Psychological development: milestones from birth to adolescent

Abstract

Global developmental delay (GDD)is a chronic neurological disturbance which includes defects in one or more developmental domains. The developmental domain can be motor, cognitive, daily activities, speech or language, and social or personal development and can be diagnosed early in childhood as the delay or absence of one or more developmental milestones. Hence the role of pedodontist becomes more crucial in identifying this condition. GDD affects multiple developmental domains that not only have direct bearing on maintenance of oral health, but also require additional behavior management techniques to deliver optimal dental care. This article discusses about the developmental milestones and cross-sectional analysis of psychological theories that can be applied to provide dental treatment in children. It will also discuss the opportunities for and challenges of psychological approaches aimed at the reduction of dental anxiety in children.