A Childrens Dentist Can Help Prevent Cavities

At our Irvine children's dentist office, we know how important it is to prevent cavities. Most children will suffer from them, and it has become such a significant issue that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that this is the most commonly occurring infectious disease among children. It has reached the point that it is impacting the number of days that children miss from school. Tooth decay can even impact young toddlers. Therefore, we focus on preventing it.

Kids Dental Exams and Cleanings

In our dental office, we recommend that children come in for a teeth cleaning and exam as young as one year of age. This way we can inspect their teeth and make sure that they are growing in properly. When they get professional teeth cleaning it goes a long way in helping to prevent cavities. No matter how good one is at brushing his or her teeth, there are some places in the mouth that are difficult to reach without a trip to the dentist. We can remove the plaque and bacteria from these areas to reduce the risk of cavities. The best routine involves brushing and flossing twice a day and visiting our office for a professional cleaning twice a year.

Fluoride Treatment

Upon visiting our children's dentist office, there are additional steps that we can take to prevent cavities such as completing a fluoride treatment. Fluoride is a mineral that we can brush directly onto the teeth. It serves to strengthen teeth, which is significant, considering how many children get cavities. Simultaneously, a fluoride treatment only takes a couple of minutes to complete, and it is entirely non-invasive, so children do not experience any discomfort.

Dental Sealants

Another way that we can help is to place sealant on their teeth. If your child has deep ridges on the chewing surface of their teeth, it will be difficult to clean them all the way. Food particles, plaque, and bacteria can gather here and increase the likelihood that they will develop cavities in these spaces. At our children's dentist office, we can brush a clear liquid onto their teeth. This sealant will harden and provide a protective barrier so that nothing can get into these deep ridges. As a result, we can significantly reduce the chance of your child developing cavities. Like fluoride, this is a non-invasive solution that only takes a few minutes per tooth.

Regardless of how old your child is or what their oral health has been, it is never too early or too late to focus on improving it. When you visit our dental office, we can take the steps necessary to improve the oral health of our patients. Our goal is to ensure that your child remains healthy as they age and that they will grow with a full set of natural teeth that have not been hindered by decay or gum disease. To schedule your appointment, give us a call.