Receiving regular cleanings and examinations is vital for developing a child’s healthy smile. Just like their parents, kids are at risk for cavities and or other oral problems without routine hygienic care. In today’s blog, your Sunny Smiles’ dentist talks about the importance of pediatric dental care.
A Child’s First Trip To The Dentist
We suggest scheduling your child’s first appointment whenever their first baby tooth erupts or by their first birthday. At this meeting, we will perform a simple knee-to-knee exam to introduce your toddler to their dentist. With your child sitting in your lap, we will pull up a chair and inspect their mouth. This allows us to see that their teeth are coming in on time and perform a cleaning.
Beginning around age two, we will place your child on a regular semiannual visitation schedule. Consistent care means detecting issues with tooth decay or the arrival and departure of teeth before they become worse. Because a child’s experience at these visits can inform their attitudes towards oral care throughout their lifetime, we take special care to provide a comfortable experience and answer any questions they may have.
Restoring Damaged Teeth
What happens when a baby tooth develops a cavity? Just like with an adult’s tooth, we suggest placing a restoration to preserve your child’s smile. We can place a minimally invasive treatment that matches the shade of a natural tooth and maintains the alignment of your child’s bite. We use a composite resin to place tooth fillings that harden immediately after application and blend with the rest of their tooth. This material is also used when applying dental bonding to build up chipped teeth.
A Preventive Approach Towards Pediatric Dental Care
Towards the end of a child’s checkup, we offer additional preventive treatments to prevent decay. Because children lack the dexterity to always clean the entirety of their mouth, they can be more susceptible to cavities until they learn to properly brush and floss each day. By applying a fluoride treatment, we help remineralize their protective enamel layer to be more resistant to acidic erosion from plaque. Choosing a toothpaste that contains fluoride can help remineralize their teeth as well.
To provide physical protection, we can also place dental sealants on a child’s back molars. Sealants prevent plaque and debris from sticking to rear teeth and can last for years and dissolve on their own.
SPEAK WITH SUNNY SMILES IN EL PASO, TX, ABOUT CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY
We look forward to taking care of your little one’s smile! If you’re ready to schedule an appointment for your child, please contact our Sunny Smiles location on N Zaragoza Rd in El Paso, TX at 915-849-9000. With routine dental checkups, we can help your kid learn healthy behaviors to protect their teeth.