needs patients who cannot cooperate during regular dental treatment.

A root canal treatment in pediatric dentistry is a procedure done when the inside of a child’s tooth (the pulp) becomes infected or damaged due to deep decay or injury. It’s a safe and common procedure that helps keep a child’s smile healthy.
Here’s what it involves:

• The dentist removes the infected or damaged pulp tissue.
• The inside of the tooth is cleaned and shaped.
• The space is then filled with a safe material to keep the tooth strong.
• A crown or filling is usually placed on top to protect the tooth.

• To relieve pain and infection
• To save the tooth instead of removing it
• To help the child maintain proper chewing, speech, and jaw development

Full coronal restoration in pediatric dentistry is a procedure where the entire visible part of a child’s tooth is covered with a crown to restore its shape, strength, and function. Common crowns used in children include stainless steel crowns and tooth-colored crowns.
Why it’s done:

• For teeth with large cavities
• After pulp therapy (like pulpotomy or pulpectomy)
• For weak or damaged teeth

• Protects the tooth from further decay
• Restores chewing function
• Lasts longer than regular fillings

The treatment plan for oral habits in pediatric dentistry involves first identifying the type, frequency, and cause of the habit, followed by counseling and behavior-modification techniques such as positive reinforcement, reminder therapy, and parental involvement. If these conservative methods fail or if the child is older, myofunctional therapy is introduced for habits like tongue thrusting or mouth breathing to retrain oral muscles. Habit-breaking appliances—such as palatal cribs, Bluegrass appliances, or spurs—are used when the habit persists and do not rely on patient compliance. Any dentofacial changes caused by the habit, such as open bite or crossbite, are corrected with orthodontic treatment, and underlying contributing factors like airway obstruction or emotional stress are addressed through appropriate medical or psychological referral. Regular follow-up is essential to reinforce progress, adjust appliances, and prevent relapse.

The treatment process usually includes diagnosis and planning, bracket bonding, sequential archwire changes (from light nickel–titanium to heavier stainless steel wires), space closure, bite correction, and finally finishing and detailing to refine occlusion. After treatment, a retention phase follows using fixed or removable retainers to maintain the results. Fixed orthodontic therapy is highly effective for correcting crowding, spacing, malocclusion (Class I, II, III), crossbites, deep bites, and open bites. Because the appliances are fixed, patient cooperation mainly involves maintaining excellent oral hygiene, diet control, and wearing elastics if prescribed. Overall, fixed orthodontics remains the gold standard for achieving comprehensive, precise, and long-lasting dental alignment and occlusion.

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in pediatric dentistry refer to injuries to the teeth and surrounding oral tissues caused by accidents such as falls, sports, collisions, or abuse. These injuries are common in children due to active play and developing motor skills. TDIs can affect both primary and permanent teeth, and their management depends on the child’s age, type of injury, and stage of tooth development. Injuries may involve enamel fractures, crown or crown-root fractures, luxation injuries (subluxation, intrusion, extrusion, lateral luxation), avulsion, or soft tissue trauma. Primary teeth are managed conservatively to avoid damage to the developing permanent tooth germ—often through observation, smoothing of sharp edges, or extraction when necessary. Permanent tooth injuries require more active treatment such as repositioning, splinting, pulp therapy (e.g., pulp capping, partial pulpotomy), root canal treatment, or replantation in cases of avulsion. Early diagnosis, radiographic evaluation, appropriate emergency management, and regular follow-up are crucial to ensure proper healing, prevent complications like pulpal necrosis or enamel defects in successors, and maintain long-term oral health and function.

Preorthodontic treatment in pediatric dentistry refers to all preventive and interceptive measures taken before full orthodontic therapy to guide normal growth, prevent malocclusion, and reduce the need for complex treatment later. It typically begins during the mixed dentition stage when early skeletal and dental problems can be corrected more efficiently. Key components include space management (using space maintainers or regainers to preserve or recover arch length), habit control (eliminating harmful habits like thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or mouth breathing), and growth modification through appliances that guide jaw development. Preorthodontic care also involves interceptive orthodontics such as correcting crossbites, open bites, or deep bites early, as well as managing eruption problems like ectopic eruption or early tooth loss. Additionally, ensuring good oral hygiene, caries control, and management of periodontal health is essential before initiating orthodontic treatment. Overall, preorthodontic treatment aims to create favorable conditions for proper occlusion, minimize future orthodontic complexity, and support harmonious facial and dental development.

Space maintainers in pediatric dentistry are appliances used to preserve the space left by the premature loss of a primary tooth, ensuring proper eruption and alignment of the permanent successor. Their main purpose is to prevent space loss due to mesial drift of adjacent teeth, which can lead to crowding, impaction, or malocclusion. Space maintainers can be fixed or removable. Fixed appliances include band-and-loop, crown-and-loop, lower lingual holding arch (LLHA), Nance palatal arch, and transpalatal arch, commonly used based on arch and tooth loss location. Removable space maintainers may incorporate artificial teeth, useful in esthetic zones but require patient cooperation. The selection depends on the child’s age, dental development stage, arch involved, space analysis, and oral hygiene. Proper monitoring is essential to adjust or remove the appliance once the permanent tooth begins to erupt, ensuring normal occlusal development.