Department of Pediatric Dentistry was founded on Aug. 10, 1992, and is responsible for providing dental care for patients under the age of 15 years old. Our department is the chief unit of the PLA Pedodontics Center, owns a vice president of Pediatric Dentistry Association of China, a board of directors of Asian Pediatric Dentistry Association, and a commissioner of expert committee of Chinese Aristogenesis Association. It is one of the best and modernized departments in China, which is undertaking medical, educational and academic works in pediatric dentistry. Up to now, we have attained 3 second prizes of science and technology advancement from the army and Shaanxi Province and 2 national natural science funds.

There are 20 working staffs and 20 dental units in our department. The visits of out-patients are about 40,000 every year. Here we have comfortable environment, advanced equipments, and versed techniques. We also keep tight touch and wide communications with abroad.

Characteristics in dental treatment

1. Pulp conservation of immature teeth and modified apexification

As the roots of young permanent teeth are still immature, keeping the pulp alive is the key to make the root continuously develop. We have abundant experience and exquisite technology in the basic research and clinical application on pulp conservation of young permanent teeth. Through observing the histological characteristics of dental pulp and studying the functional mechanism of iodoform calcium hydroxide, we proved that the pulp of young permanent teeth even with a maximum of 1 millimeter diameter exposure could also be conserved by our method, thus we expanded the treatment’s indications of conserving the vital pulp.

The irreversible pulpitis and pulp necrosis of young permanent teeth caused by various pathogenic factors could stop tooth root developing. We proved that the modified apexification could eliminate the inflammatory causes from root canal and periapical tissues, and induce the nonvital tooth root to develop by the use of the antibiotic paste even without other inducers. Compared with the traditional methods, it spares time and labor.

2. Integrative measures of caries prevention and treatment for children

As the incidence of dental caries for children is high, starting at a quite young age, badly impairing the tooth, and progressing rapidly, it severely affects the psychosomatic health of children. In our department, we take integrative measures for caries prevention and treatment, and have gained abundant experience and prominent results. These measures include oral health education and instruction, health care consultation, careful treatment and periodic callback, motivating dentists, nurses, kids and their guardian altogether actively taking part in the movement and cooperate closely with each other. Techniques for caries prevention include topical fluoridation, pit and fissure sealant, laser irradiation. Measures for caries treatment involve indolent tooth cutting, atraumatic restoration and cap crown restoration, etc.

3. The comprehensive treatment for injuries to anterior teeth of children

Trauma to anterior teeth is one of the most common dental diseases in children. The treatment includes the emergency care and later stage crown restoration. Our emergency cares includes conservation of tooth pulp, fixation by ligature, instant restoration, and avulsed tooth replantation. The crown restoration of later period is completed with various adhesion prosthesis methods including dentinal pin, root canal post and composite resin.

4. Occlusal guidance

Occlusal guidance concentrates on early correcting of malocclusion for children. It includes keeping spaces of early lost primary tooth, early treatment of cross-bite, abnormal eruption of permanent tooth, and refraining from bad oral habits such as finger sucking, tongue thrusting.

Renowned experts

Wen Lingying, professor of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry in the School of Stomatology, was graduated from Peking medical university in 1962 and enrolled into the army. Professor Wen holds the post of membership of the experts committee of fourth military medical university. Professor Wen has been devoted to prevention and treatment of pulp and periapical diseases for children, especially in the field of pulp conservation, apexification and trauma of young permanent teeth. Based on clinical practices, professor Wen established basic and clinical studies on the pulp and periapical diseases. Furthermore, she developed researches on tooth germ and tooth root development. Up to now, Professor Wen has published 110 papers, chiefly edited 4 books and participated in editing 2 books. She also participated in the establishment of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases for Chinese Health Ministry. She was awarded second prizes for 3 times in technology advancement by the army and Shaanxi province. So far, professor Wen has directed 16 PhD candidates, who have become the backbone, and even the leader in this field. Recently, professor Wen holds many educational tasks inside and outside our university. In 2002, professor Wen was awarded the “silver prize” for the teachers in the colleges and universities of army. Professor Wen occupies academic posts including member of the expert committee of FMMU, consultant of the pediatric dentistry association, member of the medical technology proposition in the army, member of the evaluation of medical accidence in Shaanxi province and Xi’an, and editor of three dental journals.

Yang Fusheng is Chief Physician, adviser to master candidate, and the past director of the department of pediatric dentistry. He is the director of PLA pediatric dentistry technology center, vice chairman of pediatric dentistry association of China, and a commissioner of expert committee of Chinese Aristogenesis Association, also the accreditation expert of National Natural and Scientific Research Fund, and the accreditation expert of studying abroad qualification of the Ministry of Health. He is associate editor of Chinese Journal of Conservation Dentistry, and editor member of Journal of Practical Stomatology.

   He has been devoting to clinical works for many years, and has been well received by patients. He is specialized in children’s performance inducement and control, systematic prevention and therapy of caries, diagnosis and treatment of dental trauma, and therapy of children’s endodontic diseases. He has accomplished 2 projects of international cooperation; taking on 2 national natural and scientific funds, 2 projects from the army and Shaanxi province and was awarded prizes three times. He has edited or participated in editing 10 books, published more than 90 papers, directed 17 post-graduates, co-directed 8 ph.D candidates, undertaken education work for undergraduates. He has been awarded as Excellent teacher, excellent party member for man times.

Wang Xiaojing, present director of the department of pediatric dentistry, is associate chief physician, associate professor, and adviser to master candidate. She is also the guest associate professor of department of pediatric dentistry, Tokyo Dental College, the commissioner of expert committee of ShaanXi Aristogenesis Association, the adviser to National Natural and Scientific Research Fund, and the editorial commissioner of Chinese Journal of Conservative Dentistry and Journal of Practical Stomatology.

She is always concentrating on clinical works, and good at dealing with caries, pulpitis, periapical diseases and dental trauma. Especially, she has abundant experiences in treating serious caries and anterior teeth trauma. She has studied in Tokyo Dental College and Osaka University for 3 years, and during that time, she learned the new rising treatment technology—occlusive guidance. Now, the prevention and the early treatment of malocclusion are her specialty.