What is Pediatric Dentistry?
Pediatric dentistry is a dental specialty tailored to suit the tiny mouths of even the tiniest patients! Pediatric dentists are specially trained to care for infants, children, and teenagers since young mouths experience so much change and development through a patient’s younger years.
Because most baby teeth start coming in during the first six months of life, proper dental care becomes essential right away. By the time a child is around six or seven years old, their baby teeth will start falling out to make room for adult teeth, which makes pediatric patients’ mouths more vulnerable to tooth decay and disease if they are not practicing proper oral hygiene.
What is Pediatric Dentistry?
When Should You Make Your Child’s First Dental Appointment?
Your child’s baby teeth should start coming in within the first six months of life, so you should prepare to book your child’s first pediatric dental appointment by the time they are nearing their first birthday. It is important to take your kiddo to Steveston Dental Group as soon as they have their baby teeth so our dedicated pediatric dentists can start assessing their oral healthcare early and note any changes or developments as they grow up and start losing baby teeth so secondary, permanent teeth can start growing in.
Once your child comes to our Richmond dental clinic for their first visit, we will be able to monitor their dental and oral health effectively so they can grow, learn, and play with a healthy smile for years to come.
When Should You Make Your Child’s First Dental Appointment?
What Should You Expect from Your Child’s First Visit to the Dentist?
When you bring your child to Steveston Dental Group for their first dentist visit, you can expect our highly trained pediatric dentists to perform a comprehensive infant oral health exam to make sure baby teeth are growing normally, on time, and in the right places. We will also take pediatric x-rays to monitor your child’s teeth, gums, and jaw as they grow.
Our dentists will clean your child’s teeth and gums using a “show-tell-do” approach from start to finish, which means we will show you what we’re doing, explain it in a way you can understand, and perform each treatment with patience and empathy for kiddos who might have a hard time sitting still. Once your child is old enough to understand our dentists, we will use the same “show-tell-do” approach with them to help keep them calm and comfortable through teeth cleaning, x-rays, and other pediatric dental treatments.
What Should You Expect from Your Child’s First Visit to the Dentist?
How Often Should Your Child Visit the Dentist?
After your child’s first dental appointment, you should plan to bring them back every six months or so for dental hygiene appointments and regular check-ups. It is important to stay on top of your child’s oral and dental health needs as they grow and develop adult teeth to prevent tooth decay and gum disease from causing life-altering damage that could lead to expensive restorative dental treatments in the future.
At Steveston Dental Group in Richmond, we understand wrangling children is a full-time job, which is why our friendly receptionists will set you up to get appointment reminders for your kiddos so you will never have to miss a pediatric dental appointment.
How Often Should Your Child Visit the Dentist?
What are Dental Sealants and Does Your Child Need Them?
Young dental patients’ teeth are more susceptible to cavities, which is why applying dental sealants is a very beneficial, preventative dental treatment method for children. A dental sealant is a thin, plastic film that our pediatric dentists will paint on the chewing surfaces of a child’s teeth to protect them from harmful cavities and other tooth defects caused by stubborn food particles and dental plaque.
The tops of your child’s teeth are covered with tiny bumps and grooves called pits and fissures, which create convenient areas for food and plaque to build up over time until they are stuck, which can lead to cavities. Applying a dental sealant over these pits and fissures is an effective way to prevent cavities from growing into infections that are more serious.
Ask your Richmond pediatric dentist about dental sealants for your child during your next visit to Steveston Dental Group.