Dental Care for Children - Common Services and Treatments
At the Cosmetic Dentistry Institute, Drs. Craig and Marcy Goldin are committed to helping patients maintain a beautiful and healthy smile at every age. We understand that patients in certain age groups are more likely to need particular services and treatments. When it comes to children, they often require gentle care along with preventative and general dentistry services to preserve the health of their smiles. In this blog post, we discuss the dental services and treatments that are commonly provided for children. To learn more about dental care and children, read on, and then contact our Troy, MI practice to schedule your child’s next exam and cleaning.
Routine Teeth Cleanings
Children should see a dentist for their first dental exam and cleaning by the time they reach 12 months. Children should continue to attend dental exams and cleanings every six months. These appointments will reduce the risk of dental damage, such as cavities. During your child’s visit, we will gently clean and polish the teeth to remove any built up plaque and tartar, thereby reducing the amount of dental bacteria that can cause tooth decay.
In addition, we will check for any signs of dental damage during the exam. As long as children come in for their routine cleanings and exams, we can detect cavities and other dental problems in their earliest stages when they are easiest to treat.
Dental Sealants
Cavities are the most common dental problem that affects children. To prevent fillings, we can apply a dental sealant to the teeth. The sealant acts as a barrier to block out harmful elements that can damage the teeth. In most cases, we apply the sealant to the molars and tooth indentations, which are more difficult to clean.
Tooth-colored Fillings
If cavities do develop, we will administer numbing medication to keep your child comfortable while we clean the tooth and place a tooth-colored filling. Cleaning the tooth involves removing all of the infected tooth material, and flushing the debris away with a combination of water spray and suction.
When the tooth is clean, we will fill the cavity with a tooth-colored composite resin. This malleable material can be applied and shaped directly on the tooth. To harden the composite resin, a curing light is directed at the tooth. Additional layers of the resin may be added to fill in the cavity and restore the patient’s bite.
Planning Ahead: Orthodontic Treatment
When your child’s permanent teeth come in, we may want to start developing an orthodontic treatment plan for the future. Your child’s orthodontic plan may involve one or a combination of these treatments:
- Tooth extraction: If your child has severe overcrowding, we may extract one or more teeth prior to orthodontic treatment.
- Braces: If your child requires traditional braces, we can refer you to an orthodontist who can develop a treatment plan.
- Invisalign®: We offer Invisalign® treatment to patients that have mild to moderate orthodontic issues. However, we typically wait until patients are in their teens to perform treatment.
To schedule a dental exam for your child, contact the Cosmetic Dentistry Institute today.
