Your Child’s Oral Health is Important
Dental care is crucial from the time your child’s first tooth emerges, which is typically between six and 12 months. That’s why at Luck Dental Clinic, we do everything possible to ensure our pediatric patient’s teeth are healthy with the help of our services. By bringing your child to the dentist early on, it aids in the healthy development of their jaws, permanent teeth, and their ability to chew and speak properly.
To ensure your child achieves pristine oral health, we’ll work closely with you and your child to help develop good oral hygiene habits that can become the foundation of excellent oral health for a lifetime. From brushing and flossing to monitoring sugar intake, our team of dental professionals will help keep your child’s smile clean and healthy even between checkups.
What Does Pediatric Dentistry Cover?
Pediatric dentistry is dedicated to the oral health of children from infancy through the teenage years. Since pediatric patients have different dental needs than adults, our Luck dentists provide the following high-quality pediatric services:
- Regular checkups
- Crowns, amalgam fillings, and X-rays
- Tooth extractions
- Root canal treatments
- Dental sealants
- Oral surgery
- Pediatric sedation dentistry
- And more
How to Prepare Your Child for a Dental Appointment
Prior to your child’s dental appointment, there are a few tips and tricks we recommend to help make the overall experience easier and set them up for success, including:
- Speaking positively about the dentist
- Choosing a time of day when they’re well-rested and relaxed
- Bringing their favorite toys
- Showing them television shows or books that display their favorite characters going to the dentist
- Using positive reinforcement or a reward
Preventive Pediatric Services
In addition to treating different types of existing dental conditions, we also emphasize prevention through parent and patient education. We offer a variety of preventive services to help your child achieve a lifetime of pristine oral health and beautiful smiles.
Cleanings & Exams
Along with maintaining a good at-home oral hygiene routine, you should bring your child into Luck Dental Clinic biannually for exams and professional cleanings. Dental exams are essential to the early detection of oral health issues so we can treat them before they advance to a more serious stage.
Professional dental cleanings help to eliminate built-up plaque that’s hardened on the teeth which could otherwise promote the development of decay and cavities. Ensuring that your child gets routine cleanings will help them maintain a healthy smile and great oral health.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are thin, plastic coatings that are placed over the chewing surfaces of your child’s molars. This treatment seals out bacteria, protecting your child’s teeth from developing cavities or other issues. Sealants are safe and can be effective for many years but do need to be checked regularly for wear and tear.
Our dental sealants process is quick and easy, only taking a couple of minutes per tooth. Proper home care, a balanced diet, and regular dental visits will help increase the longevity of dental sealants.
Fluoride Treatments
Our team provides professional fluoride treatments in the form of highly concentrated rinse, foam, gel, or varnish. We’ll apply this treatment using swabs, brushes, trays, or mouthwash. Fluoride treatments are done during regular dental appointments and come in fun flavors that your child can choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Helping your child maintain an at-home oral hygiene routine is crucial to their overall health. Not only will it protect their mouths from harmful bacteria that eventually lead to cavities, but it will also form healthy habits that improve the longevity of their smile. We recommend an at-home oral care routine consisting of brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing with mouthwash.
Other ways to help avoid the formation of cavities include:
- Using oral care products that contain fluoride
- Avoiding frequent snacking
- Avoiding sugary and acidic foods
- Considering dental sealants treatment
- Eating tooth-healthy foods
In addition to the above tips, ensuring your child visits Luck Dental Clinic biannually for dental checkups and professional cleanings is essential for their oral health. During these visits, we’re able to remove any plaque and tartar buildup to leave your child’s smile healthy and clean.
Attentive oral health care should begin prior to your baby’s first tooth eruption. We recommend that you clean your baby’s gums after any feedings with a clean, soft washcloth dampened with water.
Brushing your baby’s teeth can begin as soon as they emerge, just make sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Your local drugstore should have small toothbrushes that are designed for infants. Don’t brush your infant’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste until your dentist lets you know their mouth is ready.