Your child should receive a preventive dental checkup at least every 6 months. Regular periodic examinations provide the opportunity for dental providers to detect early signs of oral disease, allowing for more conservative treatment options or even the possibility to monitor the condition of certain teeth and reevaluate them at the next visit.

Seeing children for 2 dental checkups each year further builds on the idea of establishing a dental home where they feel comfortable and safe. It also instills the importance oral health has in maintaining and achieving overall health, an idea that we hope every patient comes to understand as they mature and establish their own independence.

First dental visits may differ depending on your child’s age and comfort level.

• For infants and some toddlers, the visit may focus more on an open dialogue between members of the dental team and the parent(s) or guardian(s), while ample time is spent interacting with your child and showing them some of the dental equipment and tools used for routine appointments. The dentist will perform an exam, sometimes with the child on their parent or guardians lap, unless they are cooperative enough to sit in the chair for the exam.
• For some toddlers and preschool-aged children, the visit may be more hands-on as the dental team gauges the child’s excitement level and willingness to allow routine preventative care such as a dental cleaning, x-rays, fluoride treatment (if desired), and a thorough exam by the dentist.

For all new patients, our goal is to keep visits as positive as possible and excite your child about coming back for their next visit, whether it be their next checkup, restorative treatment, or anything else. Dr. Mitch believes that the best treatment outcomes happen when we work together with patients and their families, always keeping patients’ comfort and willingness to attempt any treatment in mind at all times.

The reality is that almost all children will benefit from orthodontic treatment because teeth very rarely erupt into perfect positioning, but not every child needs braces. The need for orthodontic treatment comes down to the severity of crowding, malalignment of teeth, and the growth, development, and relationship between the upper and lower jaws.

Most orthodontists recommend children be seen for an orthodontic consultation after age 7, but there are occasional instances in which a child may need to see an orthodontist before then. Often times it’s okay to monitor your child’s growth and development and wait until they are in their pre-teen or teenage years to see how necessary orthodontic treatment is. A typical time to refer for routine orthodontic treatment is between ages 11 and 14, when all (or most) primary teeth have been lost and the landscape of the permanent dentition can be assessed.

• Dental sealants are protective coatings placed in the pits and grooves of permanent molars. They seal off bacteria and food debris from entering the deepest, most difficult-to-clean areas of these teeth and help in preventing cavities. It’s not uncommon for sealants to need to be “touched up” over time, as sometimes they wear away or become dislodged from biting forces.
• Every permanent molar could benefit from having a sealant placed on it, however, not every child is at a high risk for getting cavities, possibly making their placement unnecessary. Individual cavity risk can change over time, which may warrant revisiting sealants at future visits, even if they were not recommended in the past.

• Primary teeth are highly susceptible to decay due to their size and shape, children having sporadic dietary habits that often include frequent snacking, and difficulty in maintaining adequate oral hygiene. It also doesn’t take long for cavities to reach the pulp of primary teeth, which may lead to dental pain and/or infection.
• A pediatric dentist will consider all factors before recommending whether or not to treat a primary tooth. The factors include the size, severity, and location(s) of the cavity, the child’s level of cooperation and comfort in the dental setting, oral hygiene and dietary habits, and the child’s dental development (ie. how close the tooth is to exfoliating naturally). It is not uncommon for a pediatric dentist to monitor cavities until a tooth falls out or treatment becomes absolutely necessary.

• Many children grind their teeth to the point where they may become “flattened”. There are numerous factors that can contribute to children grinding their teeth, including malaligned teeth, relationship of the upper and lower jaw bones, emotional stress and anxiety, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, neurocognitive medical conditions, medication side effects, and more. We typically don’t recommend any treatment for grinding so long as the permanent teeth are not affected. Pediatric Dentists closely monitor the effects of a child’s grinding on their teeth and will make appropriate recommendations, as necessary.

• A non-nutritive thumb-sucking habit or pacifier habit will lead to changes to a child’s dentition over time. It’s best to cease these habits as early as possible, however, ending either habit by age 3 will allow for ample time for natural movement of teeth to a more favorable position before the permanent teeth begin to erupt around age 6.
• A good approach to helping your child quit a habit is to first employ positive reinforcement by offering a reward or incentive to them for avoiding the behavior; placing a sticker on a calendar each day that they don’t engage in the behavior and offering them a reward at the end of a week or month of consecutive positive outcomes is a simple and effective way to do this.

• Every child requires a unique approach to treatment. When children are unable to safely tolerate necessary pediatric dental treatment using behavior guidance techniques such as tell-show-do and distraction (music, movies, or tv shows), sedation may become necessary. Our office offers multiple sedation options:
  • Nitrous oxide (also known as “laughing gas”) is a very safe mild sedative and is frequently used in the world of pediatric dentistry. Nitrous oxide relieves anxiety and can provides a small level of pain relief; it helps children to feel calm while remaining fully awake. Using a scented mask, nitrous oxide is given in tandem with a little bit of oxygen. Its effects begin within minutes of being administered, and they wear off quickly with no lasting effects.
  • General anesthesia may be offered or recommended if your child is otherwise healthy and requires significant or complex dental treatment but is unable to tolerate in-office treatment with nitrous oxide. We provide efficient, comprehensive dental treatment in partnership with a board-certified pediatric anesthesiologist to safely administer general anesthesia for your child, right in the comfort of our dental practice. General anesthesia allows for all treatment to be completed in a single visit.
• The safety of our patients is our highest priority. Rest assured, we will review your child’s medical history in depth before administering any sedative and will constantly monitor them throughout the procedure to ensure their health and safety at every moment.
• If you have any questions about sedation or believe your child would benefit from dental treatment under sedation, please call our office. All of our staff are highly knowledgeable regarding each option and would love to help you.

• Both Pediatric Dentists and General Dentists have graduated from an accredited dental school in North America and have earned their respective state licenses. Some General dentists feel comfortable treating children in their practice despite primarily focusing on the permanent dentition in adults whereas Pediatric Dentists primarily treat both primary and permanent teeth in children, adolescents, and occasionally young adults.
• Pediatric dentists are considered dental specialists. After completing dental school, they spend additional years in a residency focusing solely on treating the pediatric population, especially patients with significant medical complexities and those with special healthcare needs. They receive specialized training that includes, but is not limited to, child psychology, behavior management, sedation dentistry, children and adolescents’ pharmacology, and full mouth rehabilitation of both the primary and permanent dentition. Pediatric Dentists are considered experts in diagnosing and managing oral health issues relating to children and adolescents.