The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that your child visit the dental office when the first tooth comes in and no later than their 1st birthday.
Everyone at Hoku Smiles wants your child to have a happy dental visit and a healthy smile for life. Talk to your child about the visit, let him/her know that the pediatric dentist is a friend who will help and explain every step of the visit.
Use Simple terms to describe the experience and avoid using negative words like “blood”, “needle”, “pull tooth” or “pain”.
This visit is very simple, we focus on meeting the patient and the family, we ask questions that will help identify the risk for cavities and focus on prevention.
The baby will lay on their parent’s lap while we examine their mouth quickly and gently, we will show the parent how to brush the baby’s teeth and we will look out for any early signs of problems.
Before you leave we will inform you of any findings and any early treatment that might be needed. We will also answer your questions, discuss diet, lifestyle and oral health recommendations to help protect your baby’s oral health.
During the following appointments we continue to focus on prevention, evaluation of your child’s dental development, and early detection/treatment of oral problems. Our goal is to transition your child to sitting on the dental chair on their own, this may require some help from parents. We proceed to examine the outside and inside of their mouths, we will take the needed digital X-rays to evaluate areas that cannot be seen. Then the teeth will be cleaned and polished. A thin layer of fluoride treatment will be carefully applied twice per year to help reduce the risk of dental cavities with the parents consent. We will then continue to discuss diet and oral hygiene recommendations, explain any findings and suggested treatments. We will gladly answer any questions that might come up.
During exams and cleanings we welcome parents to accompany their child in the treatment room. By doing this we can discuss all findings and recommendations with everyone as we build a relationship of trust and the child feels comfortable with the dental visit.
During treatment visits our goal is to have your child comfortable enough to walk in with the dental staff independent of parents. This will help us to focus on your child during the treatment, it will promote efficient communication between patient and dentist, making the dental visit more smooth and efficient.
If the parent prefers to be in the room, we recommend:
Before your baby’s teeth come in, the gums should be cleaned with a clean damp gauze or cloth at least twice per day, especially before bedtime.
Once the teeth erupt it is very important to brush your baby’s teeth twice per day, after breakfast and before bedtime. Use an extra soft brush that has a small head.
Make sure you brush your child’s teeth until he or she has the motor skills and coordination to achieve this task around 8 years of age. After this children should still be supervised to make sure they are not missing any difficult areas.
Children under 3 years old: Apply a small smear of fluoride toothpaste.
Children from 3 to 6 years old: Apply a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.
Make sure to supervise your child to make sure that they spit out and not swallow the excess toothpaste.
Baby teeth should be flossed! Floss between teeth that touch. You can start by using a flosser with a handle and transition to regular floss as the child gains motor skills.
A healthy balanced diet is important for the development of healthy teeth and gingiva.
Sugar : foods with added sugar, acidic sugars, sticky sugary snacks will feed the bacteria that produce cavities.
Starch: foods such as bread, crackers, pretzels, potato chips break down into sugar and stay stuck on teeth for a long time.
Sticky foods: even natural sugars when turned into sticky snacks like fruit rolls or dried fruit stay on teeth longer and are more difficult to wash away with saliva or water.
Sugary drinks: Soda, sports drinks, and juice are high in sugar. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics children ages 1-6 should have no more than 4-6 oz. of juice one time per day and children ages 7 to 18 should drink no more than 8-12 oz.
Limit the amount of snacks per day and choose healthy snacks like cheese, vegetables, nuts and yogurt.
Eat sugary or starchy foods as part of a main meal not as a snack.
Do not put your baby to sleep with a bottle or sippy cup with milk, formula, or juice.
https://mouthmonsters.mychildrensteeth.org
https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/life-stages/infant-kids
https://oralb.com/en-us/oral-health/tag/life-stages
It is a mineral that is found naturally in many foods and water sources. It works by hardening the surface of teeth (enamel) making teeth more resistant to the acid attack caused by bacteria, when cavities begin to form it promotes enamel repair and it helps fight bad bacteria that causes dental decay.
Ingesting too much fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis that changes the color of teeth permanently.
Trained dental professionals can assess your child’s caries risk and identify the best way to use adequate amounts of fluoride to protect your teeth from cavities. We can recommend different types of toothpaste that contain fluoride, we can apply it in the office in the form of varnish or gel and some patients might need fluoride supplements.
Sealants are a white resin material that is placed on the grooves of the chewing surface of the permanent molars. These grooves are difficult to clean, by placing the sealants, we are decreasing the chances of getting decay by approximately 60 %. It is a simple and painless procedure, once these sealants are placed, they usually last around 3 years. We check the sealants at every check-up and when they begin to wear we will replace them.
