Pediatric FAQs

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children have their first dental check-up by their first birthday or within six months of the eruption of their first tooth. 

It’s very similar to a regular well-child check-up with your pediatrician. We offer oral hygiene instruction, dietary counseling, fluoride use, oral growth and development, habits, and dental trauma/injury prevention.

Primary, or "baby," teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path that permanent teeth can follow when they’re ready to erupt.

Check-up visits are recommended at a minimum of every six months in order to aid in the prevention of cavities or other dental problems. It's always better to diagnose a potential problem early on. Decay or breakdown of a tooth that is detected in the early stages is easier and less costly to treat.

Every child is unique and has individual oral healthcare needs. Therefore, the frequency of dental visits will vary. Regular visits will also keep children familiar with the dentist and his or her staff.

Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a child goes to sleep while breast-feeding and/or bottle-feeding. During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished. 

Avoid nursing children to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bedtime bottle. Encourage your child to drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday. He/she should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age.

A toothbrush with soft bristles and a small head, especially one designed for infants, is the best choice for infants. Brushing at least twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime, will remove plaque bacteria that can lead to decay.

Thumb and pacifier sucking habits that go on for a long period of time can create crowded, crooked teeth or bite problems. If they're still sucking their thumbs or fingers when the permanent teeth arrive, a mouth appliance may be recommended by your pediatric dentist. Most children stop these habits on their own.

Primary, or “baby,” teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, but they also aid in forming a path that permanent teeth can follow when they're ready to erupt. Some of them are necessary until a child is 12 years old or longer. 

Pain, infection of the gums and jaws, impairment of general health, and premature loss of teeth are just a few of the problems that can happen when baby teeth are neglected. Because tooth decay is an infection that can spread, decay on baby teeth can cause decay on permanent teeth. Proper care of baby teeth is instrumental in enhancing the health of your child.

Four things are necessary for cavities to form — a tooth, bacteria, sugars or other carbohydrates, and time. Dental plaque is a thin, sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that constantly forms on everyone’s teeth. When you eat, the sugars in your food cause the bacteria in plaque to produce acids that attack the tooth enamel. With time and repeated acid attacks, the enamel breaks down and a cavity forms.

Our office looks forward to providing care to children with special healthcare needs. If your child has special healthcare needs, please inform our staff about your child's needs when scheduling the child's first visit. We may ask you to spend a little extra time speaking with a member of our team to better prepare for your visit

We offer a fun and friendly environment for your child to receive a lifetime of positive experiences at the dentist. We use child-friendly language and use behavior management skills so you and your child will have a pleasant, stress-free experience.