Fillings

Dental Fillings are the most common type of dental restoration used to replace sections of teeth that are missing, damaged or decayed. While traditional dental materials like gold, amalgam, porcelain, and composite successfully restore teeth; recent advances in dental technology have made a wider and improved selection of restorative choices available. Some of the newest state-of-the-art filling materials, including ceramic and the latest composite materials, are not only strong and durable, they offer the most aesthetically pleasing and natural looking results. That’s why we exclusively use white fillings to fill all small cavities!

Infant Exams

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a list dental visit by age 1! This visit may be the most important one for you and you child.

During this visit , we will:

Counsel/educate on how to care of your child's teeth

Ensure good habits are in place

Check everything in the mouth is developing normally

Answer any questions you may have

Crowns

If a cavity is too large to be filled with a white filling, a crown may be the best option for the longevity of the tooth. We are proud to offer 2 options for crowns:

During this visit , we will:

Silver Crowns
These shiny silver “hats” for teeth provide a high level of protection and are often used when cavities are big.

White Crowns
These zirconia beauties are a more modern and esthetic option that provide children with an “invisible” solution to a big cavity, while still ensuring the protection of a full coverage cap.

Dental Sealant

As part of your child’s dental prevention program, dental sealants are often recommended to protect their permanent back teeth from developing dental decay. In fact according to the American Dental Association, dental sealants reduce the risk of cavities in molars by approximately 80%.

While establishing a good oral hygiene regimen, maintaining proper toothbrushing habits, and avoiding sticky sweets are essential for the prevention of dental decay, children’s teeth often need more protection. The reason for this is that the deeply grooved chewing surfaces of the back permanent teeth can be difficult for a child to keep free of leftover food and cavity-causing bacteria. Moreover, young children do not always brush their teeth, as often or as thoroughly as they should, making them particularly vulnerable to dental decay. 

Dental sealants afford additional protection from dental decay by providing a strong plastic-like protective coating for the chewing surfaces of a child’s permanent back teeth. They basically fill in the pits, fissures and grooves on these teeth to seal out harmful bacteria and food particles. 

Applying dental sealants is a relatively quick and painless process. They are simply brushed on in a series of steps during a child’s dental visit and then cured (set) with a light wand. Sealants are strong and durable and can last for several years. The condition of your child’s dental sealants will be evaluated at each checkup and reapplied if the need arises. 

Fluoride Varnish

The role of fluoride is especially important for children as it improves the quality of dental enamel in their developing teeth and makes their new teeth more resistant to decay. As part of your child’s preventive dental care program at our office, fluoride varnish is applied during their routine checkup appointments and if indicated at regular intervals between these visits. 

Fluoride varnish is a topically applied product that is brushed onto all sides of your child’s teeth. It is a completely safe and painless procedure that takes just a couple of minutes from start to finish. Once applied and in contact with your child’s saliva the fluoride hardens. The fluoride component is now absorbed into the dental enamel and begins its job of strengthening the tooth.

Following the application of the fluoride varnish, your child does not have to wait to eat or drink. The only restriction is that foods are soft and not crunchy for the rest of the day. Brushing and flossing may be postponed for several hours. 

While fluoride varnish can help prevent cavities and slow their progression, it is not a guarantee against dental decay. Optimal dental health for your child involves an excellent oral hygiene regimen at home, routine dental care and eating a healthy diet. 

Laughing Gas

Laughing gas is used often in dentistry to decrease anxiety and make kids feel more comfortable. Your child will be able to choose a flavor through which he/she will inhale the laughing gas. Laughing gas is an extremely safe option. Your child will remain awake throughout the procedure and once turned off, the gas is exhaled out of the body and your child will feel back to normal almost immediately. Kids can resume normal activity immediately after treatment with laughing gas. Laughing gas is so safe that it is even given to pregnant women during delivery.

Recare Visits

At our office we take pride in creating and maintaining beautiful and healthy smiles for our younger patients in an environment that is lighthearted and fun.

