Are you looking for a pediatric dentist in Mesa? Eastport Dental is a family-based general dentistry office that offers complete smile care for every member of your household. So instead of you seeing one dentist and bringing your child to a separate pediatric dental office, everyone can be seen under one roof!
The Importance of Children’s Dental Checkups
A child’s smile is rapidly growing and developing. It almost seems as if they lose and get new teeth on a consistent basis until they’re in middle school. These ongoing changes are an insight into your child’s future adult smile.
Since tooth decay is one of childhood’s most common diseases, it’s important to evaluate your child’s mouth regularly. Especially since baby teeth can decay at alarming rates, with cavities spreading tooth to tooth more easily.
Partnering with a family dentist for regular six-month checkups can statistically lower your child’s risk of oral health complications. Some of the steps we’ll take include:
- Routine X-rays to pinpoint problems earlier
- Placing protective dental sealants to reduce decay
- Oral hygiene education to develop healthy habits
- Discussing how nutritional habits affect our teeth
- Professional cleanings for improved health
- Screening for decay and functional concerns
- Provide fluoride treatments to reduce cavity rates
- Orthodontic evaluations throughout oral development
- Appropriate referrals to specialists, if ever needed
Early Diagnosis and Intervention
Pediatric dentists, pediatricians, and dental experts all recommend a checkup for your child by the time they turn one year old, and every six months thereafter. One of the reasons why these early visits are important is because it allows your family’s dentist to intercept problems while they’re smaller (before they evolve into major, complicated, expensive-to-treat conditions.)
For instance, we might see a baby tooth developing an extremely small cavity. By cleaning out the area of decay and placing a small filling in the tooth, we can stop the cycle of decay before it spreads into adjacent teeth. Otherwise, the bacterial infection could work its way into an abscess, permanently damaging the adult teeth underneath.
Yes, your child will one day lose all of their baby teeth. But a healthy smile during childhood equates to healthy teeth as an adult. If an infection gets out of control while your child is still young, it can alter their smile for a lifetime.
Your child’s first checkup may seem a bit more informative and low-key than what you’re typically used to when you come in for a cleaning and exam. By developing relationships in a comfortable setting, Dr. Huynh can help to reduce the chances of your child developing a serious dental phobia. Since dental anxiety can interfere with a person’s access to care, we try to prevent it from the very get-go. The more comfortable your child is visiting the dentist, the more likely they will keep up with their checkups throughout adulthood. We’ll take things at your child’s pace, gradually progressing to gentle cleanings, an X-ray, or any other necessary care as they feel comfortable. The key is to take things slowly and try to keep them completely pressure-free.
Orthodontic Screenings
By age 7, most children need to have their bite evaluated for atypical developmental concerns. In other words, an orthodontic screening! Bite alignment, impacted teeth, and crowding are all things that Dr. Huynh will be assessing during an orthodontic evaluation. The reason why this assessment occurs around age 7 is because most children have a combination of both adult and baby teeth, giving us a glimpse of what their smile will look like a few years down the road. If early intervention is needed, we can provide oversight on steps that can reduce serious orthodontic treatments in the future.
Perks of Family Dentistry
Dr. Huynh enjoys getting to develop relationships with our patients and their families. As we get to know and grow with you, we also develop a better understanding of factors beyond typical brushing and flossing. Perhaps there are oral conditions that “run in the family”. By being aware and prepared for them, we can help you reduce any complications in your child’s smile before they have a chance to progress.
Plus, we’ll already have a relationship with your household if there’s ever a dental emergency. That way if you need to get a hold of us because of something urgent, your kids will already have a familiar connection with our team.
We’re honored to be one of Mesa’s family-based adult and children’s dentistry practices. Contact Eastport Dental today to reserve your child’s next checkup.
