While you should pay close attention to your oral health at any age, pediatric dental care is crucial in the long-term. We offer a wide variety of treatments here at Texas Dentistry, all of which cater to making sure your child’s oral health is in good condition, whether it’s their first visit or 50th. Our dental office’s routine checkups, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and restorative procedures will protect your child’s health from day one. Don’t wait to schedule an appointment for pediatric dentitry in Mesquite with our caring dental office team today!
Children should have their first visit with our dental office within six months of their first tooth erupting. If their teeth have not yet erupted, you should bring them in by their first birthday. We’ll briefly look inside their mouth and confirm no decay or cavities are present. Keep in mind that this initial visit is less extensive; you can even have them sit on your lap during! We’ll spend more time focused on answering questions you have about at-home care and future treatments to think about.
It doesn’t matter what age you are; routine cleanings and checkups are incredibly important. With that said, children are at much higher risk of developing tooth decay compared to other age groups. That’s why we always recommend regular checkups and cleanings, especially starting at a young age. During their checkup, we’ll carefully examine their teeth, gums, tongue, throat, tonsils and other oral structures to confirm no abnormalities are present. Then, we’ll perform a brief, yet comprehensive cleaning to remove plaque and tartar. Lastly, we’ll apply a fluoride varnish to their teeth to protect and strengthen tooth enamel.
All teeth can develop tooth decay, but certain teeth are more vulnerable than others. This includes the molars and premolars, both of which contain many pits and fissures for food debris and plaque to collect inside of. When left unremoved, plaque, tartar, and cavity development is accelerated when compared to teeth without these characteristics. Thankfully, dental sealants can effectively seal these vulnerable areas from bacteria and food debris. After applying the composite resin material directly to these teeth and hardening them using our advanced curing light, your child’s teeth can expect protection for the next 10 years.
If you had the opportunity to catch and stop the early signs of cavities, wouldn’t you? Our dental office would, which is exactly why we offer a more advanced form of fluoride treatment for your youngest family members. Silver diamine fluoride takes fluoride applications to the next level. If a dental filling is too substantial for your child’s teeth, silver diamine can be used to strengthen their current tooth enamel and stop the progression of tooth decay, all without risking tooth sensitivity in the process.
Do you have young children who play a contact sport? If they participate in football, basketball, hockey, baseball, or a similar sport that carries a high risk for oral injury, a mouthguard is essential for their protection. When choosing a mouthguard, you should always choose one that fits as precisely and comfortably as possible. Not only will this give them the incentive to wear it, but it will last longer and they’ll have optimal protection. Mouthguards are proven to reduce the risk of chipped, broken or knocked-out teeth, and a custom-made mouthguard ensures the best protection possible.
Regardless of your family member’s needs, they deserve the same high-quality dental care as the rest of your family. While many dental offices are ill prepared to accommodate young patients with special needs, Texas Dentistry is ready to answer the call. We take pediatric care very seriously, which is why we are prepared to meet your child’s needs and create a comfortable dental office environment for them to receive care. We’ll always be patient with your child and do everything within our abilities to make their treatment relaxing. Our sedation options are also ideal for those who struggle to keep still in the dental chair.
For some children, it can be incredibly difficult for them to move their mouth or tongue. This is not a normal occurrence that should go by ignored. For one, their frenulum, which is a thin piece of oral tissue connecting the lips and tongue to the floor/roof of the mouth, could be oversized. Our dental office performs conservative, safe and effective frenectomies (also known as tongue-ties) to give your child full range of their tongue and lips, whether it’s for easier latching during breastfeeding, chewing their favorite foods, or simply speaking!
Teeth can become severely damaged, either due to an infection or because they sustained a physical injury. Our goal is to save that tooth however possible, and pulp therapy is just one of the ways we can get it done. Pulp therapy works to treat and restore teeth, preventing the need for an extraction. It can be performed on both baby teeth and permanent teeth. After close examination, we’ll perform a series of x-rays, then create a treatment plan that best meets your child’s needs.
There are some cases where baby teeth do not fall out naturally as they should. As a result, they can directly interfere with the eruption of permanent teeth. In this instance, we’ll extract the baby tooth as gently and carefully as possible. Additionally, baby teeth may need to be removed if orthodontic treatment is being performed or if we need to treat tooth decay. If a tooth is severely damaged and cannot be salvaged, an extraction may also be performed.
Are there issues related to your child’s erupting permanent teeth? With the help of custom-made space maintainers, we can allow your child’s permanent teeth to erupt properly and into healthy positions. Depending on your child’s preference, space maintainers can be designed to be either fixed or removable. During the first few days, your child will need to adjust to wearing the space maintainer. However, once they’ve adjusted, you can rest knowing that their oral complications are being properly addressed.
If your child has struggled to receive dental care due to fear or anxiety at the dentist, they are not alone. Children who have had a negative experience with a dentist are not only more likely to struggle to receive care as a child, but as an adult as well. Regardless of the cause, our dental office specifically caters to children who have fear or anxiety at the dentist. Our sedation techniques, including nitrous oxide, can combat fear or anxiety felt while receiving treatment, no matter how simple or complex it may be.