Citrus Heights Kids Dentist

What is a Pediatric Dentist?

Our experienced Citrus Heights pediatric dental and general orthodontist staff are carefully dentistry-trained in working with all ages of children, including infants and adolescents, teaching them about the development of good dental habits that they will carry with them into their adult age years. While initiating a trusting and confident relationship between our certified dentists and children patients, we can aim our efforts at preventing decay, advising any patient on how to make teeth stronger, and emphasizing the importance of developing ways to prevent cavities at every dental appointment or teledentistry exam. 

Why Have a Pediatric Dentist Visit?

With extensive knowledge of dentistry problems specific to children and adolescents, our Make a Smile pediatric staff of is more than fit to care for your family’s needs and assure that you’re receiving the best dental information at every appointment or teledentistry exam. Our dental office is aware that they must treat children a little differently than adults, which is equally as important as the technical dental training. After years of working strictly with children patients, our dental office knows that showing respect, compassion, and a gentle touch will always get the best results from our young patients. Our pediatric dental team is also trained in Child Physiology, providing them with the ability to approach the needs of kids from a different perspective than normal dental teams during every pediatric appointment This is especially important in working with maturing children, whose focus turns more towards self-image as they age. A lot of dental problems that can progress as your children get older can be resolved by our early pediatric dental detection techniques and regular dental visits, helping to improve the smile and general dental health of your kid.

Pediatric Treatments

Sealants

Sealants are placed on chewing surfaces of the back teeth to prevent blight and other dental problems that may affect the mouth. A sealant is a thin coating material that flows into the grooves of the chewing surface on a molar. Sealants make it very easy to keep molars clean and to avoid food from getting stuck in the grooves causing cavities or other dental health problems.

Radiographs or X-Rays

Our pediatric dentists office is equipped with digital radiography, with the images of your teeth almost instantly appearing on our computer screen! If you have any concern about x-rays on your children, our dentists will assure you that this is the first dental process to find the best dental treatment plan for your kids.  

Diagnodent

Not all cavities are easy to reach. Fortunately, our pediatric dentist will use Diagnodent, a light that is used to detect bacteria and gauge the density of the tooth. These non-invasive dental technology services offer early detection of cavities and provide comfort and care during your children’s dental procedure.

Dental Filling

In order to treat a dental cavity, filling or restorative dental material is chosen based on the tooth which needs to be restored. Decay eats holes in the substance of the tooth, called “dentin,” creating that most familiar of dental bothers: the cavity. At our Make a Smile dentistry and orthodontics CA office, our pediatric dentistry practice will not fill cavities with amalgam or silver fillings; we proudly use only composite, white fillings. Dental fillings are an easy way to prevent further corrosion and future oral problems in kids.

Fluoride

Fluoride helps re-mineralize weak enamel, which is important for healthy teeth in children. Our office or your pediatrician can prescribe fluoride supplements in tablet or drop form as needed. Topical fluoride is externally applied directly to the tooth and is found in mouthwash and kids toothpaste.

Pulpotomy/Stainless Steel Crown

If a cavity goes untreated and is not filled, blight passes through the dentin and enters the pulp, the soft, innermost part of a tooth containing nerves and blood vessels. For this we perform a pulpotomy. The decay and pulp tissue are removed, the pulp chamber is filled with a special dental material and a stainless steel crown is cemented over the entire tooth to prevent dental breakage.

Root Canal

When a cavity at the pulp level is left untreated, the corrosion spreads into the root canals of the tooth where nerves and blood vessels connect to the tooth. At this point the only dental procedure that can save the tooth is root canal services. The dental atrophy and tissue of the root canals are removed and, as in a pulpotomy, replaced with a special material.

Extraction and Space Maintainer

If the deterioration passes through the roots, it forms an infection at the base of the tooth, at this point it must be “extracted,” or removed. When a back tooth is removed, the remaining teeth push closer together, leaving little room for the new permanent tooth. To prevent the new one from growing in crooked, a dental space maintainer is used. This is placed in the area left by any extracted teeth, almost like a placeholder, saving room for the new permanent tooth to grow in properly. If you or your children have any questions regarding tooth extractions, give us a call and our pediatric dental team will happily address all your concerns.

What Parents and Children Should Know

Five Steps to a happy and healthy smile:

• Brush twice a day
• Floss once a day
• Eat healthy
• Make an appointment every 6 months for a full review
• Baby Tooth Cleaning and Care

Healthy baby teeth, although eventually replaced, are a pivotal step in the development and growth of a child’s permanent teeth and an important first step towards a healthy mouth. A kids first tooth may erupt as early as in a few months. It is crucial to clean your baby’s gums and any newly erupted tooth after meals, bottles, and medicine use, using a soft washcloth. Please replace toothbrushes every three months and check first with your dentist about when and what toothpastes are age appropriate for your kids prior to use.

Our dental office is focused on orthodontics, endodontic care, oral surgery, and overall general dental care. Make an appointment and come visit us at 6404 Sunrise Blvd. Ste. A in Citrus Heights, CA.

Help us by Yelping us! If you’ve received great care from our team, please leave us a review on Yelp. Make a great choice and schedule an appointment with our Make a Smile Dentist today! 

If you have any questions about Make a Smile, feel free to call our office or schedule a pediatric dentist visit. We would love you as a new patient! We have a great pediatric team that provides phenomenal oral health and tooth care focused on general orthodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery care for your children.