Children's dental care in Alexandria

When Should My Child Have Their First Dental Visit?

First dental visits should occur at twelve months or six months after the first tooth appears. While this surprises some parents, children can get a cavity if they have even one tooth in their mouth.

What Will My Baby's First Dental Exam Be Like?

First exams are quick and easy, lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. You'll sit in the dentist's chair and hold your baby in your lap. There are no x-rays; dentists dedicate most of the appointment to showing you how to care for your child's teeth and answering questions. Your dentist can give advice about teething, using a pacifier or thumb sucking. Please contact us if your infant is ready for his or her first exam.

What Is Dentistry for Kids?

Kid’s dental care includes a variety of services to help prevent cavities and to repair decayed or damaged teeth. Here is a sampling of the services we offer:

Fluoride - Fluoride treatments for kids are a safe way to protect against cavities by strengthening their tooth enamel.

Dental Sealants - A children's dentist in Alexandria will use a thin plastic coating on the biting surfaces of molars to protect against tooth decay. The dental sealant seals the tooth surface and makes it easier for your child to keep the biting surfaces clean when they brush.

Teeth Cleaning for Children - We recommend kid's dental teeth cleanings for children to remove plaque buildup and help prevent cavities. We're specially trained to make the process both stress-free and pain-free for your child.

Fillings - Our kid’s dentist treats cavities in baby teeth with fillings. His or her goal is to preserve the baby tooth until it's ready to make way for the permanent tooth. For kids, we recommend metal or composite (white) fillings.

Dental Bonding - Dental bonding is a simple procedure that can repair cracks or chips in a child's tooth. The tooth-colored composite resin gives the tooth added strength as well as restoring the tooth's appearance.

Baby Root Canal - Our children's dentist will recommend a baby root canal if the pulp of your child's tooth is diseased. Saving a tooth, even a baby tooth, is a priority. Baby teeth serve as placeholders for permanent teeth. Losing one prematurely could result in bite problems and inability to maintain the tooth's functionality. The root canal will also alleviate your child's pain and prevent an abscess from developing.

Pediatric Crowns - Crowns for baby teeth protect and restore teeth badly damaged by decay when the cavity is too large for a filling. A children's dentist will always try to avoid extracting a baby tooth; he or she will try to restore the tooth with a silver-colored or white crown for a baby tooth that will last until the tooth falls out naturally.

Mouthguards - Mouthguards help keep active, athletic children from being sidelined by a dental injury, such as a cut in their mouth or a chipped or knocked-out tooth. A dentist can create a custom comfortable mouthguard that your child won't mind wearing. At our office, we also create night guards for children with bruxism to protect their teeth from the effects of grinding.

When Do Kids Get Their First Baby Teeth?

Your child will get their first tooth at about six months. All babies are different though; they can get their first tooth at anywhere from four to 10 months. Girls typically begin teething earlier than boys. The front two bottom teeth come in first, followed by the top two front teeth. Teeth come in in an outward pattern, with the second molars coming in last. If you have any questions about helping your baby get through teething, please ask our dentist.

When Should Children Start Losing Baby Teeth?

Between age of five and seven, children start losing baby teeth, although this can vary. The baby teeth come out in the same order they emerged, becoming loose and eventually falling out on their own. Although it's okay for your child to wiggle the tooth, don't help the tooth along by pulling it out. Let the tooth come out on its own. Since the front teeth become loose first, make sure your child has bite-size pieces of hard food so they can use their molars to chew, which are the last baby teeth to come out.

Why Do Children Complain of Toothaches?

Children get toothaches for a variety of reasons, but decay is the main culprit. If your child is complaining of tooth pain, ask him or her if she can isolate the tooth causing the problem. Look for something stuck between his or her teeth. If you don't see anything, call our office to arrange an appointment with our children's dentist in Alexandria. If your child is in pain, we will do our best to get him or her in quickly.