Services

Your child's first visit to our office is very important with regard to establishing their oral health baseline. We will begin by carefully reviewing medical and dental histories and taking special note of all dental concerns, as well as any symptoms that your child may be experiencing.

We take pride in creating and maintaining beautiful and healthy smiles for our younger patients in an environment that is lighthearted and fun. We focus on establishing oral health habits that last a lifetime, with education and prevention as our primary tools.

The role of fluoride is especially important for children as it improves the quality of dental enamel in their developing teeth and makes their new teeth more resistant to decay. As part of your child's preventive dental care program at our office, fluoride varnish is applied during their routine checkup appointments and if indicated at regular intervals between these visits.

Fluoride varnish is a topically applied product that is brushed onto all sides of your child's teeth. It is a completely safe and painless procedure that takes just a couple of minutes from start to finish. Once applied and in contact with your child's saliva the fluoride hardens. The fluoride component is now absorbed into the dental enamel and begins its job of strengthening the tooth.

Following the application of the fluoride varnish, your child does not have to wait to eat or drink. The only restriction is that foods are soft and not crunchy for the rest of the day. Brushing and flossing may be postponed for several hours.

While fluoride varnish can help prevent cavities and slow their progression, it is not a guarantee against dental decay. Optimal dental health for your child involves an excellent oral hygiene regimen at home, routine dental care and eating a healthy diet.

Tooth Colored Fillings

When tooth structure is eaten away or otherwise damaged by dental decay, cracks or fractures, it can often be repaired by means of the placement of a dental filling. While traditional fillings were typically composed of amalgam, a mixture of different metals, today's fillings are frequently tooth-colored. These "white fillings" invisibly restore the form and function of the involved tooth so that it seamlessly blends in with the remaining tooth structure.

Tooth colored fillings are made of the latest generation of composite resin materials in which filler particles are bound together when set by a hard matrix material. Strong and durable, tooth colored fillings are chemically bonded to fill and rebuild a tooth once the decayed or damaged tooth structure has been removed.

Amalgam (silver) Fillings, by Request Only

For many years, amalgam fillings, more commonly referred to as "silver fillings," have represented the standard of care in rebuilding the form and function of a tooth that has been treated for dental decay. Composed of a combination of metals that include silver, tin, mercury and copper, dental amalgam has both the strength to withstand the heavy forces generated during chewing as well as the durability to retain its integrity over time.

While dental amalgam contains elemental mercury, based on extensive studies and thorough reviews of scientific evidence, the American Dental Association (ADA), The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA, and the World Health Organization have all stated that amalgam is a safe and effective dental restoration that does not pose a risk to health. However, individuals with allergies or sensitivities to the metals in dental amalgam are advised to pursue other restorative options with their dentists.

Stainless steel crowns are durable restorations that are typically used as a means of restoring primary molar teeth that have been compromised by decay, trauma, or that have had a pulpotomy procedure. These strong metal caps are permanently cemented in place, protecting what remains of the underlying tooth and preventing it from decaying further.

Stainless steel crowns are individually sized and fitted to cover and seal off the affected tooth. As they have a smooth and polished surface, they are easy to clean and maintain. Until the baby tooth is lost, the stainless steel crown allows some level of tooth function and can successfully maintain the space for the coming permanent tooth.

Inside of every baby (deciduous) and permanent adult tooth is a central chamber that contains connective tissue, a nerve supply, and blood vessels. Collectively these core tissues, known as the dental pulp, help the tooth to grow and mature before it emerges into the mouth. Once your tooth is in place, the dental pulp provides nourishment, keeps the tooth vital, and alerts you of problems.

Unfortunately, cavities and dental trauma can damage the dental pulp inside of a tooth. When one of these factors has involved the dental pulp of a primary or deciduous tooth and there is no evidence of an infection at the root of the tooth, a procedure known as a pulpotomy may be performed.

The purpose of a pulpotomy on a "baby" tooth is to maintain it until its permanent successor tooth erupts. This is because deciduous teeth that are lost prematurely can result in space loss for the permanent tooth and other consequences.

During a pulpotomy procedure, the exposed or affected pulp tissue within the crown of the deciduous tooth (the visible portion of the tooth) is carefully removed and a special medication to disinfect the area and calm the remaining nerve tissue is placed. Once the procedure is complete, the baby tooth is then restored. Depending on the amount of tooth structure remaining and how much time is left before the baby tooth is to fall out, the type of restoration is selected. Typically, the most effective restoration to seal the tooth and restore function, is a stainless steel crown.

Sometimes it is necessary to extract a tooth. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Extractions are commonly performed in cases where a deciduous "baby" tooth is reluctant to fall out, a severely broken down and non-restorable tooth is present, or "wisdom teeth" is poorly positioned and unable to fully erupt into place.

To reduce any anxiety and insure patient comfort whenever a tooth extraction is necessary, the procedure, the post surgical instructions, as well as any pertinent information relating to the particular situation will be thoroughly reviewed with you. Extractions are performed in a careful, sterile environment. Your child may rest comfortably while under sedation (if needed).

When a baby tooth is lost prematurely due to dental decay or injury, a space maintainer may be recommended to hold the space open for the permanent tooth that will eventually emerge. Space maintainers help prevent crowding and alignment issues that can occur when neighboring teeth drift into the empty space.

Space maintainers can be either fixed (cemented in place) or removable, depending on your child's specific needs. Your pediatric dentist will recommend the best option based on which tooth was lost and your child's age and development.

Dental emergencies happen, and we're here to help. Whether it's a toothache, a chipped tooth, or a knocked-out tooth, our team is ready to provide the care your child needs.

Common dental emergencies we treat:

• Toothaches and pain
• Chipped or fractured teeth
• Knocked-out teeth
• Dental infections
• Soft tissue injuries
• Lost fillings or crowns

If your child has a dental emergency, call your nearest location immediately. We'll advise you over the phone and get your child seen as quickly as possible.

Modern digital radiography uses significantly less radiation than traditional film X-rays. Images are available instantly on screen and can be easily shared with specialists if needed.

We only take X-rays when clinically necessary and use all appropriate safety measures including lead aprons and thyroid collars. Digital X-rays help us detect cavities between teeth, check on developing permanent teeth, and monitor your child's overall oral health.

We offer nitrous oxide sedation to help anxious children or those with special needs feel comfortable during dental treatment.

Nitrous Oxide ("Laughing Gas")

Mild sedation breathed through a mask. Your child stays awake but feels relaxed and happy. Effects wear off within minutes after the mask is removed. It's safe, gentle, and one of the most trusted sedation methods in pediatric dentistry.

Our team is trained in pediatric sedation techniques, and we discuss the process with parents before any procedure.

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that protect the chewing surfaces of children's back teeth from decay. The back teeth have small pits, grooves and rough uneven surfaces where food particles and germs can become trapped—even when brushing carefully.

Sealants fill these grooves to seal out harmful bacteria and food particles. According to the American Dental Association, sealants reduce the risk of cavities in molars by approximately 80%.

The procedure is quick and painless—no drilling, no needles. Sealant material is simply brushed onto the tooth and set with a special light. Sealants are durable and last several years with proper care. Their condition is evaluated at each dental checkup and reapplied as needed.

Best timing: Apply to permanent molars as soon as they erupt—first molars around age 6, second molars around age 12.