Age Appropriate Dental Treatments From a Kid Friendly Dentist

If your child needs dental work, a kid friendly dentist is the right professional to see. A kid friendly dentist has the knowledge and training to meet your child’s needs. The dentist will also know what types of treatments your son or daughter requires based on their condition. Various interventions should occur at different ages and stages of development.

Getting children ready to go to a kid friendly dentist

For some young patients, visiting the dentist can be a nerve-racking experience. To help calm a child’s fears or apprehensions, parents can use a few techniques. Parents should talk about trips to the dentist when they were young. It can also be helpful to explain what will happen during a checkup or treatment. Honesty and openness are also critical. Parents and caregivers should also emphasize why dental care and oral hygiene are so vital to good health.

Fillings

Cavities are common among children because many will struggle to brush and floss effectively. Kids are also prone to consume a lot of sugary foods and beverages. Some parents think filling cavities in baby teeth is unnecessary. However, a kid friendly dentist will recommend this procedure for children as young as 2 or 3. If parents ignore cavities in their children, the decay could get worse and spread.

Filling a baby tooth is a similar process to filling a permanent tooth. The dentist will numb the affected area so that the child is comfortable. After drilling into the tooth, the dentist will remove the decay. Then, the dentist will fill it with composite resin.

Root canals

The root canal procedure repairs damaged teeth, cleans out infections, or restores a severely decayed tooth. Dentists usually perform a root canal on permanent teeth. Children will usually have all adult teeth by age 12 or 13. However, a kid friendly dentist may do this procedure if a baby tooth has extreme damage. Doing a root canal can preserve the function of the child’s bite and jaw.

Wisdom tooth extraction

Wisdom teeth will usually not emerge until a patient is in their late teens or early 20s. In many cases, there is not enough room in a person’s mouth for this third set of molars. Failing to extract them will cause the teeth to grow in at odd angles or even cause problems with other teeth. A kid friendly dentist can determine whether extraction is necessary and when this should take place. This typically occurs before the wisdom teeth are impacted, around the time the teen is 17 or 18.

Know what is right for your child

Children face oral health challenges and need relief, just like you may encounter. If your son or daughter has a cavity, has tooth damage, or has incoming wisdom teeth, treatment is essential. Talk to a kid friendly dentist near you for advice on what you should do next. The dentist will examine your child and determine the next steps. Make an appointment now so you can get your child’s health on track.

Request an appointment here: https://www.sunsetdentalnm.com or call Sunset Dental at (505) 295-4050 for an appointment in our Albuquerque office.

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