Kids Dentistry

Pediatric or children’s dentistry is one of our specialties, so you can be comfortable knowing your little ones are in good care in getting on the right road to a lifetime of excellent oral health. We know that kids often are unable to explain what is happening inside their mouths, they may not understand or have the discipline to follow directions, and may be impatient with treatments.

It is important not to allow use of pacifiers or thumb-sucking too log, since this can lead to buck teeth. You will want to get your child to get into good habits of brushing and flossing while they have their baby teeth, starting about six months. These will typically start to fall out around 6 or 7 years, when the permanent teeth begin to come in. Usually the process is complete by 13, except for wisdom teeth at the back, which usually emerge 17-21 (when they are often removed due to overcrowding).

If you notice your child’s bite does not seem even and may need straightening when the permanent teeth come in, you should bring your child for an orthodontic exam about age seven to start monitoring. We will note whether the jaw seems to be small (likely meaning overcrowding is inevitable) or there are indicators of an underbite, overbite, or crossbite (misalignment of the upper and lower arches) that will need to be treated.

Whether braces–traditional ones or the lingual type that are attached to the back of teeth– are appropriate will depend on the complexity of the case. Mild to moderate cases can be treated with Invisalign aligners or invisible plastic oral trays, which do not have dietary restrictions (those wearing braces need to avoid eating sticky and hard foods that might damage them). The Invisalign process is usually completed in 6-18 months vs. 2-3 years for most requiring braces.

As your kids grow up and understand the importance of good dental hygiene, you will be helping them avoid a lifetime of pain and expensive treatments, even if it seems to them like a hassle. When they hear about friends who did not have good dental habits, they will appreciate how important it was to brush and floss correctly and frequently.