Pediatric Dentistry

Ideally, it’s best to schedule your child’s first dental visit by age 1, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Usually, a child’s primary teeth begin erupting around age six months, and this first visit is an opportunity for a pediatric dentist in Queens to check their teeth and jaws are developing as expected.

Early dental care aims to ensure a child visits a pediatric dentist before problems develop with their teeth so that any small issues can be caught early and treated more quickly and comfortably. Also, the sooner a child begins visiting a dental office, the sooner they become accustomed to a new environment and all the accompanying sights, sounds, and smells.

When a child is very young, they can almost certainly remain comfortably seated on your lap while we gently examine their mouth while older children may enjoy a ride in the dental chair. During this visit, we may need to take digital dental x-rays to check teeth are coming through the way they should and to check for any signs of decay. Digital dental x-rays are very safe, only omitting tiny levels of radiation, and we only take x-rays as needed.

After this initial visit, we can discuss how frequently your child should visit a pediatric dentist in Queens. Most children need to see a dentist biannually for checkups and dental cleanings. It is a simple routine that can prevent many dental diseases. Also, regular dental visits help your child to grow up without feeling dental fear and anxiety. Instead, they will recognize dental care as a normal part of life.During your child’s first visit, we can also discuss oral care at home.

It is best to begin cleaning your child’s mouth even before they get their first tooth as they will get used to the sensation of having their mouth gently cleaned. You only need to wipe their gums gently using a clean damp washcloth or a soft baby brush. You do not need to use toothpaste.Cleaning a young child’s teeth can be a struggle sometimes, but we can demonstrate techniques so you can clean them more easily and effectively. As your child’s teeth continue to develop, they will begin to contact each other, and you must floss between them to keep them strong and healthy. We can teach you the proper techniques for flossing your child’s teeth. We can discuss the most appropriate toothbrush to use and the best type of toothpaste.

It is crucial to care for your child’s baby or primary teeth, even though they are temporary and are replaced by adult teeth later.

Some of your child’s baby teeth will remain in place until age 12. During this time, children learn to talk and to socialize with others, and they need to eat a nutritious diet. Without strong and healthy teeth, these essential tasks become more difficult. Infected and broken teeth are painful and can affect your child’s health and self-confidence.

If your child has tooth decay in a primary tooth, we will almost certainly need to fill the tooth. Treatment is similar to the procedure for filling an adult tooth; we remove the decay, and the cavity is filled with an appropriate material. If the tooth isn’t treated, the infection may spread, and we may need to remove the tooth.

When primary teeth are lost too soon, it can impact the development of adult teeth. The baby teeth either side of the gap may move into this space, preventing the permanent tooth from erupting correctly. Children who lose primary teeth to soon may need a space maintainer to hold open the correct amount of room for adult teeth and to prevent adjacent teeth from moving.As soon as your child has teeth, they are susceptible to decay and especially to a problem called early childhood tooth decay or early childhood caries.

Early tooth decay is a problem that can develop if you send a child to bed with a bottle of formula, milk, or juice, all of which contain sugars. Giving a child a pacifier dipped in a sugary substance like honey will have the same effect. If you currently give your child a sugary drink at bedtime or nap time, replace it with plain water. Stopping a habit all at once isn’t always easy, so another tactic is to try watering down the bottle contents over a couple of weeks until it only contains water.Caring for Older Children’s Teeth

As your child gets older, we will monitor the growth and development of their teeth and jaws carefully. There is a lot we can do to continue to make sure your child grows up enjoying optimal oral health.

When their adult back teeth erupt, our Queens pediatric dentists may suggest dental sealants to protect them against tooth decay. Dental sealants consist of a very thin layer of plastic material that is initially flowable. We paint the sealant onto clean tooth surfaces where it flows into all the fissures and grooves in back teeth, sealing these hard to clean areas and preventing tooth decay. Once in place, the dental sealant is hardened or cured and provides several years of protection before it needs replacing.

Fluoride

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in water, soil, and some foods. It is useful in preventive dentistry, making teeth more resistant to decay. Sometimes fluoride applications can reverse the early signs of tooth decay that begin as small lesions in tooth surfaces. Fluoride is available in toothpaste, mouth rinse, and in chewable tablets, lozenges and drops. If needed, we can provide professional applications of fluoride in the form of gel, foam, or varnish.

When your child first visits our dental office in Queens, we can discuss the need for fluoride and will make sure their fluoride intake is appropriate for their age. While children do need a certain amount of fluoride, it’s important to make sure they do not ingest too much as this can cause dental fluorosis, a condition that creates white or brown spots on teeth.

As your child’s teeth and jaws develop, we can assess if they will benefit from orthodontic treatment. If necessary, we will suggest they receive an early orthodontic evaluation, which can take place as soon as age six.

Sometimes, early orthodontic care can correct problems caused by childhood habits like thumb or finger sucking. Other times, the best dentist for kids’ braces may not necessarily recommend orthodontics immediately, but they can plan ahead if necessary. Timing orthodontic care carefully can be very useful, guiding the growth of a child’s jaws as they develop. It’s an approach that can create more room for teeth yet to erupt and which can give a child a nicer facial profile.