Dentistry at The Biltmore loves working with little kids! We show them that dentistry is not scary and can be a fun place to be. Has your child been to a dentist?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child goes to the dentist by age 1 or within six months after the first tooth erupts. Primary teeth typically begin growing in around 6 months of age.
Why bring young kids to a dentist?
We all know that most children love food or drinks that contain a lot of sugar. Sweet foods expose them to acid attacks on the tooth enamel. That is because the acid is produced when sugars react with bacteria present on the tooth surface.
Repeated cycles of acid will cause their teeth to lose minerals and cavities can form. Cavities (dentists call them caries) can affect your kids’ growth and development.
You may think the child is too young or doesn’t have enough teeth yet, as many parents do. Keeping primary (or “baby”) teeth in place until they are lost naturally is important. The reasons include:
- Children need to chew properly to maintain proper nutrition
- Baby teeth affect their speech development
- They save space for the permanent teeth coming in
- A healthy smile is good for children’s self-esteem
We can offer effective dental care solutions to keep your children in optimal dental health. First, we need to schedule an appointment with your little one and give them a checkup.
If there are no caries of other problems with their teeth, we can start with preventative dentistry. After a dental cleaning, we can use Sealants and/or Fluoride Varnish to prevent the start of cavities.
Dental Sealants
Teaching kids to brush their teeth is important and often a challenge. Along with brushing, sealants are a fast and easy way to prevent kids from getting cavities.
Dental sealants are a thin coating applied to a tooth that creates a barrier against cavity-forming acids. When applied strategically to cavity-prone areas, sealants can protect your child from tooth decay for several years.
During regular care visits, we monitor and maintain your child sealants to ensure they are not worn away. Sealants have been used for years and undergone improvements as time goes on. They have been proven safe and effective as part of preventive dentistry.
Fluoride Varnish
Fluoride varnish is another dental treatment like sealants that can help prevent tooth decay in children or adults, anyone with teeth! Fluoride is a natural mineral that strengthens tooth enamel. Used by dentists all around the world to help prevent tooth decay in children, it is proven safe and effective.
It only takes a few minutes to apply and is not painful at all, so children can easily handle the treatment. Don’t worry if they cry, it can actually make it easier as their mouth opens when they cry! Don’t think that it may be too early if your child is very young, once they have a tooth, they can receive fluoride varnish treatment.
Restorative Composites
For children’s teeth that have become damaged from tooth decay or trauma, Dentistry at The Biltmore offers restorative composites as a solution.
Composites or “resin-based composites,” are a mixture of synthetic materials that we can use to restore a child’s teeth both aesthetically and functionally. Resin-based composites can be used effectively in pediatric restorative dentistry for a range of dental issues.
Most people should be familiar with amalgam fillings, the silver-colored fillings that have been used for years. These also are a composite material, but a metal alloy mixture.
Resin-based composites are used when esthetics is a priority for primary teeth. Amalgam silver-colored fillings do not blend in with the natural color of teeth so they are very visible. When restoring a tooth with this strong and long-lasting modern material, Dr. Leila can match the color to create a more natural look.
Pediatric extractions
If your child’s tooth decay has reached a certain point, where we can’t save the tooth, it needs to be extracted.
The type of tooth extraction needed will determine the kind of treatment we use. If the tooth is visible and easy to remove, we can perform a simple extraction. Just numbing the area with a local anesthetic and gently extracting the tooth with forceps is all that has to be done.
In most cases, tooth extraction is a simple procedure, and needn’t cause any worry for you or your child. Dentistry At The Biltmore is a knowledgeable, a skilled partner in keeping your child’s mouth healthy. Contact us today to make an appointment for your kid and make them a lifetime member of our dental family!