At Battery Park Pediatrics, we aim to help your child achieve optimal oral health by focusing on preventative dental care. A key element to preserving oral health is to simply prevent dental issues from ever occurring. The prevention of dental issues will ensure that less invasive treatments are needed, which will help your child form a positive relationship with our dentists that will shape positive oral habits for the rest of their life. Battery Park Pediatrics provides the following preventative dental services:
Oral Exams:
During an oral exam, our dentists will evaluate your child’s teeth, bite, gums, and the surrounding structures for any signs of dental issues. Regular oral exams, performed at least every six months, ensure that dental issues can be resolved before they have a chance to escalate.
Teeth Cleaning:
During a teeth cleaning, our dental hygienists will use a special tool, called a scaler, to very gently scrape the excess plaque and tartar off your child’s teeth. Then, they will go over the teeth with a gritty toothbrush and an electric brush to get any missed areas. Next, they will floss between your child’s teeth to ensure they have removed all the plaque and tartar from hard to reach areas. Your child will then rinse their mouth and have a fluoride polish applied to their teeth. Regular teeth cleanings, performed in coordination with dental checkups, prevent harmful decay-causing bacteria from building up within plaque and tartar deposits.
Dental Sealants:
To prevent your child from developing cavities in the grooves of their molars, a thin, plastic coating is painted over these grooves, effectively sealing them from plaque and food. Dental sealants are especially useful to prevent tooth decay in young children who may have trouble brushing properly.
Pre-Orthodontic Exams:
These are conducted during oral exams and can help your child prepare for orthodontic treatment if needed. Pre-orthodontic exams aim to identify and correct possible issues in preparation for later orthodontic treatment.
Dental X-Rays:
To monitor the growth and development of your child’s teeth and facial bones, our dentists will perform regular dental x-rays. These x-rays are perfectly safe and have very low radiation levels.
Patient Education:
Every time your child visits our office, our staff will teach them about the importance of oral hygiene and will show them proper brushing and flossing techniques. This is important so they can develop positive oral habits.
Did You Know?
Other than the common cold, tooth decay is one of the most common diseases. In fact, approximately 75% of worldwide school children have dental cavities caused by tooth decay.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does my child need preventative dentistry services?
Having your child visit Battery Park Pediatrics for their dental checkup and teeth cleaning at least once every six months ensures that their teeth will be clean, healthy, and are more likely to remain that way. Preventative dentistry services allow our dentists to eliminate possible dental issues before they have a chance to get worse.
If your child is showing signs of tooth decay or damage, then restorative dental services may be needed. The most commonly used restorative treatments for children are fillings, crowns, and nerve treatment. The intention of restorative treatments is to effectively restore function to the tooth and prevent the condition from causing tooth loss or the need for extraction.
What can my child expect from preventative dentistry services?
Since the majority of general dentistry services are preventative, your child should expect to undergo an oral exam, dental x-rays, and a teeth cleaning at their appointment. During the oral exam, our dentists will use special tools to look inside your child’s mouth. Although these tools may look scary to your child, you can explain to them that they will cause no pain and are only used so the dentists can properly see everything. Dental x-rays are relatively quick and may consist of your child biting down on a plastic disc. Finally, their teeth will be cleaned and polished. At the end of their appointment, you will be able to discuss their results with our dentists and get any questions answered.
If your child needs to have restorative work done, our dentists will explain what the process is and what to expect. The expectations for restorative work depend upon the type of work being done. Generally, to make the experience easier on your child, we will schedule their restoration work for a different day and offer conscious sedation.
Does my child need to follow any special instructions after receiving preventative dental services?
After you child’s dental check up and teeth cleaning, you will need to schedule their next check up and teeth cleaning. In the meantime, make sure your child continues to brush twice daily and floss once daily. Make sure they are using fluoridated toothpaste that has been approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) and don’t forget to replace their toothbrushes when the bristles begin to fray, which usually amounts to three to four times a year.
To prevent cavities, limit the amount of sugar they consume and make sure they brush their teeth after eating or drinking anything containing large amounts of sugar. You will also want to make sure they eat a balanced diet so that their teeth are receiving adequate amounts of nutrients. Foods like cheeses, apples, and broccoli are especially beneficial to your child’s oral health.
You should also monitor their oral health and call our office immediately if anything changes or if they complain about any pain or discomfort. Also, if your child plays sports, they should be fitted for a mouthguard to prevent oral injuries from occurring.