Children’s Dentistry
At Chesterfield Family Dental in Springfield, we welcome patients of all ages to our dental office! This includes children ages 3 and up. Dr. Buzbee is a skilled and well-trained dentist ready to treat your children with any necessary dental treatments as well as preventive measures. Since we treat patients of all ages, your child may actually visit us for their entire life. We would love to be a part of your family. Going to the dentist as a child can be a scary experience which is why we do everything in our power to make your child’s visit a friendly one. Learn more about children’s dentistry in Springfield and when you should schedule your child’s next appointment.
What is Children’s Dentistry?
Children’s dentistry is just the same as general dentistry. We do almost the same things for your child as we do for adults. We recommend bringing your child in to meet us after they turn three years old. During their first visit, we will first give your child a tour of our office and let them play with the dental instruments so that they can feel comfortable. After they are comfortable, we take x-rays and examine their mouth to see if there are any potential problems that should raise concerns or if we see any problems that may develop in their future. This can include the need for braces or other problems. If there is a cavity or another issue going on, we will identify the problem and then complete the treatment as soon as possible. This way, your child doesn’t have to deal with pain or more severe treatments down the line.
We also check the dental hygiene of the child. If we notice that the child isn’t brushing or flossing, we will show them the proper way to do so and then speak with the parents about keeping a close eye on their dental hygiene habits. After examining your child’s mouth, we will give your child sealants on their molars to protect their teeth from debris or food from getting stuck in the crevices of teeth. Lastly, we provide your child with a fluoride treatment which gives them extra protection against bacteria and cavities. We give your child a new toothbrush, floss, toothpaste and a prize for being so brave and then we send them on their way! Our receptionist will have you schedule their next dental exam before you leave our office, that way it’s already set in place.
Healthy Teeth For Life
We recommend to all parents to bring their children in to see us every 6 months so that their children can get used to coming to the dentist and to help prevent serious problems from arising. When you come to see us every 6 months, your child develops a positive and regular relationship with us, which can help him or her from developing a fear of the dentist. As a result, this good habit will develop into adulthood and they will continue to regularly see a dentist for the rest of their life. It’s also important to see us every 6 months because preventive care is the top way to prevent serious issues from forming. During your child’s visit, we examine their mouth and diagnose any problems. When you see us every 6 months, this allows us to catch problems when they are in the early stages. With early treatment, you don’t have to worry about the pain or serious procedures that come with it.
A Positive Experience
When your child comes to visit us at our Springfield dentist office for children’s dentistry, we can guarantee that they will have a positive experience. Establishing a positive experience is important for your child so that they don’t develop a fear of the dentist and actually don’t dread coming to see us. This makes our job easier and it helps your child’s teeth be healthier! Our staff is friendly and ready to accommodate your child as necessary. If your child does deal with fear or anxiety problems, we can provide sedation dentistry to calm them down.
Children’s Dentistry Procedures
Dental Sealants
One of the top procedures we perform on children is dental sealants. Dental sealants are thin and plastic coatings that are painted onto the chewing surfaces of molars. This protection results in preventing tooth decay. The solution quickly bonds to the grooves of the teeth to build a protective shield over the enamel. We recommend all children have dental sealants to protect their teeth during the early years of their life when cavities are more likely.
Fluoride
Following your child’s dental cleaning, we usually give them a fluoride treatment for extra cavity protection. Fluoride is a mineral that naturally occurs in water and food but it’s been found to repair and protect the enamel from decay, bacteria, and plaque. This extra step we take helps your child protect them self from cavities and oral health problems. Make sure to use fluoride toothpaste at home as well as use fluoride mouthwashes for extra protection. Fluoride can help speed up remineralization in the teeth and help stop acid production in teeth.
Orthodontics
Although we usually don’t start this process until late childhood, braces are a normal part of children’s dentistry. Orthodontic treatment usually begins after most of the adult teeth have grown in and we can verify that the gapped, crooked, crowded or misaligned teeth are going to be a problem and won’t correct themselves. If this is the case, we will give your child the option of braces or Invisalign from our dental office.
Schedule Your Child’s Appointment
Now that you know everything there is to know about children’s dentistry, it’s time to schedule your child’s next dental visit. Whether this is their first appointment or their fiftieth, we’re happy to treat them and continue a regular schedule with us every 6 months. Schedule an appointment for children’s dentistry by calling our Springfield dentist office or by filling out our contact form. We look forward to helping your child have a healthy smile for life.
