Pedodontics or Pediatric Dentistry is a branch of dentistry dealing with children from birth through adolescence.
Pediatric dentistry emphasizes the establishment of trust and confidence in children with their dentists. Consequently, one of the main components of pediatric training is child psychology. This manifests itself in different communication styles and an emphasis on teaching preventative dental habits to children in an effort to make dental visits enjoyable.
Pedodontics is concerned, for that category of patients, with all dental specialties: operative dentistry (treatment of decay or tooth fractures, fillings), endodontics (root canal therapy), oral surgery (tooth extractions, etc.), orthodontics (fixed or removable appliances to straighten malpositioned teeth and to guide facial growth), dental hygiene and prophylaxis (removal of bacterial plaque, motivation for home dental care, application of sealants and fluoride therapy for caries prevention), prosthodontics (fabrication of prostheses for the replacement of missing teeth or for space maintenance), etc.
