The best way to ensure your child has a lifetime of good oral health is to prevent problems before they have a chance to occur. Early childhood cavities (ECC) are among the most common chronic diseases in kids. At Children’s Dentistry, we offer preventative dental care for kids in the Missoula area so they can avoid the pain of toothaches.
Preventative Dental Care:
Fluoride Treatments
Fluoride is an ion that helps strengthen tooth enamel. Fluoride treatments can help prevent tooth decay and cavities, and kids can receive them two to four times per year. Your children can start getting fluoride treatments once their first tooth appears. At Children’s Dentistry in Lolo, we provide a screening tool to determine which risk category your child is in and recommend treatments based on that every 3, 4, or 6 months.
Fluoride treatments for kids are an effective way to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. These treatments involve applying a concentrated fluoride gel, foam, or varnish to the teeth, which helps to remineralize enamel and protect against decay. Dentists typically recommend fluoride treatments for children, especially those at higher risk of cavities due to factors like poor dental hygiene or dietary habits. Fluoride can significantly reduce the incidence of cavities, making it a valuable addition to a child’s dental care routine. Parents should discuss the benefits of fluoride treatments with their dentist to determine the best approach for their child’s oral health.
Dental Cleanings
Along with brushing, other preventative dental care services are needed for kids to keep their teeth healthy. One of these crucial children’s dental services is teeth cleanings. Before cleaning your children’s teeth, our team will check for problems like plaque or cavities. Then the dentist will remove the plaque and scrape the teeth to get rid of any hardened, built-up plaque, called tartar.
The dentist will then clean your children’s teeth using a motorized brush and toothpaste. As part of our preventative dental care services for kids, we will often take X-rays of their teeth. We do this to make sure there are no other underlying issues.
X-Rays
X-rays are taken every six months to a year, depending on the risk of dental decay. X-rays help the dentist see cavities between the teeth that are not seen visually in the mouth. Additionally, the patients will receive a panoramic X-ray when they are about seven years old. This device provides a view of the entire jaw structure and developing teeth in a single image. Panoramic X-rays can help the dentist make a referral to an orthodontist or oral surgeon for additional dental procedures like braces or wisdom teeth removal.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are one of the dental care services for kids that help prevent tooth decay when they start getting their permanent adult teeth. Adult teeth contain pits and fissures where food can get caught and lead to tooth decay. Dental sealants can fill in those gaps and prevent cavities from forming. That is what makes this procedure one of the most critical preventive dental services for children.
The process of applying dental sealants is painless and easy. First, the dentist will clean your children’s teeth. Then, they will apply an acid etch, bonding, and finally, the sealant to the teeth. The result is a tooth with a sort of plastic seal over it. In a few months, the seal will fade, but the sealant will remain in the teeth.
If you would like to know more about our preventative dental care services for kids in the Missoula area, get in touch with us.