Children’s dental care starts with routine teeth cleanings and exams. We can also apply tooth sealants to the deep grooves of your child’s permanent teeth to prevent decay in those hard-to-reach spots.
Pediatric dentists have extra training and experience treating the unique oral health needs of infants, children, adolescents and patients with special healthcare needs. Our team is committed to making every appointment as comfortable as possible for your child.
Regular Checkups & Cleanings
Regular kids dental care Raleigh NC checkups and cleanings play a vital role in maintaining children’s oral health. They help to prevent cavities and gum disease while establishing a foundation for lifelong healthy smiles.
These sessions serve as a platform for providing valuable education and guidance on brushing, flossing, and diet. This knowledge empowers families to take a more proactive approach to oral hygiene and set their kids up for success throughout their lives.
It also helps to identify issues such as early signs of gum disease or misaligned teeth. This allows for swift and effective intervention that can prevent more invasive treatments in the future. This saves time, pain, and money for patients and their caregivers alike.
Fluoride Treatment
The natural mineral fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and makes it more resistant to the acids that cause cavities. It has been an important part of children’s oral health care for decades.
Children should receive a fluoride treatment twice a year along with their cleanings to keep their teeth strong and prevent future decay. This quick and painless procedure can also remineralize early signs of tooth decay and save your child from more expensive dental procedures in the future.
Our office offers both systemic (ingested) and topical (applied directly to the surface of the teeth) fluoride treatments. Systemic fluorides are found in most public water supplies and in dietary fluoride supplements. Topical fluorides include toothpaste, mouth rinses, and professional fluoride applications like gels or varnishes that we apply to the teeth during cleaning appointments.
Tooth Sealants
In addition to fluoride treatment, dental sealants are an important preventative tool for kids. These are thin coatings that we paint onto the chewing surfaces of your children’s back teeth (molars) to “seal” out bacteria, food debris, and acid that can cause cavities. We typically recommend children receive this protective measure when their molars first come in, but they can benefit from it at any time afterwards.
During the procedure, your child’s tooth will be cleaned and dried, then etched to prepare the surface for the sealant material. The sealant is then painted into the grooves and pits, where it flows to create a tight, durable shield against decay-causing bacteria. The process is quick, painless, and non-invasive. Our dentists can check the condition of your child’s sealants at their regular visits, and reapply them as needed.
Tooth Extractions
Sometimes, even with a lot of attention to brushing and flossing, teeth can still get damaged. Sometimes a tooth will get broken beyond repair from a sports injury or accident and cannot be saved by a filling or crown. This can lead to a tooth extraction being the best option for maintaining oral health.
The root of each tooth is encased within the jawbone in what is called a “tooth socket” and held there by a ligament. In most cases, a tooth can be extracted quickly and easily while the child is awake.
Children with severe anxiety or who have trouble relaxing during kids dental care Raleigh NC treatments may be candidates for conscious sedation. This is usually recommended for young patients or those with medical or physical conditions that prevent standard behavior management techniques from being effective.
Tooth Pain Treatment
A dental emergency can be very scary for a child. If your child has a broken tooth, rinse their mouth with cold water and place a clean wet washcloth or piece of gauze over the area. This will help control the bleeding and decrease pain until they can come in to see us.
Dental sealants protect your child’s back teeth from decay in the deep grooves and ridges that can harbor bacteria. The sealants are quick, painless and can prevent up to 80% of cavities in molars.
A pediatric dentist can offer children with special needs a relaxed and comfortable experience at the dental office. These dentists are specially trained to understand and treat the unique oral health issues that many children with disabilities have.