Dental Care for Children
Usually when kids are 3 years old and they are used to having their teeth checked they are also ready to have a full cleaning and possibly x-rays if needed. Dr. Karen will check their teeth gums and bite development as well as a thorough cleaning.
Dental Care for Children
Usually when kids are 3 years old and they are used to having their teeth checked they are also ready to have a full cleaning and possibly x-rays if needed. Dr. Karen will check their teeth gums and bite development as well as a thorough cleaning.
DENTAL SEALANTS
Some baby molars may be more susceptible to develop cavities when the grooves and crevices are very deep, those surfaces are the hardest to clean because they trap the most plaque. Sealants will protect the chewing surfaces with the placement of a thin layer of tooth colored protective coating. Sealants will also be recommended as soon as the permanent molars come in.
TOOTH COLORED FILLINGS
While Dr. Karen's main goal is to prevent the presence of caries in your child’s teeth sometimes those cavities will appear in children due to many reasons, love for sugary drinks and treats especially the gummy kind, inconsistency with brushing and flossing and lack of fluoride use. In those cases where cavities are not able to stop, Dr. Karen will recommend tooth-colored filling that will blend perfectly into your child’s smile. These fillings are made of a safe, BPA-free biocompatible resin that will bond to the tooth and restore back to a healthy environment.
SILVER DIAMINE FLUORIDE
If cavities are present and your child is still very apprehensive towards dental treatment SDF may be a good option to stop the spread of bacteria, containing the progression of the cavity, protect the health of the tooth ( nerve) until a permanent restoration can be placed. One drop of SDF placed into the compromised tooth is a comfortable and conservative way of treating teeth with decay until a filling can be placed. On older kids this could be a good solution to place to buy time until the tooth falls out.
DENTAL CROWNS
When cavities continue to progress and the tooth structure is compromised, a stainless steel “princess” or “power ranger “ cap may be recommended to restore the original shape and strength of the tooth until it is ready to fall out.
SPACE MAINTAINERS
When a baby tooth needs to be removed or falls out too soon a spacer helps keep the gap open in order to ensure that the adult tooth comes in, a spacer helps to avoid shifting and blocking the adult tooth.
SPORTS GUARDS
Sports are a big part of our kids lives, we are big advocates of prevention and we can provide with a variety of custom made mouth guards to keep their teeth protected whenever they are playing sports. Using a mouth guard will minimize their injuries whenever they occur.
HABITS
We know that habits are difficult to break. Depending on how frequent, how long and how strong the habit is, the longer the habit stays, the more long term negative effects can have on the child's facial growth. We can give tips to try to stop the habit that may help to achieve this goal.
If your child is older and wants to quit there are several ways to provide positive reinforcement reminders for them to quit. We are happy to help to find the best approach for your child.
PULP THERAPY
When a cavity is left untreated the bacteria will infect the nerve tissue inside the tooth once this happens the infected nerve will cause pain when eating or drinking. Pulp therapy or “baby root canal" is a proven procedure that can provide fast relief and maintain tooth function. Baby teeth are the best space maintainers to guide the permanent dentition, when possible every attempt will be made to save the baby tooth.
TOOTH EXTRACTIONS
Most teeth will fall out on their own however some may need a little bit of extra help from the dentist. In some cases, baby teeth extractions are needed to aid the eruption, prevent delay or poor alignment of the permanent tooth. We may also recommend removing a tooth that can’t be repaired. We will make sure your child is comfortable from beginning to end during the procedure.