Maintaining Pediatric Dental Care with Regular Visits
After your child's first visit to Children's Dental of Waltham, he or she will need to attend checkups every six months for regular pediatric dental care. Our Waltham office is designed with kids in mind, so your little one will feel comfortable while we perform a comprehensive examination. Whether it is time for a regular visit, or you have noticed a potential problem with your child's oral health, contact us today to schedule an appointment.
General Pediatric Care Treatments
Pediatric dental care must include both at-home hygienic care and regular visits to Children's Dental of Waltham. Our littlest patients and their parents will become acclimated to our offices and learn hygienic techniques during their first or first few visits to our office. Once they are comfortable, we can begin a regular regimen of preventive care treatments during your child's regular visits. This regimen can include:
- Cleanings - Our hygienists will carefully clean your child's teeth. This helps prevent cavities from developing in hard-to-reach areas.
- X-rays - Our X-rays can ensure that baby and permanent teeth are developing properly within the gums, and detect any malocclusion (misalignment) or other problems.
- Fluoride Treatments - Fluoride is an essential agent in the fight against cavities.
These preventive techniques, performed at regular appointments, can help you and your child avoid painful and costly problems as your child grows.
Restorative Treatments
In addition to standard preventive treatments, your child may require additional dental treatments. Whenever possible, our dentists will try to perform treatments (with parents' approval) in the same visit as a child's biannual visit. This way, parents can avoid coming back for additional appointments, although sometimes this will be necessary.
Restorative treatments may include:
- Fillings - This common cavity treatment is performed after decay is removed from the hard tissue of a tooth. A filling restores the void in the tooth, strengthening it and preventing future decay. At Children's Dental of Waltham, we perform only composite (tooth-colored) fillings.
- Extractions - From regular teeth extractions to wisdom teeth extractions, Children's Dental of Waltham can remove problem teeth and address any underlying issues.
- Root Planing and Scaling - Also known as deep cleaning, root planing and scaling involves the removal of plaque bacteria from beneath the gum line using specialized tools.
- Mouth Guards - If a patient needs a mouth guard because of contact sports, we can create a custom athletic mouth guard.
- Root Canals and Prostheses - In the rare case that a child should require a root canal and tooth restoration, we can provide the necessary treatment. If needed, we can also provide a dental crown to restore the tooth.
We can provide nitrous oxide to help calm children during their treatments. Nitrous oxide is the most common type of dental sedation. It is considered safe for children, it is fast acting, and it wears off quickly.
If a patient is having extensive treatment that requires general anesthesia, we will perform treatment at a nearby hospital.
Contact Us
To learn more about what to expect from your child's regular dental visits, contact us today.
