Garner Children's Dentistry
As a kid-friendly dental practice, we strive to create a comfortable and welcoming environment to help kids have a positive experience visiting the dentist.
It is no surprise that many children, and adults, are not always fond of dental treatment. However, by creating a positive experience with the dentist at a young age, children will have a more positive view of oral hygiene as a whole.
We will also help instill healthy oral hygiene habits that you as a parent can help continue at home to make brushing teeth fun for your child. Our goal is to help children maintain healthy teeth as they age so they can continue to have healthy teeth later in life.
If you want to help build a strong foundation of oral health in your child, contact us and schedule an appointment today.
As a parent, you naturally want what is best for your child, but many parents are unaware of how oral health and dental care play into that. Think of it this way; it is far better for your child to visit us for regular teeth cleaning than to only see us because of an emergency toothache.
According to the Center for Disease Control … opens in a new window to CDC website…, tooth decay (cavities) is the most commonly occurring infectious disease among children. This leads to children experiencing toothaches in high numbers, missing days from school, and experiencing overall discomfort.
Brushing and flossing at home will help, but it is not enough. You need to bring your child to our office twice a year so that we can examine and clean their teeth. By doing this, we will be able to remove the plaque and bacteria that can lead to cavities in the first place.
We want your little ones to not only enjoy a healthy smile but create a good relationship with visiting the dentist.
Here is how we do both:
- Exams
If you live in or around our location, we invite you to schedule an appointment with our dental office so that we can examine your child’s teeth and teach them how to brush correctly. The goal of the exam is to keep their teeth healthy and free from cavities while making their appointment a pleasant time.
- Cleanings
These cleanings are designed to keep your child’s teeth healthy and beautiful while preventing cavity formation. Even if your child is already brushing, there is a good chance they are doing it wrong and missing some of the plaque and bacteria that has built up on their teeth. Don’t worry, we will take care of that as well as provide you with the necessary guidance to improve your child’s at home oral hygiene routine.
- Sealants
Many children have deep ridges in their teeth. When they bite down and chew food, bacteria, food particles, and plaque can become trapped in those ridges and eventually lead to cavity formation. These areas are challenging to clean with a toothbrush alone, so even the most fastidious parents may find it challenging to keep cavities at bay.
In addition to cleanings, one way to protect your child’s teeth is by using dental sealants. They are thin, and protective layers placed onto the teeth so that nothing can become stuck in the ridges. The procedure is painless and fast since all we need to do is brush a material onto the teeth and allow it to harden.
- Fluoride
Another tool for prevention is our regular fluoride treatments. We recommend that all children have this throughout their teenage years. If you aren’t on public water, this is particularly important for preventing cavities. Statistically, if your child has a fluoride treatment in our dental office, their risk for getting cavities decreases by thirty percent. This is significant when you are considering the overall health and well-being of your child.
Your Child's HealthyStart
Does your child or adolescent suffer from any of the following:
They may be a candidate for our HealthyStart® System. It’s a non-invasive, pain-free approach to opening the airway and naturally straightening their teeth – without the high price tag for braces or other medical appliances.
Check out our video from Dr. Amyradakis to learn more about this modern service. Then, schedule a consultation with us to find out if your child is a candidate.
We have worked with many families through the years and have found that using media works far better than standing there with a stopwatch.
The goal
The goal is to create positive associations between dental care and having fun so that your child will continue to brush their teeth as they grow.
Video Tutorial
You can find one on the American Dental Association’s website or even on YouTube. Playing a video that shows your child how to brush is a good reminder for them and, since they are used to receiving information this way, they are likely to receive and digest it better than if you reminded them.
Dance Party
Once your child is brushing correctly, it is time to turn your attention to how long they are brushing for. We want them to brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day, but staying still isn’t a requirement. Try making it fun by playing their favorite song for two minutes and letting them dance and brush.
ADA's Short Videos
The American Dental Association has an entire section of their website devoted to these short videos, and watching them will get your child used to brushing for the full two minutes.
