Kids Dentist
Palo Alto, CA
Kids Dentistry in Palo Alto provided by Dr. Sharma and Dr. Cheong at Palo Alto Oral Health
 A kid's dentist is also known as a pedodontist. This specific group of dental professionals helps infants, children, and teenagers deal with dental health issues that affect their gums, jaw, and teeth.
Pediatric Dentists
The first set of teeth, also known as baby teeth present in children, have a thinner enamel layer than adult ones. This thin outer surface of the teeth makes them more susceptible to tooth decay and cavities than adult permanent teeth.
Furthermore, children love to eat sticky and sweet foods like candy, fruit juices, cake, chocolates, cereals, and milk and often fail to efficiently brush and floss their teeth. The bacteria and food debris left on the teeth surfaces have easier access to harm the teeth, which is why more than 50% of children have cavities in their baby teeth.
Pediatric dentists specialize and focus on dealing with dental issues that arise during the development of children's teeth. They can diagnose and treat such problems early, preventing future dental problems in these children.
At Palo Alto Oral Health, we suggest that taking your children regularly for a pediatric dentist checkup is essential so that dental professionals can examine their mouth to detect and diagnose potential threats to their oral health.
What Does a Child’s Dentist Do?
A dentist for kids, or pediatric dentist, will conduct a comprehensive exam to assess children's oral health. Their practices are focused on meeting the requirements and needs of growing infants and children.
A pediatric dentist will provide preventive dentistry services like teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment. Such dental care will ensure that the child has good oral hygiene.
The dentist will also detect dental injuries in children caused by falls and other accidents and repair the fractured or displaced teeth.
Regular pedodontist checkups allow professionals to detect a potential overbite or underbite early and design appropriate treatments to straighten teeth. The dentist will also remove cavities and treat them as they appear on the baby's teeth.
Why Do I Need a Dentist For Kids?
Establishing good dental hygiene habits in kids at an early stage will help them for the rest of their life. Kids must know the value of maintaining the health of their gums and teeth and be encouraged to brush and floss properly.
A pediatric dentist will guide the children about the do’s and don'ts of good oral health while checking their mouth for signs of infection and decay by keeping cavities and bacteria under control.
Dental care consistency is essential to maintain, as it will not allow potential health issues of children to grow and develop into severe periodontal diseases that will bother them for the rest of their lives. A children’s dentist can encourage good habits in children and teach them how to care for their teeth by themselves.
Parents must visit their child’s first dental visit with a kids dentist as soon as their child turns one year old so the dental professional can diagnose and treat problems as they appear. They can also recognize dental issues in children with special health needs.
What Happens When I Visit a Dentist for Children?
The oral cavity is most susceptible to bacteria and food debris accumulation. Maintaining good oral cleaning habits will prevent excessive deposition of bacteria inside the mouth and prevent infection development.
The teeth in children develop very fast, which is why taking care of their teeth, gums, and jaw will create a healthy foundation that will prevent any future disease development.
What Happens at a Dentist Office for Kids?
Dental professionals offer your kids various preventive treatment options for optimum dental health. Three of the most popular practices in dental clinics are dental cleanings, dental fissure sealants, and fluoride varnish.
Kids Dental Cleanings
The dental hygienist will scrape off the deposited plaque on the child's teeth. This practice also removes other built-up debris resulting from the consumption of excessive sticky or sweet foods.
The dentist will use an ultrasonic tool to clean the sides of every tooth, then floss and polish them properly. Afterward, the dentist will check for cavities or other infections in the child's mouth and examine the teeth and gums.
Even though you should take your children to the dentist as soon as they reach the age one of, dental cleanings are usually unnecessary until most baby teeth appear.
Dental Fissure Sealants
Fissure sealants are a part of preventive dentistry and are necessary practice as soon as the children's premolars and molars appear. Those chewing surfaces with pits and fissures need sealants to protect them from cavities and food deposition.
The plastic coating protects the children's teeth from decay and keeps the bacteria away from the grooves in the premolars and molars.
Fluoride Varnish in Children
Fluoride varnish has greater efficacy than the foam used in fluoride treatments. The varnish gel sets quickly on the baby teeth and is a safe and effective technique to protect tooth enamel. The fluoride varnish poses fewer risks of ingestion than typical fluoride treatments.
Children's teeth are rapidly developing, which is why getting enough fluoride is essential so that children can develop strong teeth which will benefit them for their whole life.
When Do Kids Start Going to the Dentist?
Pediatric dentists can recommend getting treatment for correcting an improper bite or habit counseling such as pacifier use. Regular children's oral health exams are essential as soon as the child gets their first baby teeth.
By exposing them to the dental clinic environment early, the children will become familiar with the dental practices and recognize what is or isn't good for their oral health.
Make fun dentist trips so that your child becomes less nervous about the visits and knows how to comply properly with the instructions given by the dentist.
How Long Do Dentist Appointments Take?
On average, a dental appointment may last only about 30 to 40 minutes. The dentist will have to evaluate the jaw, gums, and teeth health along with oral tissue examination, which takes some time.
The expected time can increase if there is a need for polishing, cleaning, or other treatment options like plaque and stain removal.
Schedule Your Child Today!
Our dentist professionals, our doctors and Dr. Sharma, can inspect your child’s teeth as part of a routine examination or specific health issue. Contact us today at (650) 321-9693 to schedule your child’s next pediatric dental visit. |
