When should I start bringing my child?
The earliest we need to see your child is two years old. The first visit will be solely to help your child have a good experience and learn what the dentist is. Your child will sit on your lap as we check for tooth eruption and make sure there is no pathology on the gums or mucosa. There is never a charge for a two year old exam. We simply want your child to have a friendly experience with us at an early age. We will begin real cleanings when your child turns three years old.
Cleanings and Checkups
It is especially important for kids to have dental check-ups every six months. Baby teeth are less mineralized than adult teeth, so cavities grow at a faster rate. This makes early detection very important. Also at the cleaning, your child will receive fluoride treatment which will help deter cavities and establish strong re-mineralization of their enamel.
What if my child has a cavity?
For your child’s first filling, a positive experience is the most important thing to us. For the first filling, we recommend using “Laughing Gas” and ear phones. The gas is perfectly safe and will be out of your child’s system before they get in the car. This will help your child relax and make everything much easier for them. We see lots of kids, and a good first experience with the dentist is extremely important to us.
Baby Tooth Extraction
Sometimes adult teeth start coming in before baby teeth get loose. In this situation, we need to extract the baby tooth, so the adult tooth has a chance to come in straight. Baby tooth extractions are easy at our office. We will use laughing gas, music earphones, topical anesthetic, and a small amount of “sleepy juice” to make this baby tooth extraction as easy as possible for your child.
Orthodontics
At each cleaning and check-up, we will monitor the eruption of your child’s adult teeth. It is important for us to see your child during these developmental years in order to provide any needed interventional care. In some situations children may be missing adult teeth or have over-retained baby teeth. These issues need to be detected early so that we may coordinate with the orthodontist, and get the best possible smile for your child. We work with several great orthodontists here in Toccoa and Cornelia, and will make sure your child gets the right care at the right time.