Having healthy teeth begins with good dental practices. At Alvin Smiles, we provide that kind of care and believe it’s beneficial for your children to see a Children’s Dentists.
Proper oral care has a significant effect on your child’s overall health and plays an integral part in preventing tooth decay and diseases.
Encouraging your child to listen to the team during their appointment, while scheduling routine examinations and biannual cleanings, will result in improved dental hygiene.
Children tend to fear going to the dentist. We create a welcoming and friendly atmosphere at Alvin Smiles to help your child feel calm.
We provide superior dental care to children, including those with special needs. Our excellent care is designed to achieve and maintain optimal oral health for a lifetime.
Moreover, we help them understand the importance of practicing good dental hygiene habits from the start.
We’re committed to:
We believe oral health and hygiene should begin at a young age.
The American Academy of Children’s Dentists advises that children be scheduled for oral assessment when the first tooth appears and no later than their first birthday.
Taking your child to the dentist early in life can ensure proper dental care.
Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood illnesses in the U.S. today. The best move is prevention.
We’ll teach your child how to correctly brush and floss their teeth as they grow. Also, we’ll discuss the best hygiene habits and food choices to keep their teeth and gums healthy.
Furthermore, we will ensure that you are familiar with all your child’s oral issues and dental procedures.
Restorative dentistry may be required, even with diligent oral hygiene practices.
During each visit, we carefully examine your child’s mouth and teeth for any potential issues. Then we gently repair the teeth, restoring their function, strength, and appearance.
Treatments include:
Primary (or baby) teeth play a vital role in the development of permanent teeth. This is why we may recommend root canal therapy, rather than extracting a severely decayed baby tooth.
If your child suddenly develops sensitivity to cold, sweet, or acidic foods and drinks, this could be a sign of decay. Other signs include pain or throbbing in a tooth, which may indicate pulp damage or infection.
In most cases, we’ll perform a pulpotomy – removal of infected pulp. Since less structure is affected, pulpotomies usually require less time to complete and heal. Local anesthetic medication is generally used to ensure comfort.
Afterward, a dental crown will be placed to protect the remaining structure from further damage. When the baby tooth falls out, the crown will go with it, allowing the permanent tooth to move into place.
Space Maintainers are used to hold spaces for un-erupted permanent teeth if baby teeth are lost too early. They are cemented with sticky glue that can be washed away by saliva over time. The use of local anesthesia is determined on a case-by-case basis.
The continued need and fit of the spacer will be evaluated during each recall visit. Eventually, the space maintainer will have to be removed to allow eruption of the permanent tooth.
When Should a Child’s Baby Teeth Be Removed?
An inevitable part of growth is when primary (or baby) teeth fall out and adult teeth come in. Typically, primary teeth loosen and fall out on their own, but every child is different.
During your child’s orthodontic evaluation, we consider the development of primary teeth.
Is My Child’s Tooth Development on Track?
Many parents become concerned that their child’s primary teeth have not yet fallen out. Remember that each child’s mouth is unique.
Typically, your child will lose their first tooth between ages 6 and 8 and continue through ages 10 to 13.
Many children experience a break between ages 8 and 10, so don’t be alarmed if your child doesn’t lose any teeth for a while.
Crowding may become an issue when a permanent tooth begins to grow next to a baby tooth.
We usually recommend removal in this instance, but note that this does not solve the issue. Sometimes, palate expansion may be a viable solution.
We use X-rays and scans to keep track of your child’s dental development. These help determine whether tooth extraction is advisable.
Your child’s baby teeth have an important function in holding the required space needed for permanent teeth to come in.
Regarding missing teeth, our doctor will decide if the space in between needs to be closed. Sometimes, it’s best to wait.
Keeping teeth in place is also good for keeping gums healthy.
Every visit begins with a careful examination.
We look at how many teeth they’ve lost and which have still to come in. You shouldn’t be concerned if your child is losing teeth at a slow pace.
At age 12 and older, particularly if they’re getting their second molars, we might consider removing baby teeth when planning orthodontic treatment.
Stainless steel crowns are used for:
The procedure is performed using local anesthesia, so your child’s mouth will be numb. Afterward, the gums surrounding the crowns will appear irritated. Children’s Motrin or Tylenol should relieve any soreness.
The crown and baby tooth will be lost naturally as they are replaced by a permanent tooth.
Get quality dental care, catering to the individual needs of infants, children, adolescents, and those with special needs.
Contact Alvin Smiles and schedule an appointment today.