Family Dentistry
Preventative Dentistry For Children
Dental prevention is just as important for children as it is for adults. Having a child start going to the dentist at an early age and regularly is a very important step in a lifetime of preventative dentistry. A typical program for children contains many steps, both in and out of the dental office. A healthy smile in a child can be maintained using preventative dentistry. Children with healthy teeth chew their food properly and learn to talk more clearly and quickly. Preventative dentistry also minimizes future costly and extensive dental treatment for your child.
During your child’s visit to the dentist, his or her teeth will be carefully examined and any dental issues diagnosed and treated. If necessary, the dentist will apply fluoride treatment and dental sealants to help protect the teeth from tooth decay. The dentist will also address any orthodontic concerns.
Family Dentistry
Preventative Dentistry For Children
Dental prevention is just as important for children as it is for adults. Having a child start going to the dentist at an early age and regularly is a very important step in a lifetime of preventative dentistry. A typical program for children contains many steps, both in and out of the dental office. A healthy smile in a child can be maintained using preventative dentistry. Children with healthy teeth chew their food properly and learn to talk more clearly and quickly. Preventative dentistry also minimizes future costly and extensive dental treatment for your child.
During your child’s visit to the dentist, his or her teeth will be carefully examined and any dental issues diagnosed and treated. If necessary, the dentist will apply fluoride treatment and dental sealants to help protect the teeth from tooth decay. The dentist will also address any orthodontic concerns.
Dental Exams & Office Cleanings
Pediatric dental exams are more extensive than just looking at the teeth. First, our dentist performs a review of the child's health history to determine if there is a need for any special dental care. The examination will note the health and condition of the teeth, gums, soft tissues, head and neck. Our dentist also monitors the growth of the jaws and development of the teeth, and evaluates any oral habits, such as thumb sucking. Our dentist will use all of these factors to make a diagnosis and create a custom treatment plan and instructions for home care.
Our dentist or hygienist will clean the child's teeth to remove any plaque or calculus. Without treatment, this buildup can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Our dentist will also treat the teeth with fluoride to strengthen them and make them resistant to tooth decay. Cleanings and fluoride treatments are recommended twice a year to maintain your child's dental health and prevent decay.
Dental Exams & Office Cleanings
Pediatric dental exams are more extensive than just looking at the teeth. First, our dentist performs a review of the child's health history to determine if there is a need for any special dental care. The examination will note the health and condition of the teeth, gums, soft tissues, head and neck. Our dentist also monitors the growth of the jaws and development of the teeth, and evaluates any oral habits, such as thumb sucking. Our dentist will use all of these factors to make a diagnosis and create a custom treatment plan and instructions for home care.
Our dentist or hygienist will clean the child's teeth to remove any plaque or calculus. Without treatment, this buildup can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Our dentist will also treat the teeth with fluoride to strengthen them and make them resistant to tooth decay. Cleanings and fluoride treatments are recommended twice a year to maintain your child's dental health and prevent decay.
X-Rays
Children generally need X-rays more often than adults since their mouths grow and change rapidly. They are also more susceptible to tooth decay. Dentists can use X-rays to survey erupting teeth, diagnose bone diseases, analyze the extent of an oral injury, or plan orthodontic treatment. Pediatric X-rays allow the dentist to diagnose and treat conditions that cannot be visually detected during an oral examination. If dental problems are identified and treated early, dental care will be less invasive and affordable.
Our dentists are careful to minimize the exposure of your child to radiation. Lead body aprons and shields help protect the child’s body, and modern dental equipment is designed to focus the X-ray beam only where needed and filter out unnecessary X-rays. The use of digital sensors and X-rays helps minimize radiation exposure. For children with a high risk of tooth decay, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends X-ray examinations every six months to detect cavities developing between the teeth. Children with a low risk of tooth decay require X-rays less frequently.
X-Rays
Children generally need X-rays more often than adults since their mouths grow and change rapidly. They are also more susceptible to tooth decay. Dentists can use X-rays to survey erupting teeth, diagnose bone diseases, analyze the extent of an oral injury, or plan orthodontic treatment. Pediatric X-rays allow the dentist to diagnose and treat conditions that cannot be visually detected during an oral examination. If dental problems are identified and treated early, dental care will be less invasive and affordable.
