A Pediatric dentist, is a specially trained dentist, who focuses on caring for children from infancy through the teenage years, and also adults with special needs. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry(AAPD) recommends a visit to the pediatric dentist at least once in six months to evaluate your child’s oral health and development. However, if your child has special needs or is more predisposed to dental caries, the dentist may recommend more frequent visits to more closely manage your child’s oral health.
The first dental visit, is recommended by 12 months of age, or within the first 6 months of the first tooth coming in.
It is very necessary to keep a child comfortable during their dental treatments. It is important to understand how a child feels during their first visit to a dental clinic, how behavioral management at our end will influence how they react to dentistry throughout their lifetime. A positive experience now can set the tone for ongoing, regular dental care throughout their adult life. A negative or scary dental visit can have the opposite effect and make them not want to visit the dentist anymore. At Dr. Malhotra’s we take active steps to ensure their emotional and physical comfort.
Depending on your child’s age, the visit may include a full exam of the teeth, jaws, bite, gums and oral tissues, to check growth and development. If needed, your child may also have a gentle cleaning. This includes polishing teeth and removing any plaque, tartar, and stains. The first visit often lasts 30-45 minutes, so as to make the child feel extremely safe and comfortable. This is done by introducing the instruments in a kid-friendly environment.
The sooner children begin getting regular dental checkups, the healthier their mouths will stay throughout their lives. Early checkups help prevent cavities and tooth decay, which may lead to pain.
Preventative oral health care is essential for their ability to eat and speak clearly, avoid discomfort, and decrease the need for braces later on, hence the process of dental health assessment and treatment should start at a young age. We also know that most families have an extremely busy schedule, and it can be difficult to make a dental appointment in between school, tuitions and other classes. At our center, appointments are scheduled as per patients scheduling restrictions and convenience. We also promote the dental health of children, as well as serve as educational resource for parents. Parents are informed about preventive home care (brushing, flossing and fluorides), risk of developing a caries (cavity), habits such as finger/thumb sucking and maybe advised regarding preventive measures which include preventing teeth injury, information about growth and development, infant tooth cleaning etc. Children may be able to brush their teeth by the age of 6years, but may need supervision brushing until about 10 or 11 years.
The AAPD has said that it is important to establish a comprehensive and accessible ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient- referring to this as the child’s “dental home”. This helps in early detection of the early stages of tooth decay.Early detection is essential to maintain oral health, hygiene, modify aberrant habits and treat as needed and as simple as possible.
Pediatric Dentistry Procedures
Initially child’s medical history with you is recorded, to evaluate child’s general health so that we may review any factors that may concern your child’s dental health. Then your child’s mouth will be examined for overall oral health
Radiographs
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends X-ray examinations every six months for children with a high risk of tooth decay. We use digital intra and extra oral radiography which uses approximately 1/4th the radiation of the traditional dental x-rays.
Dental Cleaning (Prophylaxis)
Child’s teeth need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove plaque and calculus (hard tarter deposits), which can cause cavities and gum disease. After the cleaning, fluoride may be applied to the teeth to help protect and strengthen the weak areas against decay.
Cavities (Caries)
Tooth decay (caries) is a progressive disease that often begins in very young children. Bacteria that normally live in the mouth react with sugars from foods and drinks to create acid that slowly eats away at the enamel of your child’s teeth and can also damage sensitive gum tissue. With the loss of enamel, weak points in the teeth form. These weak areas become cavities– which left alone can lead to irreversible nerve damage and the necessary early extraction of your child’s tooth.
Again, early treatment is the key. As soon as a cavity is identified, your pediatric dentist can repair the tooth using tooth-colored fillings. If the cavity is too deep, a Pulpotomy/Pulpectomy (nerve treatment) and stainless steel crown or extraction of the tooth may be needed. Effective brushing and flossing, the proper use of fluoride, and a balanced diet can help minimize the amount of decay to help your child have a happy, cavity-free smile!
Early (Interceptive) Orthodontic Care
It's never too early to keep an eye on your child's oral development. Dr. Malhotra can identify malocclusion (crowded or crooked teeth) or bite problems and actively intervene to guide the teeth as they emerge in the mouth. Interceptive orthodontic treatment can prevent more extensive treatment later. Dr. Malhotra checks the progress of your child’s bite and jaw development with routine dental examinations. This early assessment of your child’s teeth may prevent extensive orthodontic work in his/her future.
