Marietta Pediatric Dentist Helps Children Fight against Tooth Decay
One of the first things children learn to do is how to give themselves proper oral care, which helps them fight against one of the true dangers of teeth loss: tooth decay.
Good dental care is something that every child needs. As their teeth are still developing, kids should be taught about how to properly protect their ivories by developing good dental habits. These include learning to properly brush teeth twice a day and limiting the intake of sweets. As a parent, the biggest problem that you should look out for is the development of tooth decay; left untreated, cavities will form and eventually lead to pain, infection, and tooth loss. Your greatest ally in ensuring that your children’s teeth are safe would be a pediatric dentist in East Cobb like Dr. Brent Herrin of Herrin Pediatric Dentistry.
Dental Exams
The main aspect that a pediatric dentist can help with is a dental exam. During these exams, the dentist will check on your child’s teeth and see if any signs of decay have developed. They will also check on the development of teeth; this can lead to early detection of problems like crooked teeth, allowing for the early correction of these disorders. Additional procedures like x-rays are often done as well, especially during a child’s first visit.
After the exam, your dentist will also perform thorough cleaning of your child’s teeth. This is combined with a discussion of proper oral hygiene practices and a scheduling of future checkups. Dentists would usually want children to drop by every six months to see how the child’s teeth are developing and to get them acclimated with the dentist, ensuring that future visits are more comfortable. Finally, they may also discuss additional dental care tips and interventions.
Dental Sealants
One of the more popular procedures suggested by dentists is the application of dental sealants. Sealants are placed over the teeth, providing a layer over the depressions and grooves of the molars so that decay won’t develop. The usual age to get these is from 6 to 14, the period when children are most susceptible to tooth decay. The procedure to apply them is very simple: teeth are cleaned then dried, after which a solution is applied to the teeth to provide better adhesion. The sealant is then directly painted onto the teeth and hardened by a special curing light.
Extractions
Sometimes, though, children will still develop cavities and end up requiring a tooth extraction. This can be a scary procedure for them, which is why an experienced kid’s dentist for East Cobb residents is often recommended for this. A pediatric dentist would be able to apply anesthesia in a calm manner, and ensure that children can have as positive an experience as possible. Also, after care will be a much easier process with a child-friendly professional advising on how children should take care of themselves.
(Source: Mayo Edge: Teach your children the importance of good dental habits, The Post Bulletin, March 30, 2015)