Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric Dentist Near Me

Pediatric Dentistry Can Protect Your Child’s Dental Health

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Pediatric Exams

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children see a dentist at least twice a year, starting at the age of one year. Early dental exams allow the dentist to identify problems promptly and allow the child to become accustomed to the exam and feel more comfortable during the procedure.

Space Maintenance

Children may need space maintainers if they lose a tooth early or have a baby (primary) tooth extracted due to dental decay. If either is the case, it is important to know the benefits of using a space maintainer and how it can help support your child’s dental health.

Extraction

There are certain occasions when a child will need to have a tooth extracted. Our dentist will never recommend extraction if there is a less invasive treatment option. Make sure you understand why extraction is recommended and what the procedure involves for your child.

Flouride Treatment

Fluoride is a natural mineral that builds strong teeth and prevents cavities. It’s been an essential oral health treatment for decades. Fluoride supports healthy tooth enamel and fights the bacteria that harm teeth and gums. Tooth enamel is the outer protective layer of each tooth.

Dental Sealants

Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States. In Washington State, nearly 40% of kindergarteners have cavities and 58% of third graders have them. Call Red Hat Neighborhood Dentist today if you have any questions about your child’s oral health.

Fillings

If remineralization is not a viable option, a filling will need to placed onto the teeth. Your local pediatric dentist will drill away at the cavity and decay. Once everything has been taken away, the tooth will be filled with a filling.

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Preventative Dentistry for Children

The startling statistics about cavities in young children have led to new guidelines from the ADA regarding the use of fluoride. Fluoride helps prevent cavities by boosting dental enamel’s ability to repair itself on a regular basis. It also helps prevent the bacteria in your child’s mouth from weakening and destroying enamel.

The ADA now recommends brushing your child’s teeth with a smear of fluoride toothpaste, no bigger than a grain of rice, from the time that first tooth erupts. When the child learns not to swallow the toothpaste, typically around the age of three, you can increase that amount. Our doctors can explain these guidelines to you in detail, and provide in-office fluoride treatments for children.

As your child grows older, and their permanent molars erupt, the doctors may recommend dental sealants. This involves placing a thin plastic coating over the deep pits and grooves of the molars, adding an extra layer of protection from decay.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

We know going to the dentist can be a scary experience with all the unknowns. If you have any questions relating to your upcoming dental visit, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

My tooth was hurting and now it feels fine. Do I need to see a dentist?

Yes!  If your tooth was hurting you and then stopped hurting, it may mean that the pulp has gone beyond being inflamed and is now dead.  If the tooth is dead, the pain may go away because the nerve is no longer able to transmit the sensory information to your brain. The infection is still present and will need to be treated before other symptoms develop.

What should I do for tooth pain? Should I go to the ER?

Generally, the ER is unable to treat dental pain beyond prescribing antibiotics.  Only your neighborhood dentist has the necessary tools to diagnose and treat tooth pain.

Tooth pain has a variety of causes and treatments.  Let’s review some of the major causes and treatments:

Tooth infection – Each tooth has a blood and nerve supply that runs through the root called the “pulp.”  When dental decay gets close enough to the pulp, bacteria can cause pulpal infection. Your body responds by sending infection-fighting cells to the tooth, which causes inflammation.  Unlike the rest of the body, there is no compliance in the tooth for swelling, so pressure builds up to cause pain and sensitivity. Treatment: Any time you start to experience tooth pain, you should pay a visit to your dentist.  Only your neighborhood dentist can determine the best long-term treatment, which depending on the level of decay, may involve a filling, root canal, or extraction.

Recent dental treatment – The mouth is constantly working to keep things in balance.  Recent extractions, fillings, or even cleanings can leave the mouth sensitive or sore.  As your teeth get accustomed to recent treatment, the symptoms almost always go away in a matter of days or weeks.  Sometimes, intervention is necessary to correct problems with recently performed dentistry. In the meantime, most people can take an over-the-counter pain reliever (like Tylenol or Ibuprofen) to help relieve some of the discomfort.

Tooth fracture –  Most commonly seen in patients with habitual grinding, malocclusion, or large dental restorations, teeth may become fractured over time due to a one time high-stress event or repeated low-stress trauma.  The fracture can occur in such a way that the tooth isn’t loose. These teeth can be more difficult to diagnose if the fracture is below the gum line, because they often appear intact on x-rays and exams. Visit your neighborhood dentist for help in diagnosis of fractured teeth.

Periodontal disease – The roots of your teeth are more sensitive to temperature and other stimuli than the hard enamel.  If your gums erode due to periodontal disease to the point that the root is exposed (looks yellow closest to the gums), you may experience increased sensitivity and pain/discomfort.  Try switching to an anti-sensitivity tooth paste for two weeks and see if sensitivity improves. Your neighborhood dentist will have more treatment options to fight periodontal disease.

