Pedontics

Children’s Dentistry

Your Child's First Visit

The first "regular" dental visit should be just after your child's third birthday. The first dental visit is usually short and involves very little treatment. We may ask the parent to sit in the dental chair and hold their child during the examination. The parent may also be asked to wait in the reception area during part of the visit so that a relationship can be built between your child and your dentist.
We will gently examine your child's teeth and gums. X-rays may be taken (to reveal decay and check on the progress of your child's permanent teeth under the gums). We may clean your child's teeth and apply topical fluoride to help protect the teeth against decay. We will make sure your child is receiving adequate fluoride at home. Most important of all, we will review with you how to clean and care for your child's teeth.

What Should I Tell My Child About Their First Dental Visit?

We are asked this question many times. We suggest you prepare your child the same way that you would before their first haircut or trip to the shoe store. Your child's reaction to his first visit to the dentist may surprise you.

Some First Visit Tips

• Take your child for a "preview" or online tour of the office.
• Read books with them about going to the dentist.
• Review with them what the dentist will be doing at the time of the first visit.
• Speak positively about your own dental experiences

What Will Happen During The First Visit With Your Dentist?

• Examination of your child’s mouth, teeth, and gums.
• Evaluate adverse habits like thumb sucking
• Check to see if your child need fluoride
• Teach you about cleaning your child’s teeth and gums.
• Suggest a schedule for regular dental visits.

What About Preventive Care?

Tooth decay and children no longer have to go hand-in-hand. At our office, we are most concerned with all aspects of preventive care. We use the latest in sealant technology to protect your child's teeth. Sealants are space-age plastics that are bonded to the chewing surfaces of decay prone back teeth. This is just one of the ways we will set the foundation for your child's lifetime of good oral health.

Cavity Prevention

Most of the time cavities are due to a diet high in sugary foods and a lack of brushing. Limiting sugar intake and brushing regularly, of course, can help. The longer it takes your child to chew their foods the longer the residue stays on their teeth, the greater the chances of getting cavities.
Every time someone eats, an acid reaction occurs inside their mouth as the bacteria digests the sugars. This reaction lasts approximately 20 minutes. During this time the acid environment can destroy the tooth structure, eventually leading to cavities.
Consistency of a person's saliva also makes a difference. Thinner saliva breaks up and washes away food more quickly. When a person eats diets high in carbohydrates and sugars, they tend to have thicker saliva that allows more acid-producing bacteria that can cause cavities.

Tips For Cavity Prevention

• Limit frequency of meals and snacks.
• Encourage brushing, flossing, and rinsing.
• Watch what you drink.
• Avoid sticky foods.
• Make treats part of meals.
• Choose nutritious snacks.

The first baby teeth that come into the mouth are the two bottom front teeth. You will notice this when your baby is about six to eight months old. Next to follow will be the four upper front teeth and the remainder of your baby's teeth will appear periodically. They will usually appear in pairs along the sides of the jaw until the child is about 2-1/2 years old.
At around 2-1/2 years old, your child should have all 20 teeth. Between the ages of five and six, the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth and some don't. Don't worry if some teeth are a few months early or lat. All children are different.
Baby teeth are important as they not only hold space for permanent teeth, but they are important to chewing, biting, speech, and appearance. For this reason it is important to maintain a healthy diet and daily hygiene.

Endodontics

Endodontic FAQ

What is endodontics?

Endodontics is a branch of dentistry recognized by the American Dental Association involving treatment of the pulp (root canal) and surrounding tissues of the tooth. When you look at your tooth in the mirror, what you see is the crown. The rest of the tooth, the portion hidden beneath the gum line, is called the root. Though the outer portion of the root is a hard tissue called dentin, the inside channel or "root canal" contains a pulp of soft tissue, blood vessels and nerves. Bacteria that are introduced into the pulp as a result of tooth decay, periodontal disease, tooth fracture or other problems, can severely damage the pulp. When that happens, an endodontic specialist removes the diseased pulp to save the tooth and prevent further infection and inflammation. After successful endodontic treatment, the tooth continues to perform normally.

I'm worried about x-rays. Should I be?

No. While x-rays will be necessary during your endodontics treatment, we use an advanced non-film computerized system, called digital radiography, that produces radiation levels up to 90 percent lower than those of already low dose conventional dental x-ray machinery. These digital images can be optimized, archived, printed and sent to cotherapists via e-mail or diskette. For more information contact Schick Technologies, Inc.

What about infection?

