pediatric dentist Archives - Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry

What are Dental Sealants, and what is their importance in the prevention of children’s cavities?

June 21, 2023 by Silvia Salles

Promoting children’s oral health is vital. As parents, we strive to instill proper oral hygiene habits. However, reaching all the teeth, especially the back molars, can be challenging. Enter dental sealants. In this blog post, we’ll explain what dental sealants are and their importance in preventing children’s cavities. Discover how dental sealants benefit your child’s oral health.

What Are Sealants?

Dental sealants are thin, clear protective coverings applied to the back teeth, especially molars and premolars. These teeth have grooves and fissures that are hard to clean. Sealants act as a barrier, protecting teeth from cavity-causing bacteria and acids. They effectively prevent cavities, keeping your child’s teeth healthy.

Why Do Children Benefit From Sealants?

Children are still learning oral hygiene techniques and may struggle to clean hard-to-reach areas. Dental sealants provide extra protection, sealing off vulnerable surfaces of molars and premolars. By preventing cavities and staining, sealants maintain tooth integrity as children develop their brushing and flossing skills.

Who Should Get This Treatment?

A pediatric dentist determines if your child is a candidate for sealants through a comprehensive examination. Candidates often include children who have difficulty with effective brushing and flossing, as well as those prone to cavities. If your child already has sealants, they can be replaced easily during routine visits.

The Sealant Procedure

Applying dental sealants is a quick and painless procedure done during a regular dental visit. Here’s what it involves:

Cleaning and drying teeth: The dentist thoroughly cleans and dries the back teeth.
Applying the sealant: A clear liquid varnish is carefully brushed onto the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, flowing into the grooves and pits to create a protective layer.
Curing the sealant: A special bright light cures and hardens the sealant, ensuring it adheres firmly to the tooth surface.
Repeating for additional teeth: The process is repeated for other teeth requiring sealant protection.

While dental sealants protect chewing surfaces of back teeth, they don’t shield front teeth or areas between back teeth. Thus, regular brushing and flossing remain crucial for comprehensive oral hygiene.

Choose the Best Option for Your Child!

For any questions about dental sealants or to learn more about their benefits, contact us. At Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, our friendly staff is here to provide information and help you make informed decisions about your child’s oral health.
Contact us and schedule an appointment or discuss your concerns about your child’s dental care. Together, we can help your child achieve a healthy, beautiful smile for life.

What Should I Look for In a Dentist That Treats Autistic Children?

May 16, 2023October 1, 2021 by Pedro Lacerda

Choosing a pediatric dentist for your child is very important. Parents want to know that their child will receive the care they need if the child requires special needs. For patients that require special needs, parents must find a dentist they feel comfortable with. At Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, we provide exceptional dental care for our pediatric patients. We welcome both autistic patients, and patients that have special needs.

Pediatric dentists attend two to three additional years of training after they complete dental school. This is so they can understand all of the unique requirements needed to treat pediatric patients. This training includes treating children with autism. Medical appointments can be a challenge for both the parent and child that is autistic, and finding the right dentist that can ensure the appointment goes well is critical.

Tips for Choosing a Pediatric Dentist

Look for a pediatric dentist that has worked with autistic children or special needs., and ask what their procedures are. Many pediatric dentists and staff have been trained to handle children with special needs. At Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, we work with together with the parents to ensure the patient always has a positive experience. We are sensitive to each child’s needs, and work to provide the highest level of care.
Make sure your dentist offers a pre-visit to give you the opportunity to meet the doctor and staff prior to any appointments. This gives you the opportunity to discuss any concerns about your child’s care, and see both the office and exam room. Pre-visits can help you prepare your child, and can give the staff the ability to speak with the parent about how the appointment will go. At Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, our staff is highly trained to work with children that have special needs, and we will discuss the details of the appointment, and work with the parents to ensure your child has a positive experience.
Talk to your dentist and ask them how they handle sensitivity to light or sound. At Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, we take note of a child’s sensitivity level, and we have the ability to turn down lights or sound to ensure the appointment will go smoothly.
If needed we offer “laughing gas” or nitrous oxide, as well as conscious sedation to help our patients get through a dental procedure. These options are safe, and allow our doctors to treat patients easily if they require a complicated procedure. These methods are only used when necessary, and we take these options very seriously. Before any sedation is recommended, we look at medical history, and a medical exam is required before any sedation can be done.
Communication is very important when you take your child to the dentist. Our staff is trained to communicate with you before, during, and after any treatment. This helps to make sure the parent and patient are comfortable, and are aware of what is required each step of the way.
When you enter into a pediatric office, the waiting room should be full of kid friendly colors and have games or entertainment for the kids. At Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, we have created an updated and welcoming environment for our patients where they can play a game or watch a movie while they are waiting for their appointment.
As an incentive for a good appointment, we provide all of our patients with a small toy after their visit. This gives the child something to look forward to when they visit our office.

Looking for a Pediatric Dentist That Treats Autistic Children?

If you are looking for a pediatric or special needs Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, our team is here to help. We strive to provide the highest level of care for all of our patients, and ensure when they visit our office, they have a positive experience. We know choosing a pediatric dentist can be hard, and during our consultation process we really try and get to know each patient, and learn about what their needs are. This helps our team understand how to customize their visit, and make their experience positive.