Sealants
Sealants are thin, white plastic coatings that are applied to the tops or chewing surfaces of back teeth and are highly effective in preventing tooth decay. The naturally occurring pits and grooves on the chewing surfaces of teeth can often collect plaque.These small grooves and cracks are the most susceptible to cavities in children and teens and benefit the least from topical fluoride. Sealants and fluoride work together to help prevent tooth decay. On average, sealants last for 5 to 10 years with proper maintenance. At every dental check-up, the dentist will check that the sealants are intact. In order to prolong the life of your child’s sealants, avoid crunchy foods and avoid chewing on ice and hard candy (i.e. Jolly Ranchers, Lifesavers,etc.).
Space Maintainers
Space maintainers are used when a primary tooth has been prematurely lost (or extracted) to hold space for the developing permanent tooth. If space is not maintained, teeth on either side of the extraction site can drift into the space and prevent the permanent tooth from erupting into its proper position. The space maintainer will be removed from your child’s mouth once his/her permanent tooth replacing the extracted tooth
Extractions (Tooth Removal)
Extractions are done only as a last resort in the case of severe tooth decay. If a primary molar is removed prematurely, a space maintainer will be placed. Some extractions are needed for orthodontic reasons to help facilitate tooth alignment when crowded teeth are present. Primary teeth are essential in maintaining the correct spacing in your child’s jaw for the permanent teeth.
Fluoride Treatments
Cavities form when there is a weakening in the mineral composition of the enamel of your teeth. Fluoride promotes the remineralization of these decalcified spots, therefore helping to prevent cavities. In general, there is a careful balance between too much fluoride and too little fluoride. An excess of fluoride may damage developing teeth leading to fluorosis; while a deficit of fluoride leaves your child’s teeth susceptible to tooth decay. Fluorosis presents in various forms that affect developing permanent teeth by causing white spots to form.
Tooth Colored Fillings (Composite Resin)
Tooth colored fillings are used to restore front or back teeth or where cosmetic appearance is important. Hence, shade of the composite restorative material is matched as closely as possible to the colour of the natural teeth.
Stainless Steel Crowns (SSCs)
Stainless steel crowns are used to restore back teeth that are too badly decayed to hold white fillings to prevent further damage until these teeth are naturally lost.
Pulp Treatment (Pulpotomy/Pulpectomy)
Pulp therapy (Pulpotomy/Pulpectomy) is the treatment of infected nerves and blood vessels in teeth. Pulp therapy generally becomes necessary for two reasons: either as a result of extensive tooth decay (dental cavities) or as the result of tooth injury. Failure to provide the necessary pulp therapy could result in your child experiencing pain, infection, swelling, or loss of the tooth. Many cavities may be so deep that they extend to the nerve, often causing pain and discomfort. When this happens, the infected part of the nerve must be removed. The remaining healthy nerve will be left intact and medicated. The purpose of a pulp treatment is to extend the life of the baby tooth, thereby avoiding the need for extraction and a space maintainer, until the eruption of the permanent tooth. In other words, the tooth can be preserved for chewing food and maintaining proper space for permanent teeth, as well as helping your child to preserve a healthy, happy smile.
We offer a variety of pediatric dentistry procedures that can help your child to stay in excellent oral health.
While it starts with a dental exam and teeth cleaning, this is only the beginning.
As a children's dentist office, we can also complete fluoride treatments and seal the teeth when necessary. These two procedures can help to strengthen and protect teeth so that they are less likely to become infected or get a cavity. While simple and fast, these two procedures can work together or separately to prevent your child from experiencing any unnecessary dental pain that can be caused by a cavity.
If your child does get a cavity or an infection, we can treat it right away so that they can feel comfortable again. Even baby teeth need to be treated because of the discomfort that they can cause to your child. Fortunately, we can work with young children, and though the teeth are smaller, the procedure can be completed with precision so that they get the care they need without further complications. In order to help children, relax and remain comfortable during this type of treatment, we offer sedation dentistry. This may be as simple as providing your child with laughing gas to relax, or if they are very small, they may need to be put to sleep while we complete the procedure. As a kids' dentist, we only use sedation when necessary. Simultaneously,it is dangerous for a child to be wiggly when dental tools are in their mouth. As such, it is better for a small child to be put to sleep than risk them moving and getting a secondary cut as a result.
As a children's dentist, we will discuss all of these treatment options, including the possibility of sedation, with you. This way you can make an informed decision as to the dental work you want to have completed and the timing of it. In some cases, parents prefer to postpone treating minor cavities for a few months if they feel their child may experience a developmental milestone, for example turning four years old, that may make them more prepared for the treatment. we will work with you to ensure that both you and your child are confident in the decisions that you make regarding their oral health care.