We don’t just offer care for adults. We also provide children’s dentistry to help little smiles of all ages avoid issues like tooth decay. We want to protect smiles from harm, and help kids better care for their own teeth and gums. In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS, dentist talks about protecting smiles with children’s dentistry.
Kids Need Exams and Cleanings
How often do you take your children to the dentist? Starting at around age two, we urge parents to bring their kids in for a routine checkup and cleaning visit every six months. The visit is a chance for our team to look closely at their smiles for signs of trouble, conducting a diagnosis with precision using digital imaging technology. We look for issues like cavities, gingivitis, and potential issues with the eruption and loss of baby teeth, which could impact alignment. We also clean the teeth in the same visit to remove harmful plaque and tartar from the teeth, a process that helps prevent issues like tooth decay and gingivitis, and keeps little smiles bright too!
Tooth Decay Prevention
As part of our approach to children’s dentistry, our team will also offer treatments to help prevent the onset of cavities. For example, during your child’s routine checkup and cleaning visits, we can apply fluoride directly to the teeth in a varnish form. The fluoride then strengthens the outer enamel to make the onset of cavities less likely. The process takes seconds and kids will need to avoid food and drink for about a half hour as the material cures.
We also coat the rear teeth in dental sealants, an acrylic coating that prevents food and drink particles from being caught between the hard-to-reach rear teeth. The application only takes a few seconds, and coating the molars helps prevent cavities for years to come, and the sealants could stay intact for as long as ten years in some cases.
Helping Kids at Home
We also talk to both kids and parents about how to care for little smiles from home. Routine homecare is essential for protecting smiles from the onset of cavities and other oral health issues. Kids need to brush in the morning and at night for two minutes, and you help time them with a fun song, video, or even a sand timer. Be sure they use an age-appropriate toothbrush with soft bristles, and we recommend a fluoride toothpaste to help fight cavities. Kids also need to floss every evening before they go to bed. Be sure you also limit their sugar intake!
Schedule a Visit for Children’s Dental Care
We want to help your kids maintain good oral health and beautiful smiles. To learn more about children’s dentistry, call Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at (913)681-5500.
