Preventive Dentistry for Children – Aspen Hill, MD
Helping Small Smiles Thrive
The key to maintaining a healthy, problem-free smile into adulthood is children’s preventive dentistry. This includes any treatments or services that we offer to minimize your child’s risk of developing common oral health problems like cavities and tooth infections. With the proper smile maintenance, you’ll be able to rest-assured that their chances of needing an urgent trip to their children’s dentist will be minimal thanks to preventive dentistry for children in our Aspen Hill, MD dental office.
Why Choose Healthy Kids Pediatric Dentistry for Preventive Dentistry?
- Friendly Team of Experienced Dentists
- Children’s Sedation Dentistry Available
- We Accept Dental Insurance
Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends starting to bring your child in for routine checkups and cleanings by the time their first tooth appears in their mouth. As your child gets older, we’ll conduct a thorough examination of their teeth and gums as well as clean their teeth to prevent oral health problems from developing. During these visits, we’re also happy to answer any questions from parents about oral hygiene or dental habits.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are an excellent way to minimize your child’s risk of cavities if they frequently get them. All we do is brush a clear coating on the biting surface of their molars and harden it using a UV light. Once the process is complete, the sealants will form a protective barrier that prevents plaque and food debris from becoming wedged in the deep pits and grooves of their molars, making it hard to brush and floss away. With these protective, umbrella-like barriers, brushing away harmful substances is easier and more effective.
Silver Diamine Fluoride
Silver diamine fluoride is an FDA-approved treatment that helps treat cavities and prevent them from spreading, as well as address dental sensitivity. If your child has a cavity, we’ll clear away any loose debris within the tooth and place a liquid on the decayed portion of the tooth. This will clear all harmful bacteria and help strengthen the tooth to protect it from future threats. Finally, we’ll place a tooth-colored filling on the tooth to seal it off.
Oral Health Risk Assessment
If your child isn’t 100% comfortable with visiting us for routine checkups and cleanings yet, we can conduct a shorter, less daunting oral health risk assessment by examining their mouth to identify any potential concerns or risk-factors. After the assessment is complete, we’ll discuss your child’s risk of common oral health problems, like cavities and misalignment, and speak with you about preventive measures that we recommend being taken.
Teething
Babies typically begin teething between four and six months old, and you’ll know when they start! Typically, parents notice that their little one becomes fussy and cries more than they usually would. Some other tell-tale signs are excessive drooling that can cause a rash to develop on their face and wanting to chew on hard things. Our team can help your baby find some relief by making recommendations on methods to tackle this period of their growth at home!
Non-Nutritive Habits
It’s typical for babies to begin sucking on their thumbs, fingers, pacifiers, and even blankets at a young age to help them feel calm and comforted. Unfortunately, once they get to a certain age, this habit can begin impacting the development of their oral cavity. Our team at Healthy Kids Pediatric Dentistry can provide you with tips and tricks on how to ween them off of thumb-sucking and reduce their risk of developing severe orthodontic issues when they grow older.
Athletic Mouthguards
According to the American Dental Association, athletic mouthguards prevent a staggering 200,000 sports-related oral injuries annually! However, while those storebought ‘boil-and-bite’ devices are still extremely safe and effective, a custom-made children’s athletic mouthguard from Healthy Kids Pediatric Dentistry comfortably fits your child’s mouth so they are not only more likely to wear it, but also more likely to excel at their activity of choice while “sporting” a strong, healthy smile!
Who Can Benefit from Getting an Athletic Mouthguard?
While playing sports has been shown to help children stay both mentally and physically strong and even expand their social skills, if their teeth aren’t properly protected it could harm their smiles in the process! In fact, according to the ADA, a staggering 22,000 children hurt their teeth playing sports each year, and those who don’t use a children’s athletic mouthguard are at a 60 times higher risk of injury! If your child participates in any of the following activities, the ADA recommends they wear one of these appliances to keep their teeth safe on the field:
- Skateboarding
- Roller skating / Rollerblading
- Football
- Field Hockey
- Ice Hockey
- Ice Skating
- Wrestling
- Gymnastics / Cheerleading
- Volleyball
- Skateboarding
- Martial Arts
- Boxing
- Baseball / Softball
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Rugby
- Weightlifting
Professionally Customized vs. Storebought Mouthguards
Professionally made children’s athletic mouthguards are only available from your dentist and are customized to your child’s mouth. This means that not only do they fit better, but they also feel better, making it a lot more likely that your child will wear it without being reminded.
Conversely, while ready-made, storebought mouthguards can typically be customized by boiling them and then biting into the softened material to create an impression, these devices tend to have poor retention and can shift while in use. Worse yet, some children have difficulty removing them unassisted, which can not only be stressful, but dangerous to their teeth and dental restorations.
Benefits of Wearing an Athletic Mouthguard
With nearly 3 million teeth knocked out during youth sports each year, wearing a children’s athletic mouthguard has been proven to protect teeth during physical activities. In fact, because they’re not worrying about getting hurt while they play, athletic mouthguards can even help kids focus on the game, instead of how to perform in a way that won’t injure their smile in the process!
Caring for Your Child’s Athletic Mouthguard
Caring for and maintaining your child’s athletic mouthguard is a very important but easy process. Here are some best practices for when they’re not in use:
- Always be sure to rinse off your child’s athletic mouthguard with lukewarm water both before and after using it.
- Once they have stopped wearing it for the day, brush the entire appliance with mild hand soap and a soft-bristled toothbrush.
- Store the mouthguard in its provided carrying case when not in use and be sure to keep the case somewhere safe (and easy to remember), out of the reach of pets, young children.
To learn more about children’s athletic mouthguards or to have one made to protect your child’s teeth during their activity of choice, contact us today for an appointment.