Dentistry For Kids
Everyone has teeth that need to be checked by their dentist at least twice a year. This is also true of children, but if you’re like most parents, you’re clueless when it comes to dentistry for kids. At Cornelius Dental Clinic we’d like to help you understand this important family dentistry topic better.
Meet Your Pediatric Dentist
Pediatric dentists receive an extra three years of specialized training about caring for a child’s (birth – 18-years-old) teeth. When you take your child to a pediatric dentist, they’ll check their teeth and gums for any problems that may exist. This should start at the age of 6-months – once your child’s first tooth erupts. You’ll want to take your child to the dentist every six months from that point on. Of course, this is in addition to helping your child brush and floss their teeth each day. All these things, when combined, work together to help your child have healthy, strong teeth so they can chew foods, especially crunchy things.
What Pediatric Dentists Do
Your pediatric dentist will make sure that your child’s teeth are developing correctly throughout the years. This happens once your child is comfortably seated in a big chair, like the one that you’d sit in for your dental exam. Since this isn’t something you want your child to fear, you should tell them that it’s like sitting in a big recliner with a headrest and a small sink and cup located next to them so they can easily rinse their mouth as we clean their teeth for them. We won’t start the cleaning process until your child is comfortable and even then the first thing we’ll do is floss your child’s teeth as we look to see if they have any cavities.
How Pediatric Dentists Identify And Treat Cavities
Regardless of how much you help your child maintain proper dental hygiene, they’re still bound to get a cavity eventually. This will require an additional appointment in our office where we’ll settle your child into our chair and give them a small shot of anesthetic. This is the medicine that we use to numb the entire area surrounding the tooth that has the cavity in it. Once we’re sure that the tooth is numb and your child won’t feel us working, we’ll get started.
The process begins with us using a special dental tool to remove the decayed part of the tooth. Afterward, we’ll fill the hole in your child’s tooth with either a silver or tooth-colored material that helps it be strong and healthy again. Once the work is complete, your child will be able to continue with their day, albeit they may experience some numbness for a little while. During this time, it’s important for them only to eat foods that are soft and warm.
Parents have a lot to learn about, and this is only one of those things. This is why it’s important to form a partnership with someone you feel you can trust so call Cornelius Dental Clinic at (971) 317-9323 today.