Preventive visits and Dental Cleanings
Having a routine preventive visit is essential for your child’s oral health. We work with kids of all ages to set healthy dental habits for life. American Dental Association recommends getting a teeth cleaning and checkup every six months. Kids should start going to the dentist soon after their first tooth erupts or around their first birthday, whichever happens first.
Dental Traumas
Dental trauma happens, and we’re here for you to help. We evaluate and treat all types of dental trauma affecting the teeth, gums, lips, tongue and other areas of the mouth and jaw.
Sealants
Pediatric sealants play an important role in protecting back teeth from decay. We use safe, effective sealant materials so our patients can avoid those pesky cavities.
Tooth Extractions
When a tooth extraction is necessary, we do our very best to ensure your child is comfortable. Our practitioners are skilled at alleviating any fears that the child or parent might have.
Treatment with Laughing Gas
Our staff is skilled in the safe and effective use of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) so your child can relax during treatment and overcome their fear of being in the dentist chair.
Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry has become increasingly possible in pediatric dental work and has helped to change the way patients are affected by dental work. Sedation dentistry helps to relax anxious children so that their dental treatment can be completed quickly, safely, and without the trauma of pain or fear. We offer conscious (IV) sedation as a method of providing your children with the best possible dental experience. Conscious sedation is a moderate form of sedation that allows your child to be awake, but relaxed and pain-free. Many times, children who have undergone conscious sedation do not remember the procedure.
Space Maintainers
Primary teeth stay in place until a permanent tooth comes in from underneath its position and pushes it out, taking its place in the mouth. Some children lose their primary teeth too early due to accidents or dental disease. When this is the case, a space maintainer may be recommended by your dentist to prevent space loss and future dental problems. It is important to remember the fact that some teeth are not replaced until a child is 12 or 14 years old.
Space maintainers are appliances made of metal or plastic that are custom fit to your child’s mouth. Most children adjust to them quickly. Without a maintainer, the teeth can tilt toward the empty space and cause permanent teeth to come in crooked.
Treatment cavities with Composite Fillings and Child Crowns
Small cavities are treated with composite fillings, also known as tooth-colored fillings made from durable plastics that resemble the color of natural teeth. Their color allows them to blend in with the surrounding tooth structure and maintain a natural appearance compared to other types of fillings. Composite fillings are also compatible with dental sealants, which allows our pediatric dentists to complete both filling and sealant procedures during a single office visit. However, if the decay has significantly damaged the tooth, it is often necessary to place a crown “cap” on the tooth. Crowns are placed on teeth that have large areas of decay that could possibly break if restored with a simple filling material.
Protective Mouth Guards
Sports protective mouth guards are used to protect your child’s teeth, gums, and oral soft tissue structures from injury or trauma. They are especially useful for high impact sports such as football, baseball, basketball, martial arts, or hockey.