What is a crown? How much does a crown cost?

A crown is fabricated unit that fits over a prepared natural tooth to restore lost function and/or esthetics.

So what does it cost?  To the dentist, this question can be as complicated as “How much does a vehicle cost?”  There are fast sports cars, big semi-trucks, camper vans, SUVs, old beaters, etc. and vehicles can cost anywhere between a few hundred dollars to a few hundred thousand!  Each one has a specific purpose and related cost. So let’s break down why this question is so complicated:

The ideal crown looks like a natural tooth.  It has layered elements of opacity and translucency and perfectly matches the neighboring teeth in shape and color.  The ideal crown must also be strong enough to endure the rigors of chewing but not so strong that it damages the other teeth that it bites up against on the other side.  The ideal crown must be smooth, non-toxic, and water-proof. It must be extremely durable, but it also needs to be easy to work with to get a perfect fit. No single material can do it all!  Right now we have a handful of materials that have varying degrees of each quality.

Cheapest: Stainless steel crowns – Stainless steel crowns are pre-fabricated to allow for easy placement, but they do not form a good seal with the natural tooth, and are therefore typically limited to placement on primary (baby) teeth that will be exfoliated before the seal becomes problematic. 

Best function: Gold!  Gold crowns hold up really well over time! Gold does a good job mimicking natural enamel, and it is malleable so it won’t fracture very easily.  Gold is easy to work with and will not corrode spending its lifetime in saliva. Repairing gold crowns is possible, which can lower the lifetime cost of a crown if something were to happen to it.  The biggest drawback to gold crowns is that gold crowns look like gold crowns, and patients don’t always want it to be obvious that dental work has been done. The price of a full gold crown can fluctuate based on the price of gold.

Good compromise: Porcelain-fused-to-metal.  These crowns attempt to combine the great properties of gold with more natural-looking white of porcelain.  Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are more opaque (less transparent) than a natural tooth, and over time the porcelain can fracture off of the metal framework.  The fabrication of porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns is more involved than full-gold, and the extra lab time causes increased cost.

Best esthetics:  Many different ceramic materials are available for crown fabrication.  There is a general trade-off between how natural a tooth looks and how strong it is.  Dentists tend to put the stronger ceramic materials in the back teeth that do a lot of grinding and put the better-looking materials in the front where strength is not as important as natural looks.

What is a Root Canal? Will it hurt?

In addition to the part of the tooth that you can see in your mouth, each tooth has at least one long root that extends up to three times the length of the visible part into your jaw bone.  There are nerves and a blood supply called the “pulp” that go up through the root which help with sensation and nourishment to the inner tooth structure.

When the pulp is compromised through a cavity or trauma, bacteria can cause an infection that the body attempts to fight off.  By the time the patient starts feeling symptoms of this infection (pain/swelling), the tooth has already lost the fight and it’s time for a root canal.

A root canal is a deep filling that removes all the pulp/infection tissue down to the tip of the tooth and plugs it up with filling material.  The tooth is no longer susceptible to infection. The downside to a root canal can be a weakening of the tooth and discoloration. To combat the esthetic and structural challenges of a root canal, your neighborhood dentist will often place a crown on the treated tooth to ensure long-term durability.

Root canals are typically done under a local anesthetic which numbs the tooth and surrounding tissues for the procedure.  Most patients undergoing root canal treatment don’t feel a thing! Root canals got a bad reputation long ago when anesthetics were not as effective as they now are.  Modern techniques and chemical formulations enable dentists to provide great comfort to patients undergoing root canal therapy.

What should I use to brush my baby's teeth?

A toothbrush will remove plaque bacteria that can lead to decay. Any soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head, preferably one designed specifically for infants, should be used at least once a day at bedtime.

Do I really need to floss every day? What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease affects almost 65 million Americans, making it the most common chronic disease in the US.  

Periodontal disease is the loss of the bones and gum tissue that hold your teeth due to chronic inflammation caused by the presence of bacterial plaque.  When you have periodontal disease, your gums can become swollen which makes it even more difficult to remove the plaque. Periodontal disease causes bad breath, oral infections, and leads to tooth loss; however, it is preventable.

Flossing daily is the number one way to prevent periodontal disease.  Daily mechanical disruption of plaque at the gum line will allow the body to relieve the gum tissue of the need to try to fight the infection.  This helps improve your breath and makes your gums less likely to bleed when you floss and brush.

When should I take my child to the dentist for the first check-up?

In order to prevent dental problems, your child should see a pediatric dentist when the first tooth appears, or no later than his/her first birthday.

What should I do if my child has a toothache?

First, rinse the irritated area with warm salt water and place a cold compress on the face if it is swollen. Give the child acetaminophen (e.g., Children’s Tylenol) for any pain, rather than placing aspirin on the teeth or gums. Finally, see a dentist as soon as possible.

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