We warmly welcome children of all ages at Clock Tower Dental and work hard to create an environment where they feel calm, comfortable, and relaxed.
This guide explains the importance of pediatric dentistry and when your child should have their first dental visit. We discuss the types of treatments provided for children.
What Is Pediatric Dentistry?
Pediatric dentistry is focused on addressing the unique oral health needs of children. Children require different dental services from adults because their teeth and jaws are still growing and developing.
Pediatric dental care helps children grow up with healthy, cavity-free teeth and a confident smile. Much of this treatment is preventive, as common dental problems like cavities can be averted with the right professional dental care combined with good oral care at home.
Other treatments focus on early diagnosis and detection of oral health issues such as an improper bite. We can also diagnose oral health conditions resulting from other issues like asthma, diabetes, ADHD, and hay fever.
Our entire team treats children gently as if they were our own, and our dentists, Dr. Michael F Kelley and Dr. Ramin Rayhan have a clinical interest in children’s dentistry. We can treat children from infancy through to adulthood.
What Types of Treatments Are Provided by a Pediatric Dentist?
The treatments we provide include:
- Regular dental checkups and hygiene appointments.
- Fluoride treatment.
- Dental sealants.
- Dental injuries.
- Tongue tie.
Dental Checkups and Hygiene Appointments
Every child should see a dentist regularly, and these visits allow us to monitor their teeth and gums for signs of common problems like cavities and gum disease.
We will take digital dental X-rays periodically. These X-rays are safe; we only take them when necessary and ensure your child is properly protected.
Dental X-rays are important because they show us structures that are hidden from view. We can use them to diagnose problems such as cavities or an infection in a tooth. We can also see the position of teeth that have yet to erupt and can check if they are developing normally.
Hygiene appointments are also essential because we can clean their teeth thoroughly, removing all plaque and tartar buildup. The treatment leaves them with beautifully clean teeth and fresh breath.
Fluoride Treatments
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can help prevent cavities. It is applied topically and hardens tooth enamel, increasing its resistance to the acids that cause cavities.
Our dental office can supply professional-strength fluoride treatments such as mouth rinses, gel, foam, or varnish painted onto your child’s teeth. These treatments are quick, non-invasive, painless, and cost-effective.
After your child receives fluoride, it’s best if they don’t eat or drink anything for 30 minutes afterward; otherwise, there is no downtime. They can return to normal activities immediately.
Dental Sealants
We may recommend that your child have dental sealants applied to their adult back teeth soon after they erupt. Dental sealants are extremely effective in helping to prevent cavities in the chewing surfaces of these teeth. They form a thin, durable barrier between the tooth and the bacteria and acids that can cause cavities.
The chewing surfaces of back teeth are susceptible to developing cavities because of their deep grooves and fissures. These can be tricky to keep clean as sometimes a toothbrush cannot reach deep enough to remove all plaque, bacteria, and food debris.
Treatment is very straightforward; we will clean your child’s teeth professionally before painting on the sealant. It is a thin, flowable plastic that will bond strongly to your child’s teeth and quickly hardens.
Dental sealants are relatively long-lasting and should remain in good condition for several years before re-application is needed. We can check their condition during regular dental exams.
Dental Injuries
Young children are very active, and it doesn’t take much for them to fall awkwardly or sustain some form of dental injury. The result can be a chipped, cracked, or knocked-out tooth.
If your child has a dental injury, we are here to help them. We can provide emergency dental care that will quickly help them feel more comfortable, relieve pain and discomfort, and hopefully restore damaged teeth.
We do strongly recommend sports mouthguards for children. These can help avoid many dental injuries and reduce the risk of trauma to their jaws.
Tongue Tie
Some children have a condition called tongue tie, where their fraenulum, a small piece of tissue, is stretched too tightly, affecting the movement of their tongue.
It is a common condition that can easily be treated with a small surgical procedure by Dr. Kelley or Dr. Rayhan.
When Should My Child First See a Dentist?
We recommend your child has their first dental visit soon after they get their first teeth and definitely by age 1. We realize they are still very young, but it is best to build healthy oral habits early.
What to Expect When Your Child First Sees a Dentist
When we first see your child, it’s merely a quick dental exam and a peek inside their mouth to check their jaws and teeth are developing as expected. After this first dental exam, we suggest they have regular, six-month checkups.
During this first visit, we can also discuss other matters, such as how to care for your child’s teeth at home and the importance of baby teeth.
The Importance of Baby Teeth
Your child’s baby teeth are especially important, and good oral care is needed to prevent cavities. These teeth are essential for chewing food, enabling your child to have proper nutrition so they can grow and develop. Teeth are also important when learning to speak. Without teeth, proper speech development could be affected.
Baby teeth have another important role: they help provide a good foundation for adult teeth to erupt correctly. They hold open the proper amount of space in your child’s jaw until the adult teeth are ready to push through.
If your child’s baby or primary teeth are lost too soon, it could affect the development of their adult teeth, and they may need orthodontic treatment later.
What Are the Advantages of Early Dental Care?
There are several major advantages to ensuring your child receives early dental care.
Reducing the Risk of Dental Fears and Phobias
Seeing a child regularly from a very young age allows them to grow up viewing dental visits as part of normal life. They can get used to all the sights, sounds, and smells of a dental office and the sensation of having their mouth checked and teeth gently cleaned.
This approach helps children grow up free from dental fears and phobias. It allows us to build a professional relationship with them, creating an environment where they feel safe, relaxed, and comfortable receiving treatment.
Dental Education
Dental education is a huge part of our practice, and our dentists and hygienists have a wealth of information that will help you look after your child’s teeth and gums more easily. We can show you the right brushing and flossing techniques and discuss how diet can affect your child’s dental health.
When your child gets older and wants to brush independently, we can work with them directly. This ensures they grow up knowing how to look after their teeth and gums and why it is important.
Expert Advice on Oral Habits
Many children have a thumb-sucking or pacifier habit, and most will quit this habit naturally around age 3. Others may have more difficulty stopping, so we can provide information, tips, and tricks to help your child quit more easily. We can also help and advise on other oral habits like mouth breathing.
Early Orthodontic Evaluations
When we see your child, we will continually monitor the growth and development of their teeth and jaws. We will recommend an early orthodontic evaluation around age 5 or six if necessary. This evaluation can be extremely useful in helping to treat orthodontic issues earlier. It can reduce or eliminate the need for braces later.
Have You Been Looking for a Good Pediatric Dentist?
Contact Clock Tower Dental for gentle dentistry services that will help your child grow up enjoying all the benefits of great dental health.