Age 1 Dental Visit
When should your child have his or her first dental visit?
It’s very important to be proactive about your child’s dental health. Doing so will place them on the right road to maintain a healthy smile for life.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your son or daughter should have their first dental visit six months after the first tooth appears, but no later than the first birthday. Typically, the two front upper and lower teeth will come in (erupt) between the ages of 6 and 12 months. Read more about this.
This first dental visit is also when we examine your child’s jaw and erupting teeth. We want to be sure that they are coming in and developing as they should. We’ll also clean his or her teeth and give you valuable information for daily tooth care.
Don’t worry if your child is a “wiggle worm.” Your child can sit in your lap while you sit in the dental chair. We know this is a new experience for your son or daughter, and we’re dedicated to making it as relaxing — and fun — as possible.
Following are some useful tips to help your child have a positive experience:
- Be sure to schedule your appointment for a time when your child is expected to be well-rested.
- Have a positive outlook on the dental experience. Your child will pick up on your emotions and may even mirror your behavior.
- Don’t worry if your child cries during the exam. We understand that this is a new experience. We’ll treat your child with the same care and concern as we treat our own children. Remember, we’re on the same team.
We’ll also provide useful information that will help ensure that your child has good dental health. Following are a few useful tips:
- Don’t send your baby to bed with a bottle. This can cause a situation called baby bottle tooth decay.
- Resist giving your child juices, sodas and sugary drinks.
We’d love to meet you and your family. Remember, we want to be partners in your child’s care from the first birthday through adolescence. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Sealants
It’s difficult enough for adults to clean their back molars, and for children, it’s almost impossible to reach those back teeth! Typically, your child’s first molars appear (erupt) around age 6 and second molars around age 12.
Sealants are an excellent way to help your child’s molars stay cavity-free.
What are sealants?
Sealants are thin, protective coatings that are painted over the chewing surface of the molars. Sealants work as a “shield” to keep harmful bacteria from settling into your teeth. Sealants reduce the risk of tooth decay by roughly 80 percent — children with sealants have three times less cavities than those who do not have sealants.
The earlier your child receives sealants, the greater the benefit.
Would you like to schedule an appointment for your child to receive sealants? Just contact us and we’ll be glad to help.
Fluoride Treatments
The fluoride treatments available in our office are much more effective than any over-the-counter toothpastes or mouth rinses. These treatments are extremely beneficial to those with a high risk of developing cavities.
Fluoride fights tooth decay through “remineralization,” a process that slows cavity formation.
During a fluoride treatment, we use a brush to paint teeth with a special gel. This gives the fluoride a chance to absorb into the teeth.
Request an appointment to talk to us about fluoride treatments and how your child can benefit.
Fillings
We hope your child will never have to have a filling, but when he or she does, know that we are dedicated to providing the highest level of service in an environment that is as stress-free as possible.
The noise of the drill, strange smells, and surgical masks can make even the bravest child uneasy. We remember what it was like when our children had their first fillings, and that’s why we sincerely want every child to have a positive experience.
We offer composite (tooth-colored) fillings. Ask us why this is the best choice for you.
Treating specially challenged children
We welcome specially challenged children, and we understand the complexity of their unique dental needs. This is why it is important that these children are treated by a dentist with extensive pediatric experience.
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, some of the dental challenges faced by specially challenged children include:
- Delayed tooth appearance (eruption) for up to two years
- Greater risk for crowded teeth
- Impaired immune systems
- Extra or missing teeth
- Tendency to grind teeth
- Difficulty flossing and cleaning their own teeth
Caring for a specially challenged child is a rewarding experience. We welcome all children, and we will work with you to ensure that your child gets the care he or she needs and deserves. We promise to treat your child with kindness, love, gentleness and dignity.
Please contact us. We would like to discuss the unique needs of your child so we can determine how we can best serve your family.
Space Maintainers
Baby teeth are very important. They play an important role by serving as “guides” to help permanent teeth smoothly align into the correct spot when they erupt.
However, sometimes things don’t go according to plan.
If your child loses a baby tooth prematurely a “space maintainer” may be needed to hold the space open until the permanent tooth comes in to fill it. This appliance will help your child’s bite develop properly—and hopefully avoid the need for braces later on.
Emergency Treatment
We hope you will never need this service. There is nothing as upsetting as seeing your child injured, in pain, or hurt. However, dental emergencies can occur any time at any place.
Perhaps your child had a tooth knocked out when she took a stumble on the playground. Maybe your son’s tooth was chipped when he was playing soccer. Perhaps your toddler bit down on something and has an object lodged in his mouth. Some of the most common dental emergencies are:
- Broken or chipped teeth
- Knocked-out permanent or baby teeth
- Severe toothaches
- Objects stuck in the mouth
Don’t worry. We’ve seen these emergencies before. Not only do we have the sophisticated, state-of-the-art equipment to treat them, but we have a stellar staff who also understands that children often need comforting after a traumatic injury.
Crowns
If your child has a cracked, misshapen, broken or damaged tooth, a dental crown may be needed. A crown is a covering that is placed over a tooth to protect it. A crown is also used if your child has a large cavity and there isn’t enough tooth left to support the filling.
If your child needs a crown, a metal crown is a temporary solution for children who have baby teeth and are still growing. Once in place, the crown can be cared for like one of your child’s natural teeth.
Speak to us if you’d like more information on dental crowns.
Mouthguards
Each year, there are roughly 7 million sports and recreation-related injuries. More than half of those are sustained by children as young as five years old.
Mouthguards are an important tool for protecting your child’s teeth.
While over-the-counter mouthguards are available for younger children, they are not as a effective as the customized ones made in a dental office. This is important for adolescents who have all their permanent teeth. We use an impression of your child’s actual teeth to create a mouthguard that fits better and lasts longer than the generic varieties.
We love to cheer for our children from the sidelines. We also enjoy the peace of mind that mouthguards provide. Please contact us so we can help your child take this important safety precaution.
Nitrous Oxide
Your child’s safety is our first priority. We realize that during prolonged or involved dental procedures, sedation is a safe and effective option.
Nitrous oxide – also known as laughing gas — promotes relaxation without putting your child “to sleep.” The laughing gas is inhaled through a small mask that comfortably fits over the nose. After the procedure, the effects of the nitrous oxide quickly dissipate after the mask is removed.
We believe it is helpful to explain the process to your child. We will only suggest sedation if we believe it is in the best interest of your child. We understand that you may have a lot of questions about nitrous oxide, like when should it be used and all the treatment options available. Please contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss whether or not this would be an appropriate option for your child.
Hospital Dentistry
Hospital dentistry seamlessly integrates both medicine and dentistry. This means we are uniquely qualified to provide dental care for patients who may have other medical conditions. These conditions may include:
- Physical limitations that prevent patients from providing their own dental care
- Chronic diseases such as diabetes
- Weakened immune systems
- Psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
Through hospital dentistry, we can also utilize the hospital for procedures that require general anesthesia or the use of an operating room.