PREVENTIVE CARE FOR KIDS

Joule Dental is a family friendly office – we love to see babies and kids of all ages! The American Dental Association recommends that your child’s first dental visit should take place after their very first tooth appears and no later than his or her first birthday. As soon as your baby has teeth, he or she may get cavities, so prevention is key! Preventing decay and making sure that your child has healthy teeth can make a meaningful difference for his or her adult teeth.

CHECK-UP EXAMS

We will thoroughly examine your child’s jaw and teeth to make sure they are developing normally – and we will teach the importance of establishing good oral hygiene and diet to keep his or her smile healthy for life.

We will look for teeth eruption patterns and sequencing and go over any oral habits, such as thumb-sucking and the use of pacifiers, and we’ll let you know how these habits may affect the development of their jaws and teeth. We might also recommend referrals to orthodontists, pediatric dentists, or other specialists for certain cases such as tongue-tied infants, cleft lip/palate, and other malformations.

Getting younger babies and kids accustomed to the dental office helps with future dental visits. Baby teeth pave the path that permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt. It’s always a good idea to start good habits young!

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association recommend that children, like adults, be seen for a check-up every six months after the eruption of the very first baby tooth. Some children exhibit higher risk of developing cavities and benefit from recall appointments at greater frequency than every six months.

DENTAL CLEANINGS (PROPHYLAXIS)

Gingivitis is nearly universal in children and adolescents – which can be treated and prevented by the professional removal of bacterial deposits along with improved oral hygiene. Every six months, we will clean off plaque and stains, and teach your child how to floss as soon as the spaces between his or her teeth begin to close.

TOPICAL FLUORIDE

The AAPD and ADA both recommend the use of fluoridated toothpaste and a professional fluoride application every six months for children, and have shown evidence that fluoride greatly reduces cavities in children. Fluoride application is recommended for each check-up appointment.

SEALANTS

Sealants are an easy and affordable way to protect children’s teeth from cavities. They are a clear or tooth-colored material put on to protect the chewing surfaces of back teeth, or molars, in the tiny grooves where food and bacteria can get caught. We can apply sealants to your child’s teeth painlessly and quickly in just one visit – no numbing is necessary! Sealants can last for many years, which means that your child’s teeth are protected during his or her most cavity-prone years.

X-RAYS

Radiographs are important diagnostic aids in the oral health care of infants, children, and adolescents. They are used to diagnose oral diseases and to monitor development. We will evaluate your child on a case by case basis and recommend x-rays based on our clinical findings. Sometimes, radiographs are needed to ensure there are no cavities or pathology and that development is occurring normally. We take every precaution to minimize radiation exposure for all of our patients, big or small!