Paediatric smiles: the power of a multidisciplinary team

The main objective of Paediatric Dentistry, and even before that of Maternal and Child Dentistry, is not only to cure, but to promote and safeguard the general health and well-being of the child in its complexity and in harmony with his or her present and future daily life needs. This implies that, in order to deal effectively with conditions, the expertise of a single specialist is often not sufficient. A comprehensive and integrated view of child health is best achieved through collaboration between several professionals. Each brings their own expertise, yet they are all bound by a shared goal: the well-being of the young patient. It is crucial for us dentists also to consider whether the oral problem is secondary to conditions of a different nature, acting at the root of the problem where possible, or at least with the aim of early interception for certain conditions that are currently not preventable, such as dental hard tissue dysplasia, such as MIH (Molar Incisor Hypomineralisation) or upper jaw contraction that is affected by both genetically determined and epigenetic or environmental factors, or in the case of patients with special needs Adopting a multidisciplinary approach is as essential as it is successful in guaranteeing comprehensive and customised care for young patients and their families. Only by integrating different skills, points of view and perspectives can we truly take care of the global wellbeing of our young patients, for the health of the next generations. One would certainly think that possibly such extensive attention at a very young age might seem excessive and wasteful! Perhaps it is worth reading the Minsk Declaration (WHO, 2015) in which it is emphasised that 'a child who is cared for, nurtured, stimulated and protected at an early stage of life becomes an adult with better life chances, better cognitive and physical development, higher educational achievement and greater productivity'. Therefore, the protection of maternal and child health becomes a priority objective of health policy, and the political choices of governments must develop strategic actions for its promotion. Within the priority actions to be undertaken in national frameworks are included the promotion of high-quality preconception information and services as well as pregnancy support, the promotion, support and protection of breastfeeding, the support of families in the development of parenting skills, and the promotion of universal health coverage for maternity care, thereby achieving enormous socio-economic benefits from the health investments made in the first 1000 days of life. And so the interdisciplinary team for paediatric dentistry no longer appears unjustified but is, on the contrary, essential to achieve these goals!