Children's Dentistry
Usually children’s primary teeth are erupted by age two or three and this is a great time to introduce them to our office in a positive way. After making your child feel comfortable, we will examine their mouth. The examination will include the teeth, gums, tongue, lips and roof of the mouth. We usually wait until between the ages of four and six on taking x-rays to detect cavities, unless there is an exceptional circumstance. We may also clean your child's teeth and apply fluoride as early as age 3. It all depends on how your child feels about it. Children are ready at different ages.
What Can I Do And Say To Prepare My Child For Their First Visit?
Your attitude, expressions, and vocabulary can convey the message that going to the dentist is a fun, and exciting adventure. Emphasize the attention that your child will get while in the chair and all the exciting things they will see. Try to schedule the appointment for the time of day when your child is most rested and cooperative, we find early morning appointments or right after lunch work the best. You can help prepare your child by reading a story or watching a video about a trip to the dentist or even playing dentist with a flashlight and looking in each other's mouth.
Baby Teeth Cleaning
It is very important to maintain a consistent daily oral care program with your child as soon as their first tooth appears. After every feeding, wipe your child's gums with a warm, wet terry washcloth, small gauze pad, or a finger cot (available at most Pharmacies). This removes excess food and bacteria to help prevent caries. Once more teeth start to appear, brush them with the smallest, soft-bristled toothbrush you can find, and do not introduce toothpaste yet. They will just swallow it may make them sick.
Trauma
If your child falls down, and experiences trauma to their lips, teeth, or tongue, please bring them in as soon as possible to have one of our dentists check the area. If a tooth is knocked out, you must act quickly.
Space Maintainer
If your child does end up having to lose a primary tooth prematurely, we will need to place a space maintainer appliance. This must remain in place until the adult tooth begins to erupt in the space properly. If the tooth is severely decayed, and will not hold a filling material once all the decay is removed, we may need to place a Stainless Steel Crown over top of the tooth until it falls out. This allows the child to still use the tooth for chewing, and maintains the space for the adult tooth to erupt properly.
Pit And Fissure Sealants
When your child's first permanent molars, usually about age six, begin to erupt, you should consider placing sealants on the chewing surface to protect your child's back teeth from decay. In some cases, we might also recommend applying sealants to primary teeth as well. We will thoroughly clean the tooth, then apply a blue gel to help the material stick to the tooth, followed with a thin white resin coating material that is light cured. This resin coating will "seal" the deep grooves and fissures on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.
Fluoride Treatment
Check with your dentist about the need for fluoride treatments. Fluoride is a major component in the prevention of childhood dental caries. This is because fluoride alters the molecular structure of the tooth, making it more resistant to acid attack and decay. Your dentist may recommend the application of a concentrated fluoride application for few minutes during the dental visit.
