Pediatric Dentistry

What are the common issues of dental health in children?

The dental issues that kids experience are often similar to those affecting adults. However, since children’s teeth are still developing, untreated dental conditions can lead to poor and misaligned tooth development, which can result in more serious problems as the child grows up.

Some of the most common issues with children are:

• Tooth decay
• Bad breath
• Sensitive teeth
• Thumb-sucking
• Gum disease
• Teeth grinding
• Canker sores
• Baby teeth-loss
• Over-retained primary teeth
• Dental Anxiety

How should I care for my baby's teeth?

It’s important to start caring for your child’s baby teeth as soon as the first tooth appears. We recommend bringing your child in for their first dental exam by their first birthday, followed by regular checkups every six months. This will help keep your child on a schedule similar to most adults, allow us to monitor their dental health, and provide personalized preventive care.

As a parent, there are some early steps you can take to protect your child’s teeth from decay even before their first dental visit:

• After feeding, make sure to clean your baby’s teeth by either rinsing with water or wiping them with a damp cloth, especially before they go to sleep. Residue from milk or formula left in the mouth can lead to decay, even in very young children. Untreated cavities can cause pain and infection.
• Try to wean your child off breastfeeding or bottled milk by the age of one to prevent decay and reduce the risk of jaw growth problems from excessive sucking.
• Start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears. Even a small amount of exposed tooth can develop a cavity. Begin by brushing with a soft-bristled brush and water, and ask your dentist when it’s appropriate to start using a small amount of toothpaste.
• Once your child is old enough to brush on their own, continue to supervise their brushing and go back to clean any areas they may have missed.
• Avoid giving sugary drinks or milk in bottles before bedtime.
• When giving sugary beverages, use a straw to reduce the liquid’s contact with the teeth. Try to limit your child’s overall consumption of sugary foods and drinks.

What is pulp therapy?

If your child complains about tooth sensitivity, constant pain, or has swollen and painful tissue around a tooth, they may have pulp damage. The pulp is the living part inside the tooth and can be damaged due to trauma, decay, or infection.

It’s important to save as much of the living pulp as possible while treating the infection or removing any damaged sections. One way to do this is through a pulpotomy, which can be performed if the root of the pulp is unaffected and only the tip is damaged. In this procedure, all decay is removed, and a protective material is placed over the remaining pulp, followed by the placement of a crown. Saving the pulp increases the chances of producing a healthy adult tooth.

If the damage has extended into the tooth root, a pulpectomy is performed. In this case, all of the living material is removed, and the space is filled, similar to an adult root canal procedure. A crown is placed to help with spacing when the adult tooth is ready to come in.