When kids don’t receive routine dental care, they become at risk for cavities and poor oral health. Which is why we offer care for kids of all ages in our community. In today’s blog, your Rochester, MN, dentist will look at our approach to children’s dentistry and how we protect little smiles from cavities.
Starting Your Child’s Treatment
To get started, we will schedule a checkup visit with our team. We will talk about your child’s previous dental history, and then carefully examine their teeth and gums with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, which use a fraction of the radiation and offer detailed images chairside. Our team can then assess the current state of their oral health and recommend treatment for any signs of concern we discover, such as a cavity. In the same visit, our team can discuss good oral hygiene habits and help your little ones obtain a better understanding of their smile. In addition, these visits can also reduce the risk of dental anxiety.
Dental Cleanings
After we examine the smile, our team will conduct a dental cleaning. With an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual pic, we will gently but thoroughly remove all plaque and tartar from the teeth. Removing this buildup helps lower the risk of issues like cavities and gingivitis, as well as bad breath and stained teeth. In between these visits, your children need to brush and floss daily to limit how much plaque and tartar can form before the next cleaning appointment.
Fluoride and Dental Sealants
Our team could also talk about preventive treatments to help lower the risk of cavities for kids of all ages. During each checkup visit, our team could apply a fluoride gel topically to the teeth. This gel helps strengthen the weakened portions of enamel to keep cavities away, so kids maintain stronger smiles. For this reason we also recommend kids use a fluoride toothpaste when they brush, a rice sized blot for those three and younger, a pea sized blot for everyone else.
We could also discuss dental sealants. This refers to an acrylic coating we add to the rear teeth, which prevents food and drink particles from becoming stuck between them. Since kids have trouble reaching these molars, this can lower the risk of cavities significantly. They can also stay in place for as long as ten years in some cases!
TALK TO YOUR ROCHESTER, MN DENTIST ABOUT CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY
We want to help your children smile with confidence. If you would like to find out more about helping your children enjoy good oral health, or if you wish to book an appointment at our location, call Greenview Cosmetic And Family Dentistry in Rochester, MN at (507) 281-3659.
