Kids Dentistry
Why Should You Visit A Kids Dentist?
Kids are prone to many dental problems, requiring specialized care and attention. At Aspen Dental Care, our kids dentists are well equipped to handle the emotional and psychological needs of a child patient, providing the most comfortable and comprehensive care your child needs.
The usual dental problems kids have are:
- Tooth decay
- Tooth alignment issues
- Loose teeth
- Bad breath
- Oral habits like thumb sucking
All these issues need timely intervention and care. A child’s teeth begins to erupt by the age of 6 months and completes usually by the age of 3 years. Experts from top hospitals also recommend that, the first dental appointment must be scheduled not later than 6 months after eruption of the first teeth, usually around the age of 1 year. Follow up appointments will be held every 3 to 6 months thereon.
Taking Care of Your Child's Teeth
0- 6 months – Make sure to clean the babies mouth with a clean moist gauze after feeding.
6- 12 months – During this time the first teeth appear. Schedule a dental appointment within the first year. Brush teeth with a soft bristle brush and rinse the mouth properly after every feeding or continue to clean with clean gauze. Try to stay alert to prevent the child from dento-facial injuries as the child learns to walk. Slowly wean the child from breast or bottle milk by the first birthday.
12 – 24 months – Continue with the regular scheduled visits with our kids dentists for oral examinations and cleaning. Dental cleaning is recommended usually every 6 months for children. Teach the child to rinse his/her mouth after every meal and use of a small pea sized fluoridated kids toothpaste is recommended.
6- 12 months – During this time the first teeth appear. Schedule a dental appointment within the first year. Brush teeth with a soft bristle brush and rinse the mouth properly after every feeding or continue to clean with clean gauze. Try to stay alert to prevent the child from dento-facial injuries as the child learns to walk. Slowly wean the child from breast or bottle milk by the first birthday.
12 – 24 months – Continue with the regular scheduled visits with our kids dentists for oral examinations and cleaning. Dental cleaning is recommended usually every 6 months for children. Teach the child to rinse his/her mouth after every meal and use of a small pea sized fluoridated kids toothpaste is recommended.
Dental Treatments for Kids
Teeth fillings – Tooth decay leads to formation of large cavities in teeth resulting in sensitivity and if left untreated can cause severe pain. Tooth decay is a very commonly recurring problem in children and must be treated immediately. The initially appear as blackish/brownish spots on the teeth and later turn into cavities. Restorative fillings are used to fill the cavities after the tooth is cleaned of all tooth decay. This procedure prevents the decay from spreading further and helps prolong life of the teeth.
Teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment – It is generally recommended that the child undergoes a teeth cleaning procedure every 6 month to prevent buildup of plaque and calculus. Fluoride application is also needed to help remineralize teeth and prevent tooth decay.
Teeth extraction – Teeth may need to be extracted in case of sever untreatable tooth decay or in case the primary teeth doesn’t fall at the usual time period.
Space maintainers – After extraction of a primary teeth, space maintainers are used to maintain the space for future eruption of the permanent teeth. If not used, the teeth on either side may tilt into the space causing problems in eruption of permanent teeth, leading to orthodontic problems. Space maintainers are fixed to the teeth present on either side of the extracted tooth space and are removed once the permanent tooth begins to erupt.
Pulpectomy and pulpotomy – When tooth decay or tooth injury extends to the pulp of the teeth, pulpectomy or pulpotomy is performed. The pulp is blood and nerve tissue located within the tooth and extends into the roots of the teeth. If this pulp gets infected, the child may face severe pain and swelling. Pulpectomy is a procedure quite similar to root canal treatment in adults where the pulp chamber is thoroughly cleaned of all tissue material, disinfected and sealed. The only difference in pulpectomy is that the pulp chamber is sealed with a resorbable material. The pulpectomy procedure helps prolong the life of the teeth and prevents pain and infection of the tooth in future.
Sealants – Dental sealants are resin based filling materials that are used to block the deep groves present on the chewing surface of the child’s teeth. This prevents accumulation of food within these grooves which causes tooth decay. Sealants may also contain higher amounts of fluoride providing anti cavity protection.
Mouth guards – Children usually face dental trauma leading to pain and tooth loss while playing sports. Mouth guards help protect teeth and soft tissues of mouth during sports injuries.
Orthodontic treatment for kids – Also called early intervention orthodontics is the treatment of teeth alignment issues in children. It is important to keep an eye on the child’s oral development. Facial skeletal issues such as discrepancy in width and size of jaws lead to many dental alignment problems. Our specialist help identify these conditions early and start treatment. Treatment may include only orthodontic braces or surgical intervention (orthognathic jaw surgery) or both based on severity of skeletal issues. Other active appliances (myofunctional appliances) may be necessary to guide the growth and position of jaws using the power of jaw muscles. Appliances loaded with spring may be necessary to cause expansion of jaws in cases of teeth malocclusion due small jaw width.
Kids early intervention orthodontics is very essential to reduce the impact of teeth alignment issues later on in life as adults. It helps reduce the need for more extensive orthodontic work in future.
Teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment – It is generally recommended that the child undergoes a teeth cleaning procedure every 6 month to prevent buildup of plaque and calculus. Fluoride application is also needed to help remineralize teeth and prevent tooth decay.
Teeth extraction – Teeth may need to be extracted in case of sever untreatable tooth decay or in case the primary teeth doesn’t fall at the usual time period.
Space maintainers – After extraction of a primary teeth, space maintainers are used to maintain the space for future eruption of the permanent teeth. If not used, the teeth on either side may tilt into the space causing problems in eruption of permanent teeth, leading to orthodontic problems. Space maintainers are fixed to the teeth present on either side of the extracted tooth space and are removed once the permanent tooth begins to erupt.
Pulpectomy and pulpotomy – When tooth decay or tooth injury extends to the pulp of the teeth, pulpectomy or pulpotomy is performed. The pulp is blood and nerve tissue located within the tooth and extends into the roots of the teeth. If this pulp gets infected, the child may face severe pain and swelling. Pulpectomy is a procedure quite similar to root canal treatment in adults where the pulp chamber is thoroughly cleaned of all tissue material, disinfected and sealed. The only difference in pulpectomy is that the pulp chamber is sealed with a resorbable material. The pulpectomy procedure helps prolong the life of the teeth and prevents pain and infection of the tooth in future.
Sealants – Dental sealants are resin based filling materials that are used to block the deep groves present on the chewing surface of the child’s teeth. This prevents accumulation of food within these grooves which causes tooth decay. Sealants may also contain higher amounts of fluoride providing anti cavity protection.
Mouth guards – Children usually face dental trauma leading to pain and tooth loss while playing sports. Mouth guards help protect teeth and soft tissues of mouth during sports injuries.
Orthodontic treatment for kids – Also called early intervention orthodontics is the treatment of teeth alignment issues in children. It is important to keep an eye on the child’s oral development. Facial skeletal issues such as discrepancy in width and size of jaws lead to many dental alignment problems. Our specialist help identify these conditions early and start treatment. Treatment may include only orthodontic braces or surgical intervention (orthognathic jaw surgery) or both based on severity of skeletal issues. Other active appliances (myofunctional appliances) may be necessary to guide the growth and position of jaws using the power of jaw muscles. Appliances loaded with spring may be necessary to cause expansion of jaws in cases of teeth malocclusion due small jaw width.
Kids early intervention orthodontics is very essential to reduce the impact of teeth alignment issues later on in life as adults. It helps reduce the need for more extensive orthodontic work in future.
