Children's Dental Care in Roselle Park

Does My Child Need to See a Children’s Dentist?

We have pediatric dentists with additional training in treating young patients with special needs, and general dentists who see children. Both have experience in explaining good oral hygiene practices and preventing dental disease with a variety of treatments. Our dentists are kind, gentle and skillful at putting children and their parents at ease.

When Do Children Need to See a Kid’s Dentist?

We recommend that you make an appointment for your child when he or she turns one year old. As soon as your child gets a tooth, that tooth is at risk for decay. We would like to meet your child before he or she needs a dentist to treat a cavity so we can do our best to prevent one from occurring. If your child is approaching his or her first birthday and you’ve been telling your friends, “I’m looking for the best children’s dentist near me,” please call our office to schedule an appointment.

What Happens When My Child Sees a Children’s Dentist?

Your child will most likely have fun during a dental appointment at our office. He or she will sit in your lap and one of our dentists will check the teeth that have emerged. The appointment is also for parents to ask questions and to learn how to keep their child’s teeth clean and healthy. It also gets children familiar with dentists and dental offices so they won’t be afraid when they are older. Our dentists are very gentle with our young patients.

What Does Kids’ Dental Care Entail?

We offer a wide range of services, including exams and preventive treatments, such as sealants, to protect kids’ teeth from decay. Examples of typical dentistry for children includes:

• Dental Cleaning for Children: A professional cleaning is a preventative treatment that removes plaque and tartar, which are difficult for your child to remove with at-home brushing and flossing.
• Fluoride: A fluoride treatment strengthens the outer layer of teeth, helping to prevent cavities. A children’s dentist would rather prevent cavities than treat them.
• Dental Bonding: We can fix minor chips and cracks to teeth with dental bonding for kids.
• Fillings: Fillings are one of the most common of our dentistry for kids services. If your child has a cavity, we will make him or her comfortable, remove the decay, and then fill the tooth with your choice of a metal or white composite filling.
• Dental Sealants: Dental sealants for children are placed over the chewing surface of molars. This area is hard for kids to keep clean because of the pits and grooves, but sealants provide a smooth surface that resists plaque and is easier to keep clean.
• Baby Root Canal: If your child has an intense toothache, decay may have hit the tooth’s pulp. A children’s dentist may suggest a root canal to stop the pain and preserve the tooth.
• Pediatric Crowns: If decay has caused significant damage to one of your child’s teeth, we can either use a large filling or perform a root canal. Afterward, your dentist will place a pediatric crown to give the tooth enough strength to last until the adult tooth emerges.
• Mouthguards: Our dentists can provide mouthguards to protect your child’s mouth and help prevent a knocked-out tooth while they play all types of sports, not just contact sports.

When Does the First Baby Tooth Appear?

Your baby may start teething anywhere from four months to one year old, although the average onset is at six months. If your baby does not have at least one tooth at 12 months, bring them in for an exam anyway to ensure that there are no problems. By age three, your child will probably have all of the baby teeth.

When Will My Child Have All of Their Adult Teeth?

Most children have a full set of adult teeth by age 12 or 13, with the exception of their wisdom teeth. The process starts at around age six and the baby teeth will fall out in the order they appeared. Adult teeth should erupt about two or three weeks after the baby tooth falls out. If the permanent tooth takes too long to appear, the other teeth may shift to fill in the gap. If no adult tooth emerges, please call our office and request an appointment.

Why Does My Child’s Tooth Hurt?

A number of things can cause a toothache. Sometimes a tooth hurts when it is emerging, especially a molar, or your child may have a popcorn kernel stuck between their teeth. If the pain persists, they may have a cavity or gum infection. Don’t hesitate to call our office, especially if your child has swollen gums or they can point to a specific tooth that’s causing them trouble. Our dentist will diagnose the problem and treat it.

Please contact our office if you need a children’s dentist in Roselle Park. We welcome new patients.