Pediatric Dentistry
Our dentists and entire staff understand the importance of good oral health for young children. They have specialized training in primary teeth. They are here to help protect and restore children’s teeth so that they can speak and eat easily and have a wonderful smile. They understand the growth and development of children’s teeth so they can start children off with good oral health.
We also understand how important taking care of children’s teeth is. We will work with parents to ensure their children are taking good care of their teeth at home. We will also monitor their mouths for any problems so we can catch them early. If needed, we will work with your children’s regular doctor to treat any problems we find.
Preventative Dentistry
We recommend routine dental cleanings for several reasons. When we perform a professional cleaning, we remove the buildup of plaque and tartar. We also clean the parts of your child’s teeth that are hard to reach, such as underneath the gums.
After a cleaning, we will polish your child’s teeth so that they shine! We can also apply a fluoride treatment, if necessary, to help prevent tooth decay.
Silver Diamine Fluoride
We believe that fluoride works well to strengthen children’s teeth. It also has been shown to help prevent tooth decay in people of all ages.
For this reason, the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Medical Association believe that topical fluoride is necessary for good oral health.
Because of this, you may be wondering if your child needs fluoride treatments. Often water is enhanced with fluoride, so additional fluoride treatments are not necessary.
Home Care
It is very important that you help your child take good care of his or her teeth and mouth so he or she can have a healthy mouth and beautiful smile. Because we believe that a healthy mouth starts at home, we are dedicated to educating our patients about the correct way to take care of their teeth!
Proper care starts with regular brushing with a soft-bristled brush. It is also important to change the brush regularly so it does the job it is supposed to. Though many children hate to do it, flossing and rinsing the mouth out with a good antibacterial rinse are also very important for good dental health.
1st visit
Many people put off a child’s first dental appointment because it can be quite stressful for both the child and the parents. However, in order to start a child off right on the road to good dental health, it is important that parents overcome their own phobias and make sure that the first visit goes well. They need to remain positive in order to ensure their child has a good visit every time he or she goes to the dentist.
Pediatric dentists also want your child’s visits to go well. They receive extensive training in child psychology. They make sure their offices are inviting. They choose colorful paints for the walls. They have a selection of games, toys, and books for when children are waiting to be seen. They hire staff members who are good with children so that each visit goes well.
Sealants
Dental sealant is a plastic coating painted on your teeth. It attaches to your child’s teeth, smoothing the rough edges, depressions, and grooves that are typically found on teeth. It gives your child’s teeth a protective coating, helping to prevent tooth decay and cavities.
Sealants are usually done on the back teeth since they are hard to reach and very irregular. Even if your child brushes and flosses properly, he or she may miss some areas. For this reason, sealants are a good way to protect your child’s teeth.
Space Maintainers
Space maintainers are used when children lose their baby teeth early. This sometimes happen due to trauma or even decay. When a tooth is lost, other teeth will shift to fill in the space. Though this sounds good, it actually can cause a lot of spacing and alignment problems when the adult teeth start to come in. Because of this, spacers are used to fill in the space where the tooth is missing so that the other teeth stay in place.