Abstract
The purpose of pediatric dentistry is to develop a healthy oral function. In the field of pediatric dentistry, dental caries and periodontal disease prevention, coronal restoration, root canal and surgical treatment, and occlusal guidance including space maintenance are clinically performed based on the philosophy of pediatric dentistry, aiming to achieve a healthy oral function. Requests for dentition and occlusal examinations have increased with recent changes in disease structure in pediatric patients visiting dental clinics, and morphological and functional anomalies are actually noted in many cases. A normal oral function from the deciduous dentition period leads to the development of an ideal morphology and occlusal condition, and is mainly achieved by the functional learning of mastication and swallowing during the process of ideal maxillo-facial growth. Therefore, morphology and function work in close cooperation with each other in biological tissue. Occlusal guidance, which will be a major treatment in pediatric dentistry in the future, should be performed with a consideration of oral functional development.