If you are looking to schedule a dental exam for your child, contact Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, and our friendly staff will be happy to assist you.

Is it Normal to Defer to a Pediatric Dentist for Fillings?

May 16, 2023September 1, 2021 by Pedro Lacerda

If your child has severe decay or an infection, you may think the only solution would be the pull the primary tooth. Instead, your dentist can treat the inside of the baby tooth to save the tooth by performing a root canal. There are many benefits to saving primary teeth, and keeping them in your child’s mouth as long as you can.

Root canals can help save a tooth from an infection in the pulp area or center of a tooth. During a root canal procedure, the inflamed area of the tooth is cleaned out and sealed to prevent bacteria from entering in the future. Today dentists believe saving a baby tooth is just as important as saving an adult tooth.

What Are the Recommendations if My Child Has a Cavity?

In many cases children do not even notice they have a cavity until the cavity has progressed and become very large. If the cavity is large a silver crown may be recommended because primary teeth cannot handle large fillings. If the cavity is smaller and only on the surface of the tooth, we may recommend just watching the area. Depending on the size of the cavity and the type of tooth, our team will recommend the best treatment, and determine if a filling is needed.

At Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, we always choose the least invasive option and have your child’s best interest at hand. Our team will look at the child’s dental history, and consider the child’s risk for future cavities. We will provide a customized treatment plan, and discuss this plan with the parents to help decide what option is best for the child.

What Can I Expect During My Child’s Filling Appointment?

Talking to your child before their visit is important. Explain to them that the appointment will be easy, and that they will feel better after their appointment. When you come in for the appointment, we will bring you to the treatment room, and discuss the treatment plan to confirm everyone knows what is required. We may allow the parent to be present during the procedure if the child has anxiety, and seems to need parental support. We can discuss what is best for your child, and work with each patient to ensure both the parent and patient are comfortable.

Once your child is comfortable in the treatment room our doctor will explain the procedure in terms that are easily understood, and show them some of the tools that will be used. We offer TV as a distraction, and this helps the child to stay calm during the procedure. If anesthetic is needed, we will first numb the area with a topical numbing cream to help the process go smoothly.

Our goal is to keep your child calm and comfortable during their procedure. Once the procedure is complete, we will allow the child to pick out a special prize for completing their appointment. If we have any post treatment recommendations, we will discuss them with the parent after the procedure is complete. Our goal at Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, is to ensure your child has the very best experience when they visit our office.

Interested in Scheduling an Appointment With Us?

If you think your child may have a cavity, or you have been referred to our practice for treatment, contact Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry to schedule your appointment. Our doctors have years of experience in pediatric dentistry, and we provide the highest level of service. We look forward to you joining our dental family.

To schedule an appointment for your child, contact Upbeat Pediatric Dentistry, and our friendly staff will be happy to assist you.

Do Pediatric Dentists Perform Surgery?

July 6, 2021February 15, 2021 by Pedro Lacerda

A Pediatric dentist treats children from birth through adolescence. Pediatric dentists have skills to interact with infants and children, and this makes visits comfortable and easy for both the parent and child. Finding that perfect pediatric dentist is important, and helps to set the tone for good oral hygiene.

Pediatric dentists provide many procedures and treatments to help keep your child’s teeth and mouth developing properly and feeling great.

Common Pediatric Dentistry Services

Cleanings and exams
Fluoride treatments
Dental sealants
Deep cleaning
Fitting oral appliances such as mouthguards
Surgical procedures including tooth extractions, tooth implants, gum surgery and tissue grafts
Treatments to restore damaged teeth such as fillings, crowns, and root canals

What Surgeries Does a Pediatric Dentist Perform?

Pediatric dentists perform surgeries that include implants, tooth extractions, gum surgery, and tissue grafts. If your child has been recommended for oral surgery, and the surgery required is not a common surgery done by your pediatric dentist, they will refer you to an oral surgeon. Typically if the surgery involves impacted teeth higher in the gum line, or other areas that are not easy to reach an oral surgeon is required.

Pediatric dentists must complete three or more years of undergraduate education, as well as graduate with either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). In addition, pediatric dentists must complete an additional 2-3 years of specialized training specifically for diagnosing and treating children.

Pediatric dentists should be seen when an infant gets his or her first tooth or no later than one year old. Attending regular exams and cleanings every six months sets the tone early on, and teaches children at a young age how to care for their teeth. How often your child needs to be seen depends on their dental needs and level of plaque buildup.

Practicing good oral hygiene habits at home and eating a healthy diet can help teach your child how to take great care of their teeth and mouth. Establishing a good relationship with your dentist is important, and gives your dental team the opportunity to monitor your child’s development and get in front of any issues.

Interested in Scheduling Your Child’s Exam?

If you are interested in scheduling your child’s dental exam and cleaning our team is here to help. We provide the highest level of service, and always make sure all of our patients are comfortable and relaxed. We want each appointment to be an exceptional one!

To schedule an appointment please contact our office, and our friendly staff will be happy to assist you!