Getting a Good Start
Children’s dentistry starts with the emergence of the very first tooth. In fact the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children have their first dental visit no later than their first birthday. Establishing a “dental home” for your child early allows for familiarity with a provider, timely education, and preventive treatments that can help pave a path for a lifetime of excellent oral health.
At Generations Dental our pediatric focus caters to the needs of young patients and includes in-house expertise ranging from prevention, to minimally invasive tooth repair to orthodontics. Dr. Jim has been treating patients of all ages for over 25 years. Dr. Kelly has been working 2 days a week one of the Children’s Hospital Dental Clinics for the past 5+ years and brings her experience and calming demeanor to all of her patient visits. We welcome your family to our family.
Kid Friendly Office
At Generations Dental we want our young patients to associate dentistry as a positive and fun experience. As they walk in, our waiting area has a “Kid’s Corner” filled with fun activities to keep kids busy while waiting for parents, siblings, or their own appointments. When it’s time for treatment our staff is welcoming and experienced in working with young children. When treatment is finished good behavior is rewarded with a prize from the toy drawer.
Better yet, healthy mouths and good habits allow kids to be part of the “No cavity Club”. Young patients can see their friends and siblings in the club and gain pride as their picture is displayed on screen if they have a cavity free visit. Quarterly prize drawings make things fun and rewarding.
Prevention
Kid’s start out with a perfectly healthy set of teeth and gums, and then they get a second batch. Early it’s up to us as parents to help them care for their teeth. Proper diet and home care are critical. Regular dental visits help them stay on track. As they get older they take on more of the responsibility themselves, sometimes making good choices, sometimes not, and then motivation goes out the window. Kids!
A Generations Dental, our doctors get all of this. We are here to educate, coach, fix, and have fun with your kids (and the parents) as we work towards that ultimate smile. Visit our preventive page for more specific strategies on prevention. If you didn’t know it already, cavities are 100% preventable. At Generations Dental, we would love to catch early signs of damage before cavities start and get your child on the road to great oral health for life.
Fluoride
We know fluoride is good for teeth, but why?
Fluoride is a mineral that is naturally found in water. When present in enamel, the outer layer of the tooth, it acts as a permanent barrier making acid secretion by bacteria less effective breaking down tooth structure and making cavities (holes) in your teeth. Fluoride is best incorporated into enamel when consumed in drinking water while a tooth is forming. Once a tooth is fully formed additional fluoride strengthening can occur with topical applications reapplied multiple times per year.
No question, fluoride is one of the best tools in preventing tooth decay. You just want the proper amount to get the job done. No more, no less. Let Dr. Kelly and Dr. Jim customize a fluoride plan for your child that considers their diet, habits and risk of decay.
Sealants
Kids aren’t always the best at sticking to their home care regimen. Wetting the tooth brush and telling mom they’re all done with brushing, those little stinkers. So it’s great to get some added protection from sealants.
Sealants are great. They provide a protective barrier to cover over the deep groves, nooks and crannies that exist in the biting surfaces of the back teeth. They are especially effective when placed as the new permanent teeth are entering the mouth, but also can be placed on baby teeth and in adults as well.
Our doctors and team are here to give you and your children all the advantages, like sealants, that dentistry has to offer. And we’ll help coach the brushing too.
Early Childhood Caries (Cavities)
Many parents are surprised to hear that we recommend a child’s first visit by the first birthday. This has changed over the past five years as there has been an increase in cavities in young children. Did you know that childhood caries (decay) is the most prevalent disease in children? It is five times more common than asthma. National studies have shown that 1 in 4 children in the United States have at least one cavity by age 4, some starting as early as age 2. Why is this disease on the rise? Much of this increase can be attributed to diet.
Early Childhood Caries, formerly known as Baby Bottle Decay, is simply the presence of 1 cavity, filling or missing tooth due to decay in a child under 5 years of age. The good news is that the disease is highly preventable with diet management, fluoride, and routine dental care. Tooth decay in infants can be minimized or totally prevented by not allowing sleeping infants to breast or bottle feed. Infants that need a bottle to comfortably fall asleep should be given a water-filled bottle or pacifier.
No child deserves to suffer needlessly when most decay can be prevented. At Generations Dental, our office is committed to preventing early childhood caries. We advocate early and periodic visit for your little one. We want all children to live life decay free.
A “Drill-free” Approach to Treating Cavities
At Generations Dental, we do our best to stay on top of all the latest care options in dentistry, so that we are able to offer your family the best care available. In the past five years, a new “anti-cavity” liquid has surfaced in the United States as a treatment option for some types of cavities. This pain free liquid, called silver diamine fluoride or SDF for short, is painted on the affected tooth or teeth to stop a cavity from growing. Dr. Kelly has been using this treatment along with some other pain free restorative techniques for a few years now, both at our practice and at her Children’s Hospital clinic. While this option doesn’t work for all cavities and situations, it is in excellent option for many, especially in young children and in elderly patients. We would be happy to see if this treatment is an option for you or your family members.
Orthodontics
A pretty straight smile, aside from looking nice, is usually a healthier easier to maintain smile. Whatever your reasons, let the doctors at Generations Dental shape your child’s teeth into that winning smile. We offer traditional braces and Invisalign. Starting orthodontics as your child grows often allows for better, easier results than later in life.
And we can do it all right here along with their other dental care.