PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY SATELLITE BEACH
A Healthy Smile is Always Beach-Ready
Whether your child is an infant or teen, preventive dentistry can not only help their smile develop properly, but it can also save you from unexpected and costly dental bills due to oral pain and emergencies. When small problems, like cavities, are left to progress, they can lead to a slew of secondary issues. Our goal is to prevent that from occurring by protecting your most precious smile from the threat of decay and damage. If it has been longer than six months since your child’s last visit to a dentist, call our office today to schedule an appointment!
Why Choose Beachside Smiles Pediatric Dentistry for Kid’s Preventive Dental Care?
- We Use the Latest Diagnostic Technology
- High-Quality, Compassionate Dental Care
- Pediatric Dentists with Decades of Experience
Dental Checkups & Cleanings
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, as well as our team, recommends bringing your child in starting at an early age for bi-annual checkups and cleanings. These include routine X-rays and oral cancer screenings that help us spot and treat the early signs of cavities. When children get a little older and feel more comfortable with our team, we’ll also thoroughly clean their teeth, removing all plaque and tartar before polishing them.
Fluoride Treatment
We offer fluoride and silver diamine fluoride treatments to help protect against and fight off decay. Fluoride is more of a preventive addition that comes in the form of a gel that is spread across your child’s teeth. It only takes a moment to do and is completely painless. Silver diamine fluoride is also completely pain-free and is recommended for children showing early signs of cavity development. We simply brush a liquid atop the affected tooth to arrest the decay and protect it from future damage.
Dental Sealants
It’s no surprise that one of the most common oral health problems experienced by children is cavities, as they’re still learning how to properly brush and floss their teeth, and sometimes have unrelenting sweet tooths! If your child is at a higher risk of getting cavities, we may recommend dental sealants. This quick and easy treatment stops food debris and plaque from accumulating in the pits of the molars by providing a protective layer over them.
Non-Nutritive Habits
Thumb and pacifier-sucking are soothing, healthy habits that most children start when they’re infants. However, as they get older, these non-nutritive habits can impact the development of their bite and smile. This is why helping wean them by the time they turn three is ideal, as this is when their mouth is quickly changing and setting the foundation for their permanent teeth. If your child is having a hard time quitting thumb and pacifier-sucking, our pediatric dentists can help provide you with helpful advice and practices to encourage them to stop.
Athletic Mouthguards / Sportsguards
Does your child participate in a local or school athletics team? Consider investing in a customized protective sportsguard for them so you can watch them try their best without worrying about them damaging their smile. Our mouthguards are made from a durable, cushioning material, and because it’s customized for their oral structure, they’ll be able to easily breathe while they’re running and jumping.
Nightguards for Bruxism
Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, is a common condition for both adults as well as children. It typically results from daily stress or bite misalignment, but when left unchecked, it can cause a variety of other problems. These include worn enamel, a high risk of chipping or fracturing a tooth, and jaw tension that can lead to chronic discomfort. Our customized nightguards cushion their teeth from each other to help minimize tension headaches and the threat of damaged teeth.
Lip & Tongue-Tie Treatment
Lip and tongue-ties are relatively common conditions that impact an infant’s ability to nurse as well as their digestion. Lip ties occur when the tissue that connects the lips to the gums, called the frenum, is overgrown or too thick, limiting their lip movement. Tongue ties are similar and involve the frenum that connects that tongue to the floor of the mouth. We can loosen these connective tissues to help improve infants’ oral movement.
Quality Oral Hygiene Products for Kids
Our team is happy to recommend at-home dental hygiene products that are both safe and effective for children. While some of these can’t be purchased at your local department store, they are readily available online as well as in the office and are proven to help tackle common oral health problems like cavities. We recommend the following toothpastes for children, depending on whether you’re looking for a fluoride or fluoride-free brand:
- RiseWell is a toothpaste with naturally derived hydroxyapatite, which is a natural mineral that occurs in the body and makes up a majority of our tooth enamel. It’s also been proven to help strengthen and protect teeth. This is an excellent fluoride-free toothpaste option.
- Colgate PreviDent is a high-strength fluoride toothpaste that we recommend to help significantly remineralize the teeth and prevent cavity development.
- MI Paste is described as a “topical crème” that helps restore and rebuild tooth enamel as well as help treat conditions like dry mouth and tooth sensitivity. It contains Recaldent instead of fluoride, which is a derivative of milk, and comes in a variety of fun flavors.
- MI Paste Plus is the same as MI Paste but also contains fluoride as well as Recaldent.