Preventative Care
We believe strongly in prevention and teaching good oral hygiene habits early for lifelong oral health. Along with cleanings, we perform fluoride, sealants, dietary counseling and brushing/flossing techniques, all to help prevent cavities and promote good oral health.
Fillings & Restorations
We provide comprehensive treatment for your child’s oral health from fillings to stainless steel crowns. Our goal is to create healthy mouths that lead to healthy smiles.
Sealants
Highly effective in preventing cavities, dental sealants are a preventive procedure where a resin based coating is applied to the chewing surface of the back teeth in order to seal off the grooves and pits where cavities commonly start. Dental sealants are a routine procedure performed in children and adolescents.
Tooth Extractions
Sometimes a tooth cannot be treated with a filling or crown and needs to be removed. We perform extractions when necessary and depending on the age of the child, we will utilize a space maintainer in order to keep the area where the baby tooth was preserved for the adult tooth.
Silver Diamine Fluoride
Several situations call for something that can arrest cavities while waiting for a baby tooth to come out naturally or further treatment such as care in the operating room. Silver Diamine Fluoride or SDF is a highly concentrated fluoride with silver ions that arrests cavities. It is painted on the cavity to arrest it and keep it from getting worse. SDF turns the cavity darker which is evidence that the cavity was arrested.
In Office Sedation
Sometimes due to age or behavior, a child is unable to cope with traditional dental treatment. A minimal conscious sedation can make a dental appointment less scary for a child. Oral or nasal medications are used to lessen the worry or pain felt at the dentist. We do not expect a child to fall asleep during a sedation, but we do expect them to have no memory of the appointment preventing any long-lasting fears of treatment.
Growth & Development
In addition to evaluating children for cavities, a pediatric dentist also will evaluate a child's facial growth and development pattern. We evaluate the face, jaws, and teeth to assure all permanent teeth have space to fit into the mouth. Oftentimes, we detect malocclusions, or "bad bites" that can be corrected with early orthodontic treatment. We do not currently treat orthodontic cases in our office but will refer your child at the proper time.
OR/General Anesthesia
Taking a child to the hospital operation room with general anesthesia is sometimes needed when treatment cannot be successfully performed in office. We use the OR as a last option and prefer to use behavior modification techniques and "tell, show, do" that allows the child to become familiar with our tools and procedures. We will always discuss options and give recommendations depending on your child’s needs.