General Topics

What is a Pediatric Dentist?  How are they different from general dentist?

A pediatric dentist focuses on oral health and unique needs of young people and limits his/her practice to treat children only.  Children are not just smaller version of adults.  There are many significant differences between an adult’s and a child’s anatomy, physiology and psychology.   Special oral care knowledge is required to treat infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health needs.  After completing a four-year dental school curriculum, two to three additional years of rigorous training is required to become a pediatric dentist. This specialized program of study and hands-on experience prepares pediatric dentists to meet the unique needs of your infants, children, adolescents, and special needs patients.

We are concerned about your child’s total health care. Good oral health is an important part of total health. Establishing us as your child’s “Dental Home” provides us the opportunity to implement preventive dental health habits that keep a child free from dental/oral disease. We focus on prevention, early detection and treatment of dental diseases, and keep current on the latest advances in dentistry for children.

Pleasant visits to the dental office promote the establishment of trust and confidence in your child that will last a lifetime. Our goal, along with our staff, is to help all children feel good about visiting the dentist and teach them how to care for their teeth. From our special office designs, to our communication style, our main concern is what is best for your child.

Why are the Primary Teeth so Important?

Keeping baby teeth healthy is important because some of these teeth may remain in the mouth until your children are 12 or 13 years old. Baby teeth help children to chew properly and to speak clearly. They also save space for the developing adult teeth under the gum so that when it is time for them to erupt, they will appear in the proper positions in the mouth. If tooth decay occurs as the baby teeth are not well taken care of, the child may experience pain and could develop an infection such as an abscess. Children with decay may have problems eating, sleeping and focusing because of this pain and as a result, may not grow and develop normally. A child with visible decay may become self-conscious and not want to smile or laugh.

 

The space of the premature lost primary tooth is closed. There is not enough room for the succeeding permanent tooth to eruption into its normal position.

 

Eruption sequence of permanent teeth. It is important to keep your primary teeth healthy because some of the adult teeth do not erupt until 12 – 13 years old.

 

How can I prepare my child for the dental visit?

• Children can pick up little cues from your emotions so be as natural and relaxed as possible when telling your child about the dental appointment.
• Tell your child that he/ she will be going to a “children only” place and will meet some new people who want to help him/her to stay healthy. 
• Avoid phrases such as “It’s not going to hurt”; “She’s not going to give you a needle”; “You are getting your teeth pulled”or “The dentist is going to drill your teeth” which may sound too graphic and scary for your child. We are very careful to use child friendly words and phrases which are not as negative.
• If you are unsure how to answer your child’s questions tell him/her that you don’t know. Encourage your child to ask these questions when he/she arrives in the office.
• If your child has a favorite toy or book, bring it along.  Feel free to let us know if there is anything that we can help to make your child more at ease.
• Please don’t be upset if your child cries during the visit, especially this is a normal coping mechanism for younger children to the unknown.  Please be prepared to let us talk to your child while you observe quietly. Too many people talking at the same time will confuse the child and increase anxiety.

Dental Radiographs (X-rays)

Radiographs (x-rays) are vital for a complete examination of your child.  There are many “hidden” problems that cannot be detected by a clinical exam, eg. cavities between the teeth, disease of the nerves and roots of the teeth, missing teeth etc.   Radiographs allow the dentist to diagnose these problems and treat them accordingly. 

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends radiographs and examination every six months for children with high decay risk.  On average, radiographs can be obtained every year for children that have moderate and low decay risk.  Our digital radiograph system at the office significantly reduces radiation exposure to your children.  Together with other protective devices, such as lead aprons and shield, the risk of radiation is negligible.  In fact, the dental radiographs represent a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem.