The failure to properly clean one’s teeth will lead to cavities. Our office provides detailed instruction to the parent and the child (if age appropriate) regarding proper oral hygiene. Together, we provide the foundation for your child’s oral heath and strive to achieve a cavity free future.
Nutritional Counseling
Certain types of foods are prone to causing cavities. Did you know that raisins are more cariogenic (cavity causing) then common candy? Our office provides education about what foods cause cavities, as well as ways to modify your child’s diet to minimize the risk of getting cavities.
Anticipatory Guidance
This is a fancy term for what parents can expect as their child grows and develops emotionally and physically. Our office provides education about how the mouth and face grow and develop as a child gets older. Having routine visits with our office allows us to bring to your attention situations or conditions that might affect your child’s teeth, mouth, and face.
Cavity Risk Assessment
Our office can evaluate and determine how likely your child is to get cavities. Our evaluation considers several factors such as oral hygiene, diet, family history, and cultural/ethnic background. Did you know that 70% of children share the same oral bacteria profile as their mothers? This means if a child’s mother has a history of cavities, their child is at a higher risk
for the same. Performing a cavity risk assessment on your child will enable us to determine how to plan your child’s treatment needs and follow-up care.
Fluoride
There is very strong scientific evidence backing the effectiveness of fluoride to prevent tooth decay. In an effort to prevent cavities, our office has the ability to provide your child with fluoride treatment if you desire. Our office also recognizes that some parents do not wish for their children to have fluoride, and our office will respect their wishes.
Sealants
The majority of cavities appear on the chewing part of permanent molars (the big teeth in the back of the mouth). Sealants are a white plastic coating applied to the tooth in an effort to prevent future cavities. Research has shown that sealants effectively prevent future tooth decay. We strongly recommend this treatment for nearly all children and feel they are an excellent way
to keep our patients cavity-free!
Space Maintainers
These are metal retainers used to prevent the loss of space between teeth when a baby tooth has been lost before it would normally fall out. They are also sometimes used prior to orthodontics to help children who have some minor crowding of the teeth.
Fishman Pediatric Dentistry