What Can You Expect during Pediatric Dental Exams and Cleanings?

Everyone needs dental exams and cleanings once every six months or at least once yearly. The American Dental Association recommends six-monthly visits to the dentist for teeth cleaning as a preventive measure to remove plaque and bacterial buildup from the teeth and keep issues like gum disease at bay. Children require a pediatric dental exam every six months as a safeguard for the child’s overall health.

If you think dental visits are concerning, you will undoubtedly want to know what you can expect when you take your child to the pediatric dentist in Redding, CA, for dental exams and cleanings. It will be beneficial to put your fears to rest because Shasta kids dentistry delivers caring and compassionate dental care for various children, including kids with special needs. The dental facility has specially trained dentists to provide preventive dental treatments that help to ensure optimal health of your child by performing wellness checks and cleanings, teeth cleanings and fluoride treatments, dental sealants, and even attend to any emergencies as and when they arise.

What Can You Expect during Pediatric Dental Exams?

Dental Health Checks and Cleanings

Excellent oral care is essential to safeguard your child’s overall health. Routine brushing and flossing are crucial, so is visiting the pediatric dentist for a full exam and cleaning every six months. The visits must begin when your child’s first tooth erupts and no later than their first birthday. The exams enable you to question the dentist about any changes or issues you observed. Your questions allow the dentist to provide helpful tips for your child on keeping their teeth clean and healthy.

Your child’s dentist will examine their teeth and gums during your visit to determine whether tooth decay or gum disease exists in their mouths. X-rays are also taken to help the dentist view the entire tooth with the roots.

The dental hygienist cleans the teeth to remove plaque and tartar, which is hardened plaque. Plaque and tartar are the primary reasons for tooth decay and gum disease. Plaque is comfortably removable by brushing and flossing, but tartar needs professional help from a dentist using unique instruments on your child’s teeth.

Fluoride Treatments

Research confirms that fluoride reduces cavities in children by strengthening their enamel and making their teeth resistant to decay. Fluoride helps to repair the early stages of tooth decay before it becomes visible.

Fluoride treatments at the dentist’s office merely require a few minutes. The dentist applies a concentrated dose of fluoride to the child’s teeth, advising you not to allow the child to rinse, eat, or drink for the next 30 minutes. After that, the fluoride is absorbed by the teeth, and your child can continue with their routine habits.

Dental Sealants

Dental sealants provide your child an additional layer of protection on their teeth to prevent the development of cavities. Sealants are applied on the molars’ chewing surfaces to make the grooves and crevices smoother, making them unlikely to harbor plaque and bacteria prime reasons for the onset of cavities.

Pediatric dentists seal permanent teeth instead of baby teeth, but every child is unique and has different requirements. The pediatric dentist will recommend sealants after checking your child’s molars at age six or 12.

The dental sealant procedure also requires a few minutes and is accomplished during the dental exam. The sealants are applied after cleaning the teeth and drying them before an etching solution is applied to the tooth. Finally, the dental adhesive is applied to the tooth, which dries in seconds. Sealants last on the child’s teeth for three to five years, and the dentist checks them regularly during dental exams.

After completing dental exams and cleanings, the pediatric dentist discusses the child’s oral health with you and provides suggestions about nutritional habits or any other deficiencies that need correction. You are also given information on how the child’s teeth and oral health must receive care by preventing sticky and sugary foods and keeping them away from carbonated beverages.

Children are not diligent with dental hygiene and need supervision when brushing and flossing. If you want to ensure your child enjoys better oral and overall health for life, you must educate them about proper brushing and flossing techniques and maintaining appropriate nutritional habits. Visiting the dentist every six months is something you cannot overlook because children are chronically developing tooth decay and cavities. Teach your child the value of good oral hygiene early in life to enable them to carry forward the habit throughout their lives.