Preventive Dentistry for Kids – Pickering, ON
Keeping Small Smiles Healthy for a Lifetime
HiFive Kids Dental & Braces strives to start our patients off on the right foot at a young age with regards to their oral health! Prevention is key when it comes to cavities and there are several components to preventive pediatric dentistry in Pickering. Please read below for more information:
Infant Dental Exams
An infant exam is recommended when the first baby tooth comes in or at least by the first birthday!
Besides an examination of the oral cavity, the main goal during an infant exam is to formulate a thorough prevention program as babies can be at high risk for cavities due to several factors. Our exam will consist of a “Knee to Knee“ exam where the child lies on the laps of the parent and dentist so that we may examine, demonstrate proper brushing technique to you and apply fluoride vitamins to the child’s teeth if they have any. Oral health, nutrition, injury prevention and teeth milestones are all topics that will be discussed.
Dental Sealants
Even with regular brushing, plaque and food can get stuck in the deep grooves of your child’s permanent molars which come in a resound age six. Too much plaque may result in painful cavities. To combat the risks, molar sealants are used to prevent plaque from building up on the actual tooth and cavities from forming on these teeth.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride is known to strengthen tooth enamel and minimal amounts of fluoride coupled with a healthy diet and oral habits reduce the risk of tooth decay. At HiFive Kids Dental & Braces, we offer professional-grade fluoride treatments every six months to ensure healthy and strong tooth enamel!
Space Maintainers
A space maintainer is an appliance that is applied in place of a missing tooth due to a cavity or trauma. Space maintainers prevent future crowding and space loss due to premature tooth loss. If your child has any missing teeth, please come in to discuss options for the space!
Breaking Habits
HiFive Kids Dental & Braces provides a variety of different solutions to help with thumbsucking/finger sucking habits. These habits can be detrimental if continued for many years and we have just the right solutions to help your child stop!
Recare Exams
We recommend regular dental exams every six months. Such exams allow us to examine and detect any issues that may later become big problems if left untreated and undetected. To aid in our examinations, we typically need to take X-rays. X-rays are usually based on an individual risk for caries and allow us to examine for decay between the teeth that may not be visible by a visual exam alone. The dental checkup will include a thorough cleaning to remove any buildup, polishing of teeth, and application of fluoride. Oral hygiene and brushing techniques as well as dietary counseling will be discussed with both child and parent.
Silver Diamine Fluoride
Have you heard of silver diamine fluoride and are curious if it will work for your child? At HiFive Kids Dental & Braces, we can provide you with information and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this substance.
SDF is a liquid substance known to help prevent existing tooth cavities from growing and it can also stop cavities from spreading to your child’s other teeth. The components are silver diamond and fluoride- the silver kills the bacteria, and the fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel. It is a very safe substance that has been used internationally for decades and is now being used across the US and Canada.
SDF is applied topically by being brushed directly on to the surfaces of teeth effected by cavities. A few applications may be required, and we will assess its effectiveness over a few months. The downside to SDF is that it does turn the cavitated area of the tooth a dark gray or “black” which is usually not a problem when applied to the molars that are in the back of the mouth. However, if applied to front teeth, the discoloration can be seen and will need to be addressed with white fillings later on.
SDF is not meant to be a long-term solution to cavities, however it can allow us to “buy time” if you feel your child is not ready for dental treatment just yet- for instance if they are younger than three years old and have some cavities. It may also be helpful for special needs children who are not able to tolerate traditional dental treatment. It does not restore form or function to the tooth and eventually fillings will have to be placed in teeth that are broken down as a result of cavities but works very well as interim treatment.
We want parents to make informed decisions regarding their child’s oral health, and we would love to discuss this option in detail with you if you are interested in it. Our office specializes in dentistry for kids, so if you are looking for a children’s dentist in Pickering, give us a call today!