A pediatric dentist specializes in treating children from infancy through the late teen years. Many parents think that a child’s baby teeth don’t need any special care. This isn’t true. Tooth decay and even gum inflammation can happen to toddlers, too. Pediatric dentistry strives to educate parents on proper tooth care for their children.
A Pediatric Dentist Knows How to Care for an Infant’s Mouth and Teeth
Children generally begin teething around the age of three to six months. Parents should begin their child’s dental care by cleaning the gums with a piece of gauze twice a day, even before teeth erupt. After teething begins, care for each tooth as it appears by also cleaning it with a piece of gauze twice a day. As the child grows older and gets more teeth, parents can switch to a baby toothbrush dampened with water. Consult your pediatric dentist for the best toothbrush to use. Avoid using fluoride toothpaste until the child is able to understand that they cannot swallow it. Your pediatric dentist can also advise you on the best toothpaste to use for your child when he or she is old enough.
Your Child’s First Visit to a Pediatric Dentist
A child should have his or her first dental visit before the age of two years. Many pediatric dentists recommend a first visit as soon as the first tooth appears. The pediatric dentist will conduct a full oral exam of your child’s mouth. Pediatric dentistry offers services like an orthodontic evaluation, x-rays, cleaning, dental sealants and fluoride treatments. The dentist will also be looking for signs of tooth decay. Useful reference on building life-long relationships with the general dentistry patients.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants offer strong protection against decay of the chewing surfaces of the teeth. This means the molars. The sealant is composed of a plastic-like material that fills the grooves of the molars, sealing out the food particles and bacteria that cause decay. Find more info that provides relaxed and comfortable dental services, thereby changing people’s lives.
Dental Implants in Indianapolis allow the replacement of a single tooth or multiple teeth without relying on any adjacent teeth for strength or support.
Fluoride Treatments
Pediatric dentistry often includes the use of fluoride treatments. Fluoride is a mineral substance that helps to harden teeth and make them more resistant to decay. When used as a dental treatment, fluoride varnish is applied to the child’s teeth with a small brush. It’s not painful. The varnish quickly hardens and remains on the teeth until it is brushed off some four to 12 hours later. Fluoride varnish may cause a temporary discoloration of teeth, but this will disappear when the substance is removed by brushing.
Oral Appliances
If your child plays sports, your pediatric dentist may recommend the use of a special mouthguard to protect the teeth from damage. A child’s baby teeth serve as a kind of template for the permanent teeth to come. It’s very important that each tooth stay in place so that the underlying adult tooth can develop and erupt properly. If thumb-sucking persists beyond a child’s third year, it may cause dental problems. A special mouth night-guard will help protect your child’s teeth until he or she grows out of the habit.
Pediatric Dental Cleanings
Dental prophylactic cleanings are an important part of pediatric dentistry. It’s important to remove dental tartar, which is hardened plaque, from the teeth on a regular basis. Tartar can contribute to decay and periodontal disease.
Pediatric dentistry also offers special oral exams for infants, nitrous oxide, exams for special needs children, extractions, fillings, spacers, root canals and even teeth whitening for teen patients.
At South Tulsa Dental Pediatric Dentistry, the office of Dr. Chris Tricinella D.D.S., the goal is to provide your child with a relaxing and state of the art dental treatment in a caring and compassionate manner.
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