Pediatric Procedures

Regular Dental Hygiene Visits

Dental checkups on a regular basis are a very important part of maintaining your child's teeth & establishing good habits for diet & home care. The frequency of your visits is based upon your child's needs & oral health. During your visit, we will update the medical history, check your child's teeth for cavities, review oral hygiene instructions & diet, & evaluate your child for developing orthodontic needs. Fluoride treatments are provided & home fluoride rinses or tablets are prescribed when needed & appropriate.

Tooth Decay & Repair

For small cavities in primary molars, simple fillings may be all that is necessary. However, in the case of primary teeth, enough of the tooth may have been lost that a filling may not be enough to save the tooth. In cases like this, a pediatric stainless steel crown is placed to maintain the tooth & its space-maintaining function until the tooth would normally be lost. Primary front teeth may be restored with tooth-colored filling material or a stainless steel crown with tooth-colored material as a facing to improve the appearance. The severity of the tooth decay will determine which of the treatments is best.

Infant Dental Care

It’s never too early to begin providing your child with dental care, especially when you consider that half of children ages 5 through 9 already have at least one cavity. That is why we recommend an oral health consultation visit by age 1. Our goal is to establish a relationship of trust & gentleness with your infant, so we’re happy to treat your child while he or she sits in your lap. Starting dental care early is a great way to ensure optimal dental health for many years to come!

Sealants

Sealants are highly effective in preventing tooth decay on the biting surfaces of chewing teeth. A sealant is a simple procedure in which a clear or tooth-colored acrylic "coating" is painted onto the surface of the tooth. This effectively "seals" the deep grooves where decay is most likely to begin. This technique is usually done on permanent molars as soon as they have erupted enough to be sealed. Sometimes, primary molars have grooves deep enough to require sealing as well. At less than half the cost of conventional filling, without any anesthetic or drilling, sealants are one of the most important preventive tools we have.

Space Maintainers

If a primary molar is lost early, a space maintainer will be necessary to hold that space open until the permanent tooth is ready to come through. In some cases, the space maintainer may be needed for as long as ten years. Without space maintainers, crowding & the need for braces is almost always the end result.

Digital X-Rays

We offer in-office digital x-rays for your convenience. Digital x-rays are computer-generated images. These images require up to 90% less radiation than with conventional film-type x-rays. Instead of using the traditional silver-oxide x-ray film that must be developed & then fixed in caustic & environmentally damaging solutions, the new system takes pictures via a small electronic sensor & instantaneously transmits a picture of the tooth onto the video monitor in the treatment room. Therefore, we can see your teeth & surrounding structures immediately. Feel free to contact us for more details, or to make an appointment!

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is a safe & effective way for your child to remain calm during his or her dental treatment. He or she will feel completely relaxed & at peace while we perform the important dental care that every child needs.

General Anesthesia

If a child is very apprehensive, has an extensive amount of decay, is very young or has other special needs that make cooperation difficult, we may recommend that his or her dental work be done in the hospital under general anesthesia. General anesthesia renders the child completely asleep; he or she is monitored by the anesthetist while the dental work is completed. General anesthesia is extremely safe when used on healthy children. We will discuss the risks & benefits of this procedure should we recommend it.

Patient Safety

Patient safety is our top priority. To protect our patients & ourselves, our staff wears masks, gloves & glasses, as well as hospital scrub uniforms. We strictly observe all Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. All instruments are cleaned, disinfected & routinely sterilized as recommended by the American Dental Association & the Centers for Disease Control. Whenever possible, disposable single use items are used to ensure your child’s health & safety. Handpieces are sterilized with an autoclave sterilization unit. All surfaces in the treatment rooms are cleaned & disinfected after each patient.