With an emphasis on establishing oral health habits that last a lifetime, our primary tools are education and a comprehensive preventive care program. 

As part of an effort to guard against childhood dental decay we like to see kids every 6 months for a dental check-up and cleaning. During these regular visits, we will: 

• check the health of teeth, gums and mouth
• remove any build-up on the teeth
• polish the teeth
• apply fluoride
• take xrays as needed to check for cavities in between the teeth that might be missed otherwise

These regular dental visits also give us a chance to make sure that home care is adequate and reinforce the importance of good oral hygiene to the child and parent.

Interceptive Orthodontics

The objectives of interceptive treatment and a first phase of orthodontic care are to influence jaw growth, create more space for crowded teeth, help to correct harmful habits, and improve facial aesthetics. With interceptive treatment the likelihood of impacted permanent teeth as well as the need for extractions of permanent teeth can be lessened. Interceptive treatment can also simplify the next phase of orthodontic care. 

Often habits such as prolonged thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, and certain swallowing or breathing patterns that can open or distort the bite are better dealt with when care is initiated at a younger age. Interceptive treatment is also helpful when the top jaw is too narrow, not developing in harmony with the lower jaw, or permanent top teeth are behind the lower ones when closing the jaws. Likewise, if a young child’s front teeth protrude excessively or very severe crowding is present a first phase of orthodontic care can be beneficial.

Space Maintainers

Space maintainers are fixed or removable appliances that are designed to keep the integrity of the space left by the lost tooth. Simple and comfortable to wear, the type and design of your child’s space maintainer will be determined by our dentist. Once the permanent tooth begins to emerge, a space maintainer is no longer necessary.

Sometimes, due to tooth decay or a traumatic injury, a child may lose a primary tooth early, before the permanent one underneath is ready to come into place. When this happens, the dentist will consider the best way to hold the space left by the baby tooth in order to maintain a clear path for the succeeding adult tooth. While not every situation where a baby tooth is lost early needs an intervention to maintain the space, many times a small dental appliance known as a space maintainer is required to make sure the permanent tooth does not become crowded out of the dental arch or impacted by shifting adjacent teeth.

A tongue-tie is the term for a common physical condition that limits the use of the tongue. It restricts movement of the tongue and therefore affects function. It affects around 20% of the population. Lip-tie is a condition where the upper lip is restricted and cannot move normally. 

Tongue-tie and lip-tie release is a simple procedure with minimal complications when using a laser with good technique. The procedure may be performed as early as a couple of days after birth and can be performed into adulthood.

Dr. Carolina uses the highest quality, state-of-the-art CO2 LightScalpel laser to perform the release. Older children who understand the procedure receive some numbing medicine and laughing gas if needed, and usually report minimal to no pain during the quick procedure.

The parents of infants remain in our consult rooms during the quick procedure for around 3-5 minutes (30 seconds for the procedure and another few minutes to set-up and take photographs of the area). The laser handpiece doesn’t even touch the tissue, and gently removes the tight tissue with virtually no bleeding and no stitches. The baby is allowed to nurse immediately after the procedure, and older children often notice an immediate difference in tongue mobility.

Often speech is improved within a few minutes to a few weeks, but speech and myofunctional therapy are still needed. Babies and children are normally sore from the procedure anywhere from 1 to 5 days, with the average being 2-3 days. It feels as if you burned your mouth with some hot soup or pizza – so it’s uncomfortable moderate pain. 

We ensure every patient receives a thorough evaluation and history before considering treatment. We discuss all options and risks, benefits, and alternatives with the parents before choosing to pursue a tongue-tie release. The laser procedure, although rapid, simple, and virtually without complications is not taken lightly, and not performed on every patient. We counsel the parents on the team approach to care and collaborating with specialists across disciplines to help the child have the best chance of normal nursing, feeding or speech. No formal referral is needed for these procedures.