Once the decayed portions of a tooth are removed, we use tooth-colored resin to fill the space, providing structural support and restoring a normal appearance. Tooth-colored fillings are durable, stable, and provide better aesthetics. **Remember it is important to keep teeth clean and limit sugar in your child’s diet to keep filled teeth from getting recurrent decay.
A pulpotomy is a procedure that requires partial removal of the damaged nerve tissue due to excessive amount of decay. The remaining vital tissue is then treated to preserve the function of the tooth. Then a stainless steel crown is placed over the tooth.
Stainless steel crowns are prefabricated and are adapted to the child's individual teeth. They are used when gross decay, decalcification, or developmental defects are present. They are also used if your child has to have a pulpotomy which can weaken the tooth and make them prone to fracture. These crowns will usually last until the permanent tooth erupts.
Zirconia white dental crowns are a highly esthetic and durable stainless steel crown alternative now available in pediatric dentistry. This option is very technique sensitive and works best with a child that is cooperative in the chair. Our pediatric dentists can assess if this is a good option for your child.
The best space maintenance is the preservation of the primary molars until they are lost naturally. Sometimes, when a tooth is unrestorable or infected, the tooth may have to be extracted. The purpose of the space maintainers is to hold space for the developing permanent teeth.
Also known as “laughing gas”, it helps the patient feel less anxious, comfortable and helps manage pain. The patient will remain conscious and will be able to communicate well during treatment.
A small comfortable mask is placed over the nose and the patient will breathe in the gas. The amount of gas used is easily controlled. The effect ends very soon after the gas is turned off allowing the patient to resume normal activities after the visit.
General anesthesia may be indicated for children with extensive dental needs who are extremely uncooperative, fearful or anxious, or for the very young who do not understand how to cope in a cooperative fashion. General anesthesia can also be helpful for children requiring significant surgical procedures or patients having special health care needs. All work is done by Dr. Kanoe Baird and Patricia Sanchez at Wilcox Hospital. At the time of your visit, we can help you determine if your child is a good candidate for hospital dentistry.
SDF is a topical agent that temporarily stops dental caries. The application of SDF requires no use of local anesthesia, and no drilling or removal of tooth structure. SDF leaves the arrested lesion with a black stain, or scar. The other downside to treatment with SDF is that, although it arrests the caries, it does not fill the lesion and, therefore, cannot restore the form of the tooth.
If you face a dental emergency, give us a call immediately. If you need urgent treatment after hours, please go to the emergency room. We are always here to assist when your child's dental health is at risk. Below are tips on dealing with urgent dental situations. You may want to display this list on your refrigerator or store it near your emergency phone numbers for easy reference.
If your child has bitten his lip or tongue severely enough to cause bleeding, clean the area gently with water and use a cold compress (a cold, wet towel or washcloth pressed firmly against the area) to reduce or avoid swelling. Give us a call to help determine how serious the bite is.
If your child has something caught between his teeth, use dental floss to gently remove it. Never use a metal, plastic, or sharp tool to remove a stuck object. If you are unable to remove the item with dental floss, give us a call.
If your child has chipped or broken a piece off of his tooth, have him rinse his mouth with warm water, then use a cold compress to reduce swelling. Try to locate and save the tooth fragment that broke off. Call us immediately.
If your child's tooth has been knocked out of his mouth, find the tooth and rinse it with water (no soap), taking care to only touch the crown of the tooth (the part you can see when it's in place). Place the tooth in a clean container with cold milk, and if unavailable, the child's saliva could be substituted. Call us immediately and/or head to the hospital. If you act quickly it's possible to save the tooth.
If your child has a very loose tooth, it should be removed to avoid being swallowed or inhaled.
If your child complains of a toothache, use a cold compress to ease the pain. Do not apply heat, any kind of aspirin, or topical pain reliever (ex: anbesol) directly to the affected area, as this can cause damage to the gums. Pain relievers dosed for your child may be taken orally (ex: children’s Tylenol). Schedule an appointment immediately.
You can help your child avoid dental emergencies. Child-proof your house to avoid falls. Don't let your child chew on ice, popcorn kernels, or other hard foods. Always use car seats for young children and require seatbelts for older children. And if your child plays contact sports, have him wear a mouthguard. Ask us about creating a custom-fitted mouthguard for your child. Finally, prevent toothaches with regular brushing, flossing, low sugar diet, and visits to our office.