Columbus Pediatric Dentistry Services
At Hines Little Smiles, we practice preventive dentistry, which means we take a proactive approach to preventing common problems like tooth decay. With regular dental visits and parental involvement in daily oral healthcare, unnecessary tooth pain can often be avoided. Dr. Hines and her associates also provide preventive treatments like dental sealants, mouth guards, and early diagnoses. As pediatric dentists working in Columbus, we are uniquely trained to develop a combination of office and home preventive care to ensure your child’s smile remains happy and healthy. We provide a variety of services to make sure that your child’s dental needs are met, including the following:
Regular dental check-ups are crucial. They are the perfect opportunity for ensuring that your child’s teeth are developing as they should. In addition, it gives us the opportunity to help your children maintain better oral hygiene. The foundation of every child’s dental habit is getting into the routine of visiting their dentist.
Whatever the age of your child, the importance of good oral hygiene cannot be underestimated. From the moment you start brushing your baby’s first tooth, all the way through to their teenage years, the skills of brushing and flossing will be crucial to your child’s long-term oral health.
Proper Nutrition & Dietary Habits
We all know that proper nutrition and dietary habits are integral to our overall health, but children need to know the importance of a healthy diet as soon as possible. We can educate your children on the importance of proper nutrition, and the habits that they should practice for their oral health, which will have a positive impact on their general health.
Fluoride treatments are a great way to preserve the strength of your child’s teeth. Our hygienists provide fluoride treatments for your child’s oral health, which is a fantastic preventative measure to keep their enamel strong and resistant.
As children get older, their interests in sports will likely increase. If your child is a keen athlete, they require protective gear, and this cannot be underestimated when it comes to their dental health. Up to 40% of all sports injuries involve the face. If your child has been working hard to maintain excellent oral hygiene, an athletic mouth guard is an essential piece of protective equipment.
Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
If babies fall asleep drinking sweetened liquids for extended periods of time, this can decrease saliva flow, resulting in the sugars from the liquids potentially causing early onset tooth decay. We can provide advice and practices to help your child greatly reduce this habit so they don’t become dependent on the bottle and to ensure that their great oral health starts early in life.
Evaluating Growth & Development
The growth of your child is something that’s amazing to see, and as your child learns and develops, their teeth also go through many different stages. From the infant teeth that start at approximately six months old, all the way through to the permanent teeth developing a few years later. Ensuring that your children have healthy teeth will keep them stronger throughout their entire life, but we can also provide reassurance and guidance to make sure that, at each stage of their growth, any problems can be prevented.
We don’t just provide guidance and advice, but we take the opportunities to explain the importance of oral health. It is part of our job to make sure your children have excellent oral hygiene habits that will stay with them throughout their lives. We focus on brushing and flossing, but we also realize that you, the parents, are key to the whole process. We believe in creating and nurturing positive experiences in the dental chair, but also making sure that dental hygiene is a family duty.
Many children do not like going to the dentist. We understand that it’s not always so easy. This is why we work hard to create positive associations as soon as possible. Sometimes, children will not be happy in the dentist’s chair. This could be due to negative past experiences, or your child has special needs that require extra care and attention. This is where we can help by providing a number of sedation techniques, including in-office IV sedation, nitrous oxide, or general anesthesia. These ensure your child has the procedures they need, without feeling any stress or anxiety.
Some children naturally have grooves and deep pockets in their back teeth, this could lead to problems later in life if they are untreated. Dental sealants are a preventative measure that can protect your child’s chewing surfaces from decay and cavities.
As a parent, you might be concerned if your child’s teeth haven’t come in at six months. Baby teeth can be incredibly disruptive for young babies. If you have had a wisdom tooth, you might have some idea how it feels for poor babies. This is why it’s important to know what to look for, and how you, as the parent, can maintain good oral hygiene as soon as possible so they are well looked after, especially as proper oral hygiene habits can pave the way for healthier permanent teeth.
Many adults undergo procedures to replace crowns. Children can also undergo similar procedures. EZ-Pedo Kid’s Zirconia Crowns are our preferred crowns because they are very strong and resistant, mimic the natural appearance of your child’s teeth, but are also customized to fit any individual.
Pediatric dentistry is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We appreciate every child is different. When your child has special needs, such as a learning disability, it’s important for your child to have the same care as any other child, no matter what. This is why we work hard to create a very relaxing and warm environment so your child can have the dental care they deserve. Many parents are anxious about taking their child to the dentist, and when their children have special needs, this can seem an incredibly overwhelming and difficult approach. But we provide a wide variety of treatments so you do not have to feel anxious anymore.
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We welcome you to the Hines Little Smiles family! Call (614) 475-5439 today to make your appointment. We welcome patients from Columbus, Gahanna, New Albany, Westerville, Blacklick, Reynoldsburg, and the surrounding areas.