Children’s Dental Care
Children’s Dental Care in Arlington, TX
Dental visits are as important for children as they are for adults. A child’s dental health is important at any age. The earlier your child begins getting comfortable for dental visits the better.
Our experienced staff knows that dental visits are stressful for children and we do everything we can to help them feel comfortable and make the experience fun.
Is Children’s Dentistry Different than Adult Dentistry?
Basic dental care is the same for adults and children, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t differences. There’s a lot going on with dental health during childhood. Teething, loss of baby teeth, development of adult teeth, and the need for corrective dental work… it’s no wonder children’s dentistry seems overwhelming to families.
Our number one goal is helping your child feel at ease during a dental appointment. We also focus on teaching children good dental health skills and diagnosing and treating problems that arise.
What else is involved in a kid’s dental visits?
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride helps strengthen teeth. Fluoride is a clear varnish that dries instantly. It’s painless and safe.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants help fill the deep grooves in back teeth. This prevents cavities and tooth decay. Sealant is a clear resin that permanently bonds to teeth. It’s a painless process and most kids don’t even know their teeth are sealed.
Fillings
Fillings are important when there is tooth decay, even if a cavity is in a baby tooth. Removing decay when it’s just beginning prevents it from spreading to other teeth and improves the health of permanent teeth.
Pediatric Crowns
Pediatric crowns are used on a child’s molars to keep teeth strong until permanent molars erupt in early adolescence. This ensures permanent teeth enter the healthiest possible environment.
Mouth Guards
If your child grinds his or her teeth during sleep, a pediatric mouth guard prevents pain and damage.
Toothaches
Toothaches in childhood can be a sign of decay or damage. If your child complains of a toothache, it’s important to schedule a dental visit.
Where Should I Take My Child to the Dentist?
Ideally, your child will have his or her first dental appointment after their first tooth appears, which is usually between six months and one year of age.
Children should have all of their baby teeth by the age of three. They lose their baby teeth between six and 12 years of age.
Some parents might assume baby teeth aren’t important because they are replaced by adult teeth, but this is not true. The health of your child’s baby teeth affects his or her adult teeth. This is one of the reasons why we want to see our patients before their first birthday. This gives us an opportunity to evaluate your child’s dental health and gets your child comfortable with dental visits.
What Happens During a Child’s Visit to the Dentist?
Our goal is to make your child’s first dentist appointment and all of those that follow as smooth and pleasant as possible. We help children feel comfortable with our staff and the equipment we use. Kids should know the dentist is there to help them maintain good dental health.
Our youngest patients are able to sit on their caregiver’s lap during their very basic exam. We take a quick look in their mouths just to be sure everything looks as it should. We also review at-home dental care with you and make sure your child’s dental routine is setting them up for good long-term health.
Older kids get a dental cleaning. Their visits are similar to an adult dental visit, but we do our best to make it fun.
What Dental Services are Common for Kids?
Children’s dental visits begin with the basics – cleaning and polishing. We use equipment suited for little mouths. Our youngest patients, infants and toddlers, usually get only a quick wipe of the mouth and/or an introduction to brushing.
We understand that all kids are different. We want to introduce them to dental care visits without making them uncomfortable. We take each visit step-by-step and leave everyone feeling good about caring for their dental health.