Dental checkups every six months and teeth cleanings are the core services that every children’s dentist in Carrollwood provides. Pediatric dentists can do much more than that for your children, though. Here’s an introduction to children’s dentistry in Carrollwood.
What causes kids’ dental problems?
Everyone is susceptible to tooth decay, but children are particularly vulnerable due to their diet and occasionally poor dental hygiene. Sweet and sugary foods and beverages provide the fuel for bacteria that can contribute to tooth decay if those food particles and bacteria aren’t regularly cleaned away. While kids are still learning to brush and floss effectively and, let’s face it, not necessarily brushing twice daily and flossing daily as they should, tooth decay and cavities seems like an inevitable part of childhood.
In addition to the risk of tooth decay and cavities, kids have very different dental needs than those of adults based on their transition from baby to permanent teeth. While there’s a temptation to minimize the importance of baby teeth, it’s a temptation you should resist. How those baby teeth develop before falling out naturally will define the path for your child’s permanent teeth. If those baby teeth are neglected and fall out prematurely, that may disrupt the smooth and straight emergence of your child’s permanent teeth.
Dentists who practice children’s dentistry near you are specially trained in children’s health, development, and needs. Children are not miniature adults with small versions of adult’s teeth. They have specific needs that pediatric dentists understand. In addition to preventative dentistry, regular checkups, and teeth cleanings, pediatric dentists provide a wide range of other services for children. Here’s an introduction to some of them. You may think of them as just for adults, but they’re important parts of kids’ dentistry too.
Fillings
A pediatric dentist near you fills cavities left behind by tooth decay in a child’s mouth to protect the structure of the tooth and to prevent that tooth decay from spreading. Fillings are provided on both baby teeth and permanent teeth, and no less important just because those baby teeth will fall out eventually.
Root canals
Pediatric dentists have the skill and expertise to provide painless root canal treatment to address a cavity too large to be filled or an infection that is affecting the interior of your child’s tooth. While root canal is a stressful procedure for anyone, pediatric dentists will offer sedation dentistry options to minimize the stress on your child.
Crowns
Children occasionally suffer damage to their teeth due to roughhousing, horseplay, and sports collisions. If your child sustains tooth injuries that undermine the structural integrity of the tooth or undermines her ability to eat and chew, your child’s dentist can solve those issues by placing a crown over that weakened tooth. The same restoration can be used to protect a tooth treated by root canal from re-infection.
Repairs to chips
Minor chips to a child’s teeth that don’t undermine their structural integrity should still be addressed since they increase the risk that bacteria will penetrate the interior of the tooth. In addition, those chips affect the appearance and safety of a child’s teeth due to potentially sharp edges. Your dentist can fill small chips quickly and economically using composite materials matched to the colour of your child’s teeth.
A dentist near you that specializes in providing dental care for children will also offer preventative services such as dental sealing and fluoride application to protect your teeth from the damaging effects of bacteria and tooth decay. If you have questions about your child’s dental needs or condition, reach out to a dentist in Carrollwood. We’d love to meet your child and support her lifetime good oral health.