Again, there's no need for concern. We adhere to the most rigorous standards of infection control advocated by OSHA, the Centers for Disease Control and the American Dental Association. We utilize autoclave sterilization and barrier techniques to eliminate any risk of infection.

What happens after treatment?

When your root canal therapy has been completed, a record of your treatment will be sent to your restorative dentist. You should contact his office for a follow-up restoration within a few weeks of completion at our office. Your restorative dentist will decide on what type of restoration is necessary to protect your tooth. It is rare for endodontic patients to experience complications after routine endodontic treatment or microsurgery. If a problem does occur, however, we are available at all times to respond.

What new technologies are being used?

Operating Microscopes:

In addition to digital radiography, we utilize special operating microscopes. Magnification and fiber optic illumination are helpful in aiding the doctor to see tiny details inside your tooth. Also, a tiny video camera on the operating microscope can record images of your tooth to further document the doctor's findings.

Electric Apex Locators:

In certain cases electric apex locators can minimize the number of x-rays needed to complete root canal treatment.

Ultrasonics:

Ultrasonic instruments can be valuable to remove or loosen obstructions that would otherwise prevent reliable endodontic therapy.

Periodontics

Periodontal Disease - What Causes It

Periodontal diseases are ongoing infections of the gums that gradually destroy the support of your natural teeth. Dental plaque is the primary cause of gum disease in genetically-susceptible individuals. Bacteria found in plaque produce toxins or poisons that irritate the gums.  They may cause them to turn red, swell, and bleed easily. If this irritation is prolonged, the gums separate from the teeth causing pockets (spaces) to form. Plaque can also harden into a rough, porous substance known as calculus (or tartar). This can occur both above and below the gum line. As periodontal diseases progress, the supporting gum tissue and bone that holds teeth in place deteriorate. If left untreated, this leads to tooth loss. However, don’t be fooled. With periodontal disease, bleeding, redness, and swelling do not have to be present. Further, pain is usually not associated with periodontal disease. This disease damages the teeth, gum, and jawbone of more than 80 percent of Americans by age 45.

What Causes It

Periodontal Disease as well as decay are both caused by Bacterial Plaque. Plaque is a sticky colorless film, composed primarily of various types of bacteria, which adhere to your teeth at and below the gum line. Plaque constantly forms on your teeth. It begins to form within minutes after cleaning. If not carefully removed by daily brushing and flossing, plaque hardens into a rough, porous substance known as calculus (or tartar). This cannot be removed without professional cleaning.
The Bacterial plaque produces toxins or poisons that irritate the gums, which may (but not always) cause them to turn red, swell and bleed easily. If this irritation is prolonged, the gums separate from the teeth, causing Periodontal Pockets (spaces) to form along the tooth. As periodontal diseases progress, the supporting gum tissue and bone that holds teeth in place deteriorate. If left untreated, this leads to tooth loss. 

Orthodontics

Diagnostic Records & Treatment Planning

If it is determined that treatment is indicated, you will be scheduled for diagnostic records. These records usually consist of study models, diagnostic photographs and orthodontic x-rays. Once these orthodontic records have been obtained, your doctor will review them and determine a specific treatment plan for your orthodontic needs. Then our office will give you a call to review your treatment plan, set up the necessary appointments to begin your orthodontic treatment and set up financial arrangements for you.

Successive Visits

Periodic visits are an important part of orthodontic treatment. Generally, we will want to see you every 4 to 8 weeks to check your progress and make adjustments to your braces. During this time, you will need to keep appointments, follow instructions, eat nutritiously and practice good oral hygiene. Also continue to visit your dentist regularly.
Once your braces are removed, retainers are utilized to hold your teeth in their new positions until your bone, gums and muscles adapt to the new teeth positions. The retention period is an important part of your overall treatment and should not be neglected!

Length of Treatment

Braces may be on between 6 months to 30 months or longer depending on the age of the patient, the severity of the problem, the patient's cooperation and the degree of movement possible.

Dental Care

Before any orthodontic treatment, your family dentist should make certain that all cavities have been treated and the health of your gums and underlying bone are free of periodontal disease.
In addition, your dentist or an oral surgeon will remove any teeth that your doctor prescribed to correct your bite. Your family dentist should also schedule cleaning and cavity checkup visits during your orthodontic care. We would like to reinforce the need to keep your regular visits with your family dentist because we are only an aid to your family dentist and not a replacement.
Please contact our office if you have any questions. The timing of your treatment is very important. You or your child may or may not be ready for treatment. Therefore, a consultation will allow us to better understand your needs.