Our Services

We recommend that your child see a dentist every six months.  Those appointments are important for routine dental cleanings and fluoride treatments, but also to evaluate/discuss their dental health, dental development, oral care habits at home, diet history, and risk to develop dental decay.

Dental sealants are placed to help prevent dental decay in the grooves of the posterior teeth.  Generally, sealants are used on permanent teeth once they are fully erupted as long as no signs of dental decay (stains) have already started.  Sometimes, sealants are recommended for primary teeth for the same reason, but are usually more difficult to place due to patient age/cooperation levels.  A sealant is a tooth-colored flowable resin material that goes into the deep parts of the grooves of the teeth where food/sugar can get stuck and where cavity-causing bacteria can hide.  The tooth is cleaned and dried thoroughly before the sealant is placed.  Most (nearly all) dental insurances cover sealants on permanent teeth but only a few cover sealants on primary teeth – mainly due to the difficulties with sealant placement on young patients in a dental office.

Fluoride treatments in the dental office are highly recommended and also covered by most dental insurance companies.  These treatments help prevent decay and help your child maintain good oral health.  The professional strength fluoride treatments provided are most beneficial after a cleaning in the dental office.

Options for making dental procedures more tolerable for younger patients are available in our office.  It involves a lot of different factors to choose the right option for your child.  Factors including age, behavior, cooperation, and extent of dental treatment needs are the primary concerns with performing dental procedures on children.  The sedation options available include use of nitrous oxide for dental treatment in the office or use of general anesthesia for dental treatment at a local hospital.

Nitrous oxide can be used for a mild, conscious sedation to get dental work done in the dental office.  The patient is still fully awake and does have to follow directions to ensure the procedures are accomplished in a safe manner.  Administration of nitrous oxide requires a mask to sit firmly over the patient’s nose and for the patient to breathe through their nose – even while their mouth is open.  This can be a little difficult for very young patients to understand.  Nitrous oxide does not put the patient to sleep, but if administered properly, it can relax a patient and help with cooperation for short dental procedures.  This may require multiple visits in the dental office if cavities are on multiple teeth in different areas of the mouth.  Multiple dental visits mean more time away from school for the patient and time away from work for the parent.

Dental treatment under general anesthesia my be necessary if the patient has numerous cavities, poor cooperation/behavior, or not able to tolerate technique-sensitive dental procedures in the dental office.  Treatment at the hospital can be accomplished at one appointment while the patient is completely asleep without interferences due to behavior or cooperation.

If you are interested in a sedation dentistry appointment for your child, please call our office to determine what options are available and the dental/medical insurance issues involved with coverage of those procedures.