Keeping children's teeth healthy and strong helps them eat better, speak clearly, and smile confidently. Good oral hygiene begins with routine professional care, including exams and teeth cleanings.
Pediatric dentists have special skills to make dental visits less frightening for young patients. Educating children and their parents is also an important part of what pediatric dentists do.
Preventive Care
Kids dental care Raleigh NC is a vital service that ensures healthy teeth and teaches proper oral hygiene. It also helps prevent serious issues such as gum disease and tooth decay. Regular dental exams and cleanings help detect these problems early, saving time, discomfort, and money.
Besides regular brushing and flossing, kids should also be given fluoridated kinds of toothpaste to protect their smiles against cavities and other oral health complications. They should also be prevented from consuming extra sugary foods or drinks as they increase the risk of dental diseases.
Safety net dental clinics are available in most North Carolina counties and offer a sliding fee scale for low-income patients. These clinics can provide children with dental exams, teeth cleanings, and X-rays. In addition, they can offer sealants and fluoride treatments to help prevent cavities.
Routine Cleanings
While brushing and flossing are important, routine professional cleanings help remove hardened plaque and tartar from the teeth that can’t be removed by brushing alone. Kids can also receive quick, pain-free fluoride treatments to remineralize the tooth enamel and reverse early signs of tooth decay.
A hygienist will use a variety of tools to remove the plaque and tartar from the child’s teeth, and they will polish, floss, and shine their smiles. The dentist will then come in and examine the child’s teeth and gums for signs of tooth decay, infection, and underlying dental development problems.
Kids should start seeing the dentist as soon as their first tooth erupts, and they should visit every six months for routine appointments. These are important preventative care appointments that are fully or partially covered by most insurance policies.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride is a natural mineral that’s been shown to reduce tooth decay by strengthening enamel and making it more resistant to bacteria. It’s a safe, effective treatment for both children and adults. Research has also found that people who grew up drinking fluoridated water were significantly less likely to develop dental cavities.
Professional fluoride treatments can be delivered in gels, foams or varnishes that are applied directly to the teeth. Gels and foams are squeezed into trays that are held against the teeth for several minutes, while varnish is brushed or “painted” onto the teeth.
Fluoride is safe for kids and adults to use as long as it isn’t swallowed in excess. Patients with high-carbohydrate diets, dry mouth or existing dental restorations may require higher-strength fluoride treatments.
Sealants
Kids dental care Raleigh NC often develop cavities on their molars due to their grooved chewing surfaces. These nooks and crannies are difficult to brush clean, so plaque and bacteria can build up and lead to tooth decay.
Dental sealants protect these teeth by creating a protective coating that fills in the grooves, keeping them clean and free of decay. Typically applied to children’s permanent molars as soon as they emerge, this preventive treatment is more effective than brushing alone.
We apply a clear or white composite resin to the tooth’s surface and allow it to flow into the deep grooves. Once the tooth is completely coated, we use a special blue spectrum light to harden the plastic and ensure that it stays in place. The entire procedure takes just minutes and is painless.
Orthodontic Treatment
Children need special care when it comes to their oral health. They are at risk for tooth decay and need to develop good brushing habits that will last a lifetime. Pediatric dentists are specially trained to prevent and detect dental problems in children, so they can maintain a healthy smile throughout their lives.
Routine appointments typically include a teeth cleaning and an examination. The cleaning is performed by a hygienist who removes hardened plaque from all surfaces of your child’s teeth and then polishes them smooth. X-rays may also be taken to help spot problems that can’t be seen during a visual exam.
For children without access to insurance, the Wake County Regional Smiles program offers no-cost dental visits at locations throughout the county. Visit your nearest Safety Net Dental Clinic to find out more about eligibility and how to apply.
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