Preventive Dentistry?
Preventive dentistry means a “healthy smile” for your child, and it begins with your child’s first tooth. Make sure to schedule your child’s first visit by his/her 1st birthday. After evaluating your child’s dental health, the Dr. will design a personalized program of home care for your child. This program would include all or several of the preventive services. By following the designed program, you can help giving your child a lifetime of healthy habits.
Oral hygiene instructions
Preventive dentistry starts with instructing patients and/or parents the proper brushing and flossing techniques. We provide and reinforce oral hygiene instructions at every recall visit.
Tooth Cleaning and polishing
Tooth cleaning or polishing treatment is a part of your child’s preventive program. We use a special paste to polish teeth and remove any plaque build-up. Some children’s teeth may require to be scaled if tartar build-up is present. Tooth cleaning or polishing is recommended twice a year followed by a Fluoride treatment. Children with braces or special needs may require more frequent cleanings as recommended by the doctor.
Fluoride
It has been scientifically proven that excess amounts of fluoride intake will cause discoloration of permanent teeth, and insufficient fluoride would promote weak enamel. Weak enamel is more susceptible to caries. In order to assure that our young children are getting just the right amount of fluoride, we provide fluoride intake analysis in our office.
Diet Counselling
It is normally recommended for children to have a balanced diet that would include major food groups for a healthy growth and development. Teeth are equally affected by the diet. A balanced diet would help teeth to grow properly. In fact, a diet full of carbohydrates, (sugars and sticky starches) would place your child at a risk of having cavities. At the initial examination visit and subsequent recall visits, we evaluate your child’s diet and make recommendations to help your child’s teeth stay healthy.
Oral Habits
Some Children suffer from oral habits such as thumb/digit sucking or tongue thrusting. These habits can be very normal for infants and younger children. Prolonged oral habits can cause dental deformities such as bite problems. The doctor would evaluate your child with prolonged oral habits. Proper recommendations will be made. These recommendations may consist of behavior management techniques and/or simple habit appliances for older children.
Sealants
Dental sealant is a thin, plastic coating painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth -- usually the back teeth (the premolars and molars) -- to prevent tooth decay. The sealant quickly bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth, forming a protective shield over the enamel of each tooth.
Dental Care for Your Baby
Dental problems can begin at a very young age. The earlier the dental visits, the better the chance of preventing these dental problems. It is generally recommended by American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and American Academy of Pediatrics to have your child visit the dentist within 6-12 months of the eruption of the first tooth. A big concern in this age group is “Early Childhood Caries”. This is also known as “baby bottle tooth decay” or “nursing caries”. This caries process is due to using bottles at nap time or unhealthy nursing practices. Often times these young children suffer from tooth infections, early loss of baby teeth, and transient speech and aesthetic problems. The most important issue is to have a young child having to go through the dental treatment that would have been otherwise prevented. To prevent early childhood caries, the following is recommended: Wean your baby from the bottle by 12-14 months of age, don’t send your child to bed with a bottle containing sugar (milk, juice, sweet tea, and so on), encourage your child to drink from a cup by age one, start wiping or brushing your child’s teeth as they come in, schedule to see a pediatric dentist as recommended above.