At Hines Little Smiles, our Columbus pediatric dentist understands that parents want the best for their kids, but with all of the conflicting information floating around, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what is best when it comes to your children's dental care and oral hygiene routines. Our pediatric dental experts are always here to answer your questions and support you, as you strive to help your child achieve and maintain optimal oral health.
To start, we've rounded up some of the most commonly asked questions and provided you with the answers right here. If you still have questions or concerns, though, we welcome you to contact our office whenever you need.
The difference between general and pediatric dentistry is that pediatric dentistry is a branch of dentistry specifically focused on providing dental care to children throughout all of their developmental stages. A dentist for kids undergoes special, additional training for two or three years that focuses on the unique needs of infants, toddlers, children, tweens, and teens, in addition to development and behavioral management. At a pediatric dental clinic, the entire team will be highly experienced in working with, interacting with, and treating children of all ages.
Additionally, pediatric dental offices are designed with children in mind. The office interiors are designed to be fun, exciting, entertaining, and calming for kids. Plus, we have all of the specially sized furniture, tools, and equipment that enable us to provide optimally comfortable treatments.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that babies have their first dental visit either when their first tooth erupts or by the time they celebrate their first birthday, whichever happens to occur first.
After the visit, most children should visit the dentist for a routine dental examination and professional teeth cleaning every six months. In certain cases, our dentists might recommend more frequent visits for a child who needs more frequent care or monitoring. This helps us prevent problems from occurring, detect developing issues early, and resolve any issues that occur promptly with minimally invasive treatment approaches.
Primary (baby) teeth might not stick around for life, but they do serve several purposes. We do our best to preserve your child's baby teeth until it is time for them to naturally fall out because they play important roles in your child's proper development, such as:
Plus, oral health is strongly connected with general health, so protecting primary teeth by promoting good oral health will also help to keep your child generally healthy, too.
Every child and their development are a little different, but most children are old enough to brush their teeth independently at about age six, seven, or eight. Most children will want to start brushing their own teeth much earlier than this, but we recommend supervising their brushing closely until they are a little older, more mature, and in command of their fine motor skills.
Many oral hygiene companies make toothpaste formulated for children under age three. These formulas usually don't contain fluoride to protect children from swallowing too much. However, it is safe to use regular toothpaste on young children if you use a safe amount. The recommended dose for children under age three is a small smear about the size of a grain of rice. This little amount will brush all of your child's teeth, but won't cause fluorosis as a result of exposure to too much fluoride.
Choose a flavor that your child likes to encourage brushing, and always be sure to look for toothpaste that has been approved by the American Dental Association.
Children should have an orthodontic evaluation by age seven. This evaluation helps us identify any early signs of orthodontic issues that are likely to develop in your child. With this knowledge, we can often treat your child with interceptive orthodontics (such as palatal expanders or space maintainers) to prevent the need for more extensive, complex treatments in the future. With a set of dental X-rays, our pediatric dentists can help you determine if an evaluation with an orthodontist would be beneficial for your child.
Your child's safety is always our top concern, and yes, dental X-rays are safe for children.
We recommend periodic dental X-rays for children because they help us monitor your child's development and evaluate their oral structures that aren't visible to the naked eye.
Dental X-ray technology has come a long way in recent years, especially with the advent of digital imaging technology. We now use digital X-rays to capture images, which have super-quick exposure times and significantly reduce the amount of radiation that children are exposed to. Additionally, we implement proper safety precautions to ensure children are adequately protected.
Most often, children who eat a well-balanced diet, brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste, and visit the dentist regularly do not need fluoride supplements because exposure to too much fluoride can cause a condition called fluorosis, which leads to tooth discoloration. However, the answer to this question can be subjective, and some children can benefit from fluoride supplementation.
Our dentist can evaluate your child's teeth, permanent tooth development, and talk with you about your child's lifestyle and topical fluoride exposure to help you determine whether or not fluoride supplements are a good idea.
Dental sealants are a quick, cost-effective, non-invasive way to protect your child's teeth from tooth decay and cavities. They consist of a thin layer of tooth-colored, resin composite that's painted onto the chewing surfaces of molars. The resin fills in the cracks and grooves, making the teeth easier to keep clean and protecting these surfaces from harmful bacteria. We recommend dental sealants for all permanent molars.
At Hines Little Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, we place a strong emphasis on preventative care for kids, oral hygiene education, and dental advice for parents. Our goal is to work in tandem with parents to help create strong foundations of good oral health for each of our young patients, so that the dental care your child receives in our office brilliantly complements your at-home oral hygiene routine.
If you have any questions about your child's dental care or our practice, we are always here for you, and we encourage you to contact us at any time. To learn more about your child's dental care and our pediatric dental services, or to request an appointment for your child, we welcome you to contact our office today.
Call 614-475-5439 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.
