Pediatric Dentistry

About Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric dentist specializes in the oral health care of children, from infants to teenagers. It involves the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dental issues which affect children, as well as monitoring the growth and development of their teeth and jaws. Pediatric dentists are trained to manage the unique dental needs of children, including those with special healthcare needs, and provide age-appropriate care to ensure children maintain good oral health throughout their lives. They also educate children and their parents on proper oral hygiene practices and nutritional habits to promote healthy teeth and gums.

First Dental Visit

It is time, where your child comes to the dentist for their first dental visit, a big moment that can lead to big emotions. We want to prepare you and your child for the visit and provide tips to help make it as positive as possible.

First, we appreciate you filling out our forms about your child, so that we can find familiarity in what their current hobbies or likes are.

For children under the age of 3

We like to have a private room for our patients and parents. Our dental assistant will chat with you about any concerns or questions you have. Our private room is equipped with sensory toys and books to occupy his/her time, as we discuss oral hygiene, nutrition, eating habits, oral habits, sleep quality, supplements, ways to care for your child’s teeth, and any other concerns you may have.

After completing our discussion, we will evaluate your child’s teeth either by a knee to knee exam, or by a high chair (where the child sits in our high chair, and parent is looking at his/her child Dr. My will stand behind him/her for an evaluation). A tooth brush prophy is completed for young patients, and for our 2-3 year-old patients, our prophy brush can be attempted depending on behavior.

For children over the age of 3

They are ready for our big kids area! We find that seeing other kids and being in an open bay helps ease some nervousness they may have. They get to see other kids be brave, and they find comfort and knowing they are not hurting.

This is a time we attempt to take X-rays on young patients. (If you have any concerns, ask about our X-ray policy form when calling our office)

Our dental assistant will call you and your child back. We begin by taking X-rays. After completing X-rays, he/she will be lead to our open bay benches.

If allowed and accepted, we like to evaluate the following prior to cleaning:

a. Plaque Index report

b. Oral Bacteria Screening Tool (additional Cost)

c. Evaluate the child’s Salivary pH (if they have not had anything to eat within the last hour) (additional Cost)

d. Gingival Health

After our evaluation, we will begin our cleaning. Once the X-rays and cleaning are complete, our dental assistant or hygienist will discuss oral hygiene, nutrition, eating habits, oral habits, sleep quality, supplements, ways to care for your child’s teeth, and any other concerns you may have. Dr. My will arrive, greet you and your child, and we begin with an exam. A review of our findings is discussed, and ways to improve your child’s overall oral health will be addressed.

Laser Dentistry

We are proud to offer Solea Laser to our patients! The Solea laser is a cutting-edge technology that has the potential to greatly improve the experience of dental procedures for patients. Laser dentistry offers a number of benefits over traditional methods, including: less pain, less need for anesthesia, and faster healing times. CO2 lasers, like the Solea laser, are particularly useful for hard and soft tissue surgery, and they can be used for a wide range of procedures, including cavity preparation, gum contouring, and removal of overgrown tissue. In most cases, most fillings will not need the “shot” and our patients can leave without the full numbing-frozen feeling.

Arrested Caries

Arrested Caries, also known as non-progressive or static dental caries, is a common condition that affects teeth. This type of decay occurs when dental caries stop progressing and become dormant without further extension into the enamel or deeper structures of the tooth. According to the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), arrested caries are typically found in areas of the teeth free of plaque.

Arrested caries appear as distinct spots on the tooth that differ in color and texture from the surrounding area. These spots may be brown or sometimes whiter than the surrounding enamel (known as white spot lesions) and have a shiny appearance. Unlike active caries, which may be dark gray, arrested caries have not yet reached the dentin beneath the enamel.

Sedation

We offer three types of sedation for our young patients: Nitrous Oxide, Oral Conscious Sedation, and in-office IV Sedation (performed by a Anesthesiologist). Determining the best option for your child varies taking into consideration age, behavior, and extent of treatment is evaluated.