Preventive dental care for children

Preventive dentistry means a healthy smile. Preventive dental care for children includes:

•     Proper nutrition and dietary habits
•     Brushing and flossing
•     Fluoride
•     Regular dental check-ups
•     Assessing risk for developing cavities
•     Evaluating oral growth and development
•     Oral health education
•     Protection against injuries
•     Management of oral habits
•     Guidance of erupting teeth
•     Sealants 

Your pediatric dentist practices preventive dentistry. Preventive dentistry for children, in addition to regular dental visits, requires parental involvement with daily oral care at home.

Sedation in pediatric dentistry

Sedation may be indicated for children who have a level of anxiety that prevents good coping skills, those who are very young and do not understand how to cope in a cooperative fashion, or those requiring extensive dental treatment. Sedation can also be helpful for some patients who have special needs.

Most kids do quite well without any kind of extra medication to accomplish treatment. However, sometimes medications are needed to help kids to be comfortable and cooperate to accomplish extensive treatment. After training and a lot of experience, dentists use this valuable method of providing treatment nearly every day and am confident in the use of medications to relieve discomfort, reduce anxiety and provide a safe environment through concious sedation.