Children also require slightly different dental care than adults. Every person grows two sets of teeth. They start out with baby teeth, which emerge between six to nine months old, and eventually those teeth fall out to make room for permanent adult teeth.
There are twenty-two baby teeth in total. A child usually has all of their baby teeth by age three. Children require regular dental care for their teeth as soon as their first baby tooth emerges.
Children’s Dental Care in Southern California
At West Valley Dental we offer several treatments that directly benefit our pediatric patients.
Oral prophylaxis, or teeth cleaning, is a staple in quality dental care. For children, keeping up with oral hygiene is vital to protecting their teeth, and establishing good dental habits from an early age. Plaque builds up when teeth are not cleaned regularly, which can lead to cavities and a host of other problems.
Dental sealants are a great way to protect children’s teeth against cavities. Dental sealants coat and protect the deep grooves and fissures on the teeth’s surfaces, where food tends to accumulate and lead to decay. Dental sealants coat the surface to protect teeth.
Topical fluoride application strengthens teeth and helps prevent bacterial growth. Fluoride can easily be applied when the teeth are developing, and many solutions are flavored so children have an easier time during the application.
Pulp treatments can be given to children when they suffer tooth damage or extreme tooth decay which would otherwise only be fixable with a root canal. Since baby teeth will eventually be replaced by healthy adult teeth, the point of a pulp treatment is to safely cap the sensitive tooth pulp to protect the damaged tooth until the new tooth emerges.
Ready-made crowns are often used in pediatric dentistry. Strip-Off crowns, and stainless steel crowns, are used after pulp treatments and other restoration procedures.
For sedation, we offer our pediatric patients nitrous gas sedation. This allows children to relax and our doctors to properly take care of their teeth without worrying about upsetting the patient.
Contact Us Today
Are you looking for a reliable pediatric dental office in Woodland Hills, California? Make an appointment with West Valley Dental, where our years of dental experience and mindful pediatric practices speak for themselves.