Our dentists are careful to minimize the exposure of your child to radiation. Lead body aprons and shields help protect the child’s body, and modern dental equipment is designed to focus the X-ray beam only where needed and filter out unnecessary X-rays. The use of digital sensors and X-rays helps minimize radiation exposure. For children with a high risk of tooth decay, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends X-ray examinations every six months to detect cavities developing between the teeth. Children with a low risk of tooth decay require X-rays less frequently.
X-Rays
Children generally need X-rays more often than adults since their mouths grow and change rapidly. They are also more susceptible to tooth decay. Dentists can use X-rays to survey erupting teeth, diagnose bone diseases, analyze the extent of an oral injury, or plan orthodontic treatment. Pediatric X-rays allow the dentist to diagnose and treat conditions that cannot be visually detected during an oral examination. If dental problems are identified and treated early, dental care will be less invasive and affordable.
Our dentists are careful to minimize the exposure of your child to radiation. Lead body aprons and shields help protect the child’s body, and modern dental equipment is designed to focus the X-ray beam only where needed and filter out unnecessary X-rays. The use of digital sensors and X-rays helps minimize radiation exposure. For children with a high risk of tooth decay, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends X-ray examinations every six months to detect cavities developing between the teeth. Children with a low risk of tooth decay require X-rays less frequently.
Our Toolkit for Healthy Smiles:
Panoramic X-Rays
Panoramic X-rays may sometimes be necessary to view the child’s entire mouth and jaws. It shows any permanent teeth that are missing, abnormal growth, extra teeth or other oral issues. A panoramic is typically scheduled when a child’s 6th year molars erupt and then once every 3-5 years after that. Sometimes a panoramic may be recommended if there has been physical trauma to the jaw.
Sealants
Our dentists use sealants to help prevent tooth decay. Sealants are made of clear plastic and are applied to the chewing surface area of the tooth. Some teeth tend to have depressions and grooves, which are difficult for the child to clean. Sealants are used to fill these depressions to deter tooth decay. Application of the sealant is quick, painless, and can be effective for many years if your child practices good oral hygiene and avoids biting hard objects.
Tooth Colored Fillings
Tooth colored fillings are usually used to enhance the front teeth, where appearance is the most important. They are also used to repair chipped or decayed teeth anywhere in the mouth. The benefit of tooth colored fillings is that they are hard to distinguish from the natural color of teeth.
Stainless Steel Crowns
Stainless steel crowns are silver colored caps that cover the whole tooth. Dentists favor stainless steel crowns for restoring back teeth with extensive decay or decay in between the teeth. Stainless steel crowns are the most durable and last until the baby tooth falls out around the age of 12.
Pulp Treatment
Endodontic or root canal treatment focuses on the pulp of the tooth. The pulp contains nerves and blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to the tooth. Endodontic treatment is performed in order to save the tooth when the pulp gets infected or injured. During treatment, the hollow area inside the tooth is cleaned, disinfected and filled.
Unless a child's tooth is about to fall out, a dentist may recommend endodontic treatment on a child’s primary (baby) tooth. Without treatment, the child will experience pain or discomfort, and infection may result. Primary teeth are necessary for chewing and for learning proper pronunciation during language development. If a baby tooth is extracted too early, neighboring teeth can shift into the vacant space, making it difficult for the permanent tooth to grow properly.
Symptoms that indicate a need for endodontic treatment can include a toothache, sensitivity to hot and cold, or if the pulp has been exposed from a fracture and the child is experiencing sensitivity. The type of endodontic treatment that may be recommended depends on how seriously the pulp is affected, an evaluation of the tooth and the results of an X-ray.
Sealants
Primary teeth or “baby teeth” play an important role in a child’s life for proper chewing, speaking and speech development. Primary teeth also maintain proper spacing for the permanent teeth and help guide the permanent teeth when they finally erupt through the gums. So whenever possible, dentists try to preserve the natural baby tooth when treating for decay or damage. However, there are times when it is necessary to remove a baby tooth. Extraction of a tooth may be necessary in the following situations:
- The tooth is too damaged or decayed to be restored
- The tooth fails to loosen and fall out on its own and blocks the adult tooth from emerging
- Teeth need to be removed due to crowding or for orthodontic purposes
- Impacted or unerupted wisdom teeth
Once a tooth has been removed, neighboring teeth may start to shift, resulting in problems with spacing, growth and development. To avoid these problems, the dentist may place a space maintainer.
