Between Halloween and the upcoming holiday season, our team knows that your kids are likely to develop tooth decay. Along with controlling sugar intake, good oral health can help protect kids from cavities. In today’s blog, your Lake Orion, MI, dentist talks about protecting kids with children’s dentistry, so they can enjoy healthy smiles free of toothaches and the risk of infection and premature tooth loss!
When Kids Need to See the Dentist
When should your child see the dentist? At about age one, after the first baby tooth has arrived, we recommend a simple wellness visit with our team. This will involve a knee-to-knee lap exam. Once your children reach the age of two, we suggest a visit every six months for a checkup and cleaning. When kids see us, they not only maintain good oral health, but they become accustomed to the office so the risk of dental anxiety later in life is reduced. They also gain a better understanding of their smiles and the need to care for them, and may be more likely to continue seeking care on their own as adults.
Checkups and Cleanings
The checkup is an essential part of children’s dentistry. During this visit, we will take a close look at their smiles and we will ask them about their oral hygiene routine and sugar consumption. We then examine the teeth, gums, roots, and more with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, using digital options that require much less radiation and provide high-definition images instantly on chairside monitors. We can make a diagnosis with precision and accuracy, and plan care for the issue we catch in their earliest stages.
In the same sitting, we will also safeguard their teeth and gums with a dental cleaning. The procedure involves our team removing all plaque and tartar from the teeth with an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual pick, a process that is quick and comfortable, and significantly reduces the risk of tooth decay.
Fluoride Treatments
Children’s dentistry is all about prevention. We want to help kids avoid the onset of tooth decay, and fluoride can help. This is a naturally-occurring mineral that has been shown to help strengthen the teeth, keeping outer enamel strong to avoid cavities. We can apply this to the teeth in a varnish form as part of the checkup and cleaning process. The procedure only takes a few seconds, and kids will need to avoid food and drink for about a half hour as the material fully cures. We also suggest kids use a fluoride toothpaste when they end each day. Children under the age of three need to use a rice-sized amount, and kids over the age of three should use a pea-sized blot.
Dental Sealants
Our team understands that kids often have trouble reaching the rear teeth when they brush and floss. Which means particles of sugar and starch can remain trapped between the molars, increasing the risk of tooth decay in these hard-to-reach portions of their smiles. But we can help with dental sealants! Our team will coat the rear molars in a layer of acrylic, which only takes a few seconds. We then cure the material and will recommend kids avoid eating or drinking anything until about a half hour later. The sealants prevent sugar and starch from being trapped between these teeth, and they can stay in place for years to come, as long as ten in some cases!
Dental Fillings
What if we discover a cavity in your child’s smile? If this happens, we can offer a holistic solution that uses a metal-free material. Our composite resin fillings bond with the teeth and can be shaded to blend with the tooth. They are safe for all ages and stay in place for years to come, protecting the tooth from infection and the risk of premature tooth loss, which is a major factor in the onset of dental misalignment. The treatment process only takes one visit to complete!
If you have any questions about our approach to children’s dentistry, then contact our office today to learn more and make an appointment for your little one. They deserve the best smiles, and we want to help make it so!
Lake Orion Family Dentistry Treats Little Smiles
We want to help your children enjoy good oral health and safeguard smiles for years to come with biocompatible and holistic dental care. To find out more about children’s dentistry, or to schedule an appointment, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI at (248)693-6213.
