The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry defines Pediatric dentists as the pediatricians of dentistry. Pediatric dentistry is the specialty of dentistry that focuses on the oral health of young people. After completing a four-year dental school curriculum, two to three additional years of rigorous training are required to become a pediatric dentist. This specialized program of study and hands-on experience prepares pediatric dentists to meet the needs of infants, children and adolescents, including persons with special health care needs.
Fusion Dental agrees with the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry that your child have their first dental visit after his or her first tooth erupts and no later than your child's first birthday. This enables us to do a baseline oral care examination and give you the dental care information you need to help properly care for your child's unique dental needs.
Your child's dental health is very important to us, so we believe that the best way to ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth is to make your child's first dental visit as pleasant and as educational as possible.
Everyone, especially kids, should see their dentist for teeth cleaning and examination every six months. Decay is more likely to happen when children are young, so regular examinations are key.
During each teeth cleaning and examination, you and your child can expect a:
- Preventative cleaning. The hygienist will clean and polish the teeth to remove sticky bacteria, called plaque. When plaque builds up, it can cause tooth decay. The hygienist will also teach your child proper brushing and flossing as needed, and answer any dental questions you or your child may have.
- Diagnosis of any dental conditions. The dentist will perform the exam and look for cavities or other dental conditions.
- Full oral examination to identify changes in the tissues of the mouth.
Fluoride helps protect teeth from decay. Professional fluoride ?treatments are recommended twice each year and can be applied as a foam, gel or varnish.
Dental sealants are a tooth-colored plastic material applied to the chewing surfaces of the teeth to fill the naturally occurring pits and grooves. Sealants are a great help in preventing cavities. The sealant material is simply applied after the teeth are carefully cleaned where it bonds and hardens in seconds.
Fillings are necessary when small cavities are found. White, or composite, fillings are designed to match the color of your child’s tooth and are most commonly used for the front teeth. Composite or silver amalgam fillings can be used to restore back teeth.
Space maintainers hold the place of a tooth that has prematurely fallen out of a child's mouth due to decay or injury. A space maintainer can be a band or crown attached to another tooth. The dentist will remove the space maintainer once the permanent tooth starts to grow in. If a space maintainer is not used, the surrounding teeth can crowd and take over that space, causing the permanent tooth to come in crooked or crowded.
Your child will need a full set of x-rays every 3-5 years and bite wing (partial) x-rays every year. New patients will need full x-rays at their first appointment unless recent x-rays are transferred from a previous dentist. X-rays are very important in finding cavities and disease not seen by the naked eye.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Fusion Dental recommend the following important steps to help your child be part of the cavity-free generation:
- Beware of frequent snacking and soda
- Brush effectively twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
- Floss once a day
- Have sealants applied when appropriate
- Seek regular dental check-ups
- Assure proper fluoride through drinking water, fluoride products or fluoride supplements