Kids Dentist | Family Dentist

A lifetime of healthy teeth begins with good dental habits. Give your child a solid foundation by bringing them for an exam and cleaning twice each year. Encourage your child to listen to the dental team during their visit. Work with your child at home to improve their dental hygiene routine.

We recommend that your child should visit the dentist within six months after the presence of the first tooth or by their first birthday. Early oral examination aids in the detection of tooth decay. Early detection is also essential to maintaining good oral health.

During each visit, we will gently clean your child’s teeth and remove any plaque or tartar. We will carefully examine their mouth and teeth for any potential issues. Regular cleanings and exams can help prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health issues.

Tooth decay has become the most common chronic childhood illness in the U.S. We will teach you and your child how to properly brush and floss their teeth as they grow. We will discuss dental hygiene habits and healthy food choices. We will work with your child to be our partner in keeping their mouth and teeth healthy.

We may recommend treating your child’s teeth with fluoride. This mineral can strengthen tooth enamel, making teeth more resistant to decay. Fluoride may be applied in the office or used in certain kinds of toothpaste and mouth rinse.

In some cases, we may recommend the use of dental sealants. Sealants are a protective coating applied to the chewing surfaces of molars. Recent studies have found that sealants can be highly effective in preventing tooth decay.

Help your child have a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. Contact Gloss Dental and request a dental exam and cleaning for your child.

Services We Offer

Early Child Dental Care

We believe oral health and hygiene should begin at a young age.

The American Academy of Kid’s Dentists advises that children be scheduled for oral assessment when the first tooth appears and no later than their first birthday.

Taking your child to the dentist early in life can ensure proper dental care.

Preventive Childrens Dentistry

Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood illnesses in the U.S. today. The best move is prevention.

We’ll teach your child how to correctly brush and floss their teeth as they grow. Also, we’ll discuss the best hygiene habits and food choices to keep their teeth and gums healthy.

Furthermore, we will ensure that you are familiar with all your child’s oral issues and dental procedures.

Restorative Dentistry for Children

Restorative dentistry may be required, even with diligent oral hygiene practices.

During each visit, we carefully examine your child’s mouth and teeth for any potential issues. Then we gently repair the teeth, restoring their function, strength, and appearance.

Treatments include:

• Fillings
• Dental crowns
• Bonding
• Pulp treatment

Baby Root Canal / Pulp Therapy

Primary (or baby) teeth play a vital role in the development of permanent teeth. This is why we may recommend root canal therapy, rather than extracting a severely decayed baby tooth.

If your child suddenly develops sensitivity to cold, sweet, or acidic foods and drinks, this could be a sign of decay. Other signs include pain or throbbing in a tooth, which may indicate pulp damage or infection.

In most cases, we’ll perform a pulpotomy – removal of infected pulp. Since less structure is affected, pulpotomies usually require less time to complete and heal. Local anesthetic medication is generally used to ensure comfort.

Afterward, a dental crown will be placed to protect the remaining structure from further damage. When the baby tooth falls out, the crown will go with it, allowing the permanent tooth to move into place.

Space Maintainers

Space maintainers are used to hold spaces for un-erupted permanent teeth if baby teeth are lost too early. They are cemented with sticky glue that can be washed away by saliva over time. The use of local anesthesia is determined on a case-by-case basis.

The continued need and fit of the spacer will be evaluated during each recall visit. Eventually, the space maintainer will have to be removed to allow eruption of the permanent tooth.

Baby Tooth Extraction

When Should a Child’s Baby Teeth Be Removed?

An inevitable part of growth is when primary (or baby) teeth fall out and adult teeth come in. Typically, primary teeth loosen and fall out on their own, but every child is different.

During your child’s orthodontic evaluation, we consider the development of primary teeth.

Is My Child’s Tooth Development on Track?

Many parents become concerned that their child’s primary teeth have not yet fallen out. Remember that each child’s mouth is unique.

Typically, your child will lose their first tooth between ages 6 and 8 and continue through ages 10 to 13.

Many children experience a break between ages 8 and 10, so don’t be alarmed if your child doesn’t lose any teeth for a while.

Reasons to Remove Primary Teeth

Crowding may become an issue when a permanent tooth begins to grow next to a baby tooth.

We usually recommend removal in this instance, but note that this does not solve the issue. Sometimes, palate expansion may be a viable solution.

We use X-rays and scans to keep track of your child’s dental development. These help determine whether tooth extraction is advisable.

When to Wait

Your child’s baby teeth have an important function in holding the required space needed for permanent teeth to come in.

Regarding missing teeth, our doctor will decide if the space in between needs to be closed. Sometimes, it’s best to wait.

Keeping teeth in place is also good for keeping gums healthy.

What This Means for Orthodontic Treatment

Every visit begins with a careful examination.

We look at how many teeth they’ve lost and which have still to come in. You shouldn’t be concerned if your child is losing teeth at a slow pace.

At age 12 and older, particularly if they’re getting their second molars, we might consider removing baby teeth when planning orthodontic treatment.

Stainless Steel Crowns

Stainless steel crowns are used for:

• Large cavities
• Cavities that require nerve treatments
• Children with lots of cavities

The procedure is performed using local anesthesia, so your child’s mouth will be numb. Afterward, the gums surrounding the crowns will appear irritated. Children’s Motrin or Tylenol should relieve any soreness.

The crown and baby tooth will be lost naturally as they are replaced by a permanent tooth.

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Get quality dental care, catering to the individual needs of infants, children, adolescents, and those with special needs.

Contact Gloss Dental and schedule an appointment today.