Space Maintainers
Space maintainers are necessary when a primary tooth (baby tooth) has been lost prematurely. A space maintainer holds open the gap where the permanent tooth will come in and avoids the shifting of the neighboring teeth. For younger patients, fixed space maintainers are usually recommended.
Nitrous Oxide
Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a type of sedation that can be administered when a child is scared and not able to relax. It is also used with patients who have sensitive gag reflexes.
Panoramic X-Rays
Panoramic X-rays may sometimes be necessary to view the child’s entire mouth and jaws. It shows any permanent teeth that are missing, abnormal growth, extra teeth or other oral issues. A panoramic is typically scheduled when a child’s 6th year molars erupt and then once every 3-5 years after that. Sometimes a panoramic may be recommended if there has been physical trauma to the jaw.
Sealants
Our dentists use sealants to help prevent tooth decay. Sealants are made of clear plastic and are applied to the chewing surface area of the tooth. Some teeth tend to have depressions and grooves, which are difficult for the child to clean. Sealants are used to fill these depressions to deter tooth decay. Application of the sealant is quick, painless, and can be effective for many years if your child practices good oral hygiene and avoids biting hard objects.
Tooth Colored Fillings
Tooth colored fillings are usually used to enhance the front teeth, where appearance is the most important. They are also used to repair chipped or decayed teeth anywhere in the mouth. The benefit of tooth colored fillings is that they are hard to distinguish from the natural color of teeth.
Stainless Steel Crowns
Stainless steel crowns are silver colored caps that cover the whole tooth. Dentists favor stainless steel crowns for restoring back teeth with extensive decay or decay in between the teeth. Stainless steel crowns are the most durable and last until the baby tooth falls out around the age of 12.
Pulp Treatment
Endodontic or root canal treatment focuses on the pulp of the tooth. The pulp contains nerves and blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to the tooth. Endodontic treatment is performed in order to save the tooth when the pulp gets infected or injured. During treatment, the hollow area inside the tooth is cleaned, disinfected and filled.
Unless a child's tooth is about to fall out, a dentist may recommend endodontic treatment on a child’s primary (baby) tooth. Without treatment, the child will experience pain or discomfort, and infection may result. Primary teeth are necessary for chewing and for learning proper pronunciation during language development. If a baby tooth is extracted too early, neighboring teeth can shift into the vacant space, making it difficult for the permanent tooth to grow properly.
Symptoms that indicate a need for endodontic treatment can include a toothache, sensitivity to hot and cold, or if the pulp has been exposed from a fracture and the child is experiencing sensitivity. The type of endodontic treatment that may be recommended depends on how seriously the pulp is affected, an evaluation of the tooth and the results of an X-ray.
Sealants
Primary teeth or “baby teeth” play an important role in a child’s life for proper chewing, speaking and speech development. Primary teeth also maintain proper spacing for the permanent teeth and help guide the permanent teeth when they finally erupt through the gums. So whenever possible, dentists try to preserve the natural baby tooth when treating for decay or damage. However, there are times when it is necessary to remove a baby tooth. Extraction of a tooth may be necessary in the following situations:
- The tooth is too damaged or decayed to be restored
- The tooth fails to loosen and fall out on its own and blocks the adult tooth from emerging
- Teeth need to be removed due to crowding or for orthodontic purposes
- Impacted or unerupted wisdom teeth
Once a tooth has been removed, neighboring teeth may start to shift, resulting in problems with spacing, growth and development. To avoid these problems, the dentist may place a space maintainer.
Space Maintainers
Space maintainers are necessary when a primary tooth (baby tooth) has been lost prematurely. A space maintainer holds open the gap where the permanent tooth will come in and avoids the shifting of the neighboring teeth. For younger patients, fixed space maintainers are usually recommended.
Nitrous Oxide
Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a type of sedation that can be administered when a child is scared and not able to relax. It is also used with patients who have sensitive gag reflexes.
Building a Foundation for a Lifetime of Healthy Smiles
Early dental visits are the most important step in building a foundation for your child’s lifelong oral health. A healthy smile not only prevents future costly treatments but also ensures your child can chew properly, speak clearly, and grow with confidence. We are here to partner with your family to ensure every visit is a positive, stress-free experience for your little one. Call us today at (904) 261-7181 or schedule your appointment online to give your child the gift of a healthy, vibrant smile.
