Our Team here at Infinity Dental Care just loves helping children smile with confidence. We are happy to meet the needs of growing smiles, including providing all necessary clinical services while keeping little patients comfortable. Our dental office is very kid-friendly, as we have wall- and ceiling-mounted TVs that are usually streaming popular children’s shows. We have Netflix as well, so we can probably pull up your child’s favorite show so they can stay distracted and relaxed during their appointments. Is your child due for a dental visit? We’ll provide a positive experience that leads to a healthy, happy smile.
Your Child’s First Visit to the Dentist
Our dentist recommends that you should schedule your child’s first dental visit as soon as their first tooth erupts. During this appointment, she’ll briefly examine their teeth and gums while they sit in your lap and discuss the best ways to take care of their brand new smile. This will usually include how you should brush their teeth if they should start using fluoridated products, and when they need to stop sucking their thumb.
Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings for Kids
Once your child has pearly whites, they should start attending regular checkups and cleanings. At first, these appointments will be short and sweet, and as your child grows and develops, so will their care. Our goals will be to help them feel comfortable in the dental office right from the start as we protect them from cavities and ensure proper oral development. We’ll also take time during these appointments to reinforce the importance of good hygiene so your child will form healthy habits as soon as possible.
Learn About Dental Checkups and Cleanings
Cavity Prevention
Dental decay is one of the most common chronic illnesses among children, and at Infinity Dental Care, our goal is to help your child avoid cavities using strategies both in and out of the dental office. In addition to providing regular cleanings and exams, we’ll also work with you to help your child establish a consistent oral hygiene routine at home. We’ll even discuss the impact of their diet on their teeth with them so they will make healthy choices even when you’re not around.
Dental Sealants
The chewing surfaces of the back teeth are where most children tend to develop cavities. This is because their location makes them particularly difficult for little hands to clean, and their grooved surfaces are also the perfect trap for plaque. Dental sealants allow us to literally seal off this portion of the teeth using a thin layer of composite resin. This prevents anything harmful from ever touching the enamel. They only take minutes to apply and can easily last for a decade.
Learn More About Dental Sealants
Silver Diamine Fluoride
Silver diamine fluoride is used to stop cavities that have already started. Applied to the tooth as a liquid, the silver acts as an antimicrobial agent to kill any bacteria that is damaging the enamel while the fluoride strengthens the tooth at the same time. It offers a quick and conservative way to treat a cavity that doesn’t involve a drill or needle, which our little patients certainly appreciate! This treatment is also useful if a child suffers from chronic dental sensitivity.
Fluoride Treatments
Fluoride is a mineral that can be used to drastically lower a child’s risk for cavities because it actually repairs any areas of minor decay upon exposure to the teeth. That’s why you’ll find it added to most oral healthcare products as well as public water sources. To give your child an extra boost of protection, we can apply a highly-concentrated fluoride varnish to their teeth at the end of their regular checkups. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to safeguard their oral health between visits!
Learn More About Fluoride Treatments
Tooth-Colored Fillings
While prevention is always our first priority, we do have a quick and easy solution should your child develop a cavity. With a tooth-colored filling, a specially-shaded composite resin is used to replace any decayed enamel that is designed to look just like natural dental structure. Once in place, the filling itself will completely blend with the surrounding tooth, meaning your child won’t have to worry about their friends noticing it.
Athletic Mouthguards
Whether your child is a future star athlete or they just like to play the occasional pick-up game with their friends, they should always wear a mouthguard when participating in sports to keep their teeth protected from unexpected impacts with other players, hard surfaces, or flying equipment. Rather than forcing them to wear an uncomfortable “one-size-fits-all” guard from the store, we can provide them with one that is specially made to fit their unique teeth. This will enable them to speak and breathe easily while wearing it, plus it will provide much better defense for their smile.
Pediatric Dentistry FAQs– Hillsboro, OR
At Infinity Dental Care, our approach to your child’s oral health is simple: We provide outstanding care in a kid-friendly environment to help them have a healthy smile from the start. And to help you have all the information you need, we've compiled answers to some of the FAQs we hear most often below. But don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any other questions. Our in-house pediatric dentist is always happy to help!
When Should I Schedule My Child’s First Checkup?
The American Dental Association recommends scheduling the first checkup with a kid’s dentist around your child’s first birthday or within 6 months of getting their first tooth. If your child is older than one, just schedule them as soon as possible. These visits allow us to find, prevent, and treat any potential problems in their earliest stages. They also help your child feel comfortable in the dental chair from the very start, which sets them up for a lifetime of good dental health.
What Should I Do If My Child Has a Toothache?
First, check to see if they have something stuck between their teeth (if so, gently floss the area). If nothing minor is immediately apparent, give us a call to schedule an appointment. While you’re waiting to be seen, you can give them over-the-counter children's pain reliever as directed and hold a cold compress to their lip or cheek for 10 minutes at a time. Don’t apply topical pain-relieving gel or cream without talking to us or a pediatrician first, as these products could have numbing agents that are unsafe.
If your child has any type of facial swelling or a fever, they could have a serious infection that requires antibiotics. If you can't make it in to see us within a few hours, go to a hospital or urgent care center instead.
Are Baby Teeth Really That Important?
Yes! It’s very important to maintain healthy baby teeth for multiple reasons. Kids of all ages need a full set of healthy teeth to help them eat, speak and smile with confidence. Also, some of the baby teeth won’t fall out until around age 12, so they need to function for a long time.
The baby teeth also impact the development of the permanent teeth. If they’re lost earlier than they should be because of cavities or other issues, the permanent teeth may not come in properly.
What Are Sealants and How Do They Benefit Kids?
The flat, chewing surfaces on the back teeth are covered in tiny pits and grooves that collect plaque, sugar, and bacteria. Unfortunately, toothbrush bristles are too large to fit into these spaces, so even good brushing habits can’t keep them clean. Sealants are thin coatings of resin that go over these chewing surfaces. This material is also used for tooth-colored fillings, so it’s quite strong. Once the resin is applied to the tooth, the pits and grooves are “sealed” with a thin, smooth layer of material that protects them from bacteria and tooth decay.
Applying sealants doesn’t require any anesthesia and usually takes between 10 and 15 minutes per sealant. In addition to being simple, sealants are also very effective. In fact, the Center For Disease Control found that sealants prevent 80% of cavities in school-age children, so it’s well worth it to have them done.
