Invisalign® in Philadelphia, Philadelphia

What Is Pediatric Dentistry?

When it comes to keeping your child’s teeth healthy, you need dentistry for kids. Pediatric dentists go through at least six years of training to provide quality care to children. They make a commitment to addressing the needs of infants through teens. During office visits, they ensure that children are comfortable and safe. Also, our pediatric dentists show parents and kids how to care for their teeth properly at home.

When Should Children Get Professional Dental Care?

Parents should schedule a pediatric dentist appointment for their kids before they turn 1 year old, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Kids can get cavities when their baby teeth develop. Baby bottle tooth decay is a concern because sugary drinks, including formula and milk, sit on the primary teeth. The risk increases when two teeth touch, which is why flossing is essential.

It’s also important for kids to see pediatric dentists to protect their primary teeth. These teeth play a vital role even though they’re only around for a short period. For instance, they allow children to chew properly for good nutrition and to develop clear speech and good facial structure. Primary teeth are essential for the permanent teeth to develop correctly too. Ask our staff about good at-home oral hygiene.

Pediatric Dentist Appointments: What Happens?

We have made a commitment to deliver high-quality kids dental care. As part of that, we perform full exams of Pediatric teeth alignment and jaws. Doing so allows us to detect possible issues and investigate them further with X-rays if necessary.

Children don’t always cooperate when you need them to. For that reason, our Pediatric dentist in Philadelphia gives them the option to sit in your lap or the dental chair during exams. We aim to make them comfortable. In fact, we’ve used inspiration from kids to decorate our entire office.

Which Services Are for Kids Dentistry?

Dentistry for children involves comprehensive care that includes oral exams, tooth repair, gum disease management and preventive treatment. Our team uses a range of services that include

• Teeth Cleaning – A deep clean at our office is very important for avoiding tooth decay at every age. With our compassionate touch, your children will feel relaxed during the procedure.
• Fluoride Treatment – As another way to fight cavities, fluoride for Pediatric teeth combines with enamel to prevent the development of decay.
• Dental Sealants – Filling in the grooves in rear baby and permanent teeth with sealants for kids protects them from the food and bacteria that gets stuck in them and causes decay.
• Fillings – Filling cavities in children consists of removing the damaged pulp first. Next, our dentists repair the leftover hole with an amalgam or tooth-colored filling.
• Children’s Crowns – Our team applies crowns on baby teeth when the cavities are too large to repair with fillings. The crowns provide protection from further damage.
• Mouthguards – Athletic sports like gymnastics and football pose a threat to baby and permanent teeth, so it’s important to protect them. Mouth guards weaken falls on or hits to the face to protect against broken or knocked out teeth. While your kids sleep, they also protect against damage from grinding.

When Do Children Get Primary Teeth?

Your kids should see a pediatric dentist when they’re 6 to 10 months old because that’s when their lower central front teeth will come in. The next baby teeth coming in are the upper central front teeth at around 8 to 12 months old. Your children should have four teeth emerge every six months so that they have all of their baby teeth by their third birthday.

When Do Permanent Teeth Come In?

The facial bones and jaw grow tend to grow after a child hits 4 years old so that there’s space for the permanent teeth to push through the gums. At around 6 or 7 years old, the upper and lower baby incisors begin to fall out. Most of the time, all of the primary teeth fall out by the age of 12. It’s important to take children to see a kid’s dentist to ensure that their teeth grow correctly. Learn more about when baby teeth fall out by talking to our dentists.

Why Do Kids Get Toothaches?

Emerging teeth, gum disease and cavities are a few common causes of kids’ toothaches. However, mouth pain could also occur from a mouth sore, sinus infection, or earache. Our Pediatric dentist can detect the problem and provide the correct treatment. Schedule an appointment with our practice in Philadelphia to get relief for your child.