Capping A Child’s Tooth

Asian smiling little girl portrait isolated on white

The goal of children’s dentistry is to help your son or daughter develop a healthy smile as they grow into adolescence. By teaching them the skills to take care of their smile at home, we hope to prevent decay from damaging their teeth. But even with the best intentions, your child can develop a cavity from time to time. When decay grows too large to repair with a simple filling, we could place a dental crown to cap the tooth and restore its bite.  By resealing their injury, we prevent infection from taking hold and help your little one maintain their alignment.

At your Shirley, NY pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we love putting smiles on little faces. When you bring your child to receive a more involved procedure like capping their tooth, we take special care to ensure their comfort and help them feel secure. By returning their bite, we can maintain the proper growth of their jaw and position of all teeth until it is time for the baby tooth to naturally fall out.

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The Benefits Of Orthodontic Care

Smiling teen with braces

When deciding to improve the position of your teeth, you have multiple options for orthodontic care. Not only does aligning your smile please the eye, but its’ straighter position can offer wonderful improvements for your oral health. You may find your new smile easier to clean when brushing and flossing, as crowded teeth can foster deposits of hard-to-reach plaque. You also reduce the risk of damaging teeth that take a disproportionate amount of force from an uneven bite. These are but a few reasons to explore orthodontic treatment.

At your Shirley, NY, orthodontist and pediatric dentist, we can straighten smiles for teens and adults alike. When you visit our practice, we can discuss your smile goals and examine your degree of malocclusion to help you decide on a method for improvement. Traditional metal-and-bracket braces may offer the strength necessary to correct significant gaps in your grin. If you prefer a more discreet treatment, Invisalign clear aligners provide a removable, translucent appliance for bringing your smile into position.

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Placing Dental Fillings In Children’s Teeth

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Regular dental checkups are vital to ensuring the health of your child’s smile. Not only do we clean their teeth at each visit, but a six-month checkup allows us to inspect your child’s teeth for the signs of decay or gum disease. If we detect a cavity, we will suggest removing the decaying material and placing a cavity to restore the outer seal of their tooth. This helps stop the spread of decay to neighboring teeth and aids in proper jaw growth by maintaining the alignment of their bite.

At your Shirley, NY, pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we look forward to serving your family as your child grows into adolesence. Receiving checkups allows us to create a dental record that indicates when flaws appear. Because children are still learning to fully brush and floss each day, tooth decay can take hold of their baby teeth from time to time. We encourage placing a restoration to help them enjoy a healthy smile.

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When Your Child Has A Tooth Infection

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When your child wakes up with a toothache that will not go away on its own, we can provide timely relief. This symptom can indicate a bacterial infection that must be removed to prevent it from traveling to other parts of the body. At this stage of life, it may be possible to perform an alternative to root canal therapy called a pulpotomy. This procedure can leave their tooth’s roots in place while removing bacterial deposits and cleaning out decayed material.

At your Shirley, NY pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we provide emergency dental care for little patients that experience an injury. This includes sudden toothaches that take permanent hold of their little mouths. By removing their tooth’s infection, we can stop the painful condition that they cannot and should not ignore. Because children’s jaws are still developing, this procedure leaves their tooth intact to preserve their bite and support their oral health. Taking the time to learn about our services can help you make the right decision when it comes to preserving your child’s smile!

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Protecting Children’s Smiles With Fluoride

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In last week’s blog, we discussed protecting your child’s molars from decay with dental sealants. In addition to this physical barrier, we also provide a chemical treatment to strengthen your child’s enamel as they learn to fully clean their little smiles. By applying a fluoride treatment, we can help the surface of their teeth remineralize to fight acidification from plaque and tartar.

At your Shirley, NY pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we take a preventive approach when it comes to protecting your child’s teeth. These additional protective services safeguard their smiles as they learn healthy oral hygiene habits. When children are little, they may lack the dexterity to clean the entire surface of every tooth. This is why treatment with fluoride and dental sealants can go a long way in maintaining healthy grins as they grow into adolescence.

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Dental Sealants Protect Children’s Molars

Smiling blond boy. Close-up of a child with a smile

When your child is still learning to clean their entire smile, they can have a hard time reaching back their molars when brushing and flossing. This can make them more likely to receive cavities there than on their front teeth they can more easily reach. To offer additional protection until they develop the dexterity to fully brush their back teeth, we can place a set of dental sealants. Sealants create a physical barrier to prevent debris and bacteria from sticking to their little teeth and eroding the enamel beneath.

At your Shirley, NY orthodontist and pediatric dentist, we look forward to helping protect your little one’s smile as they grow into adolescence. This can require a little added help to prevent cavities until they can fully clean their smile in between routine checkups. Because cavities can harm the alignment of their bite, we stress maintaining healthy baby teeth until they are naturally ready to fall out.

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Deciding To Straighten Your Smile

teenager with a braces

The decision to straighten the position of your teeth comes with several benefits. By learning more about the different treatments available to correct your smile, you can feel confident with an appliance that addresses your degree of malocclusion. When your teeth have a more severe degree of misalignment, traditional orthodontic braces offer the strength necessary to create a uniform look. When you value discretion, alternative treatment with clear aligners can offer pleasing results while keeping a low profile. No matter which treatment you choose, we are happy to help you achieve the smile of your dreams!

At your Shirley, NY, orthodontist and pediatric dentist, we welcome patients of all ages to explore their options for straightening their smile. With both traditional braces and Invisalign clear aligners, we provide the care necessary to help you reverse problems that come with crooked teeth. While the esthetic benefits of a straighter smile may seem obvious, orthodontic treatment can offer a healthier smile that is more resistant to decay and disease.

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Restoring A Child’s Tooth With A Dental Crown

little girl with braided hair smiling

While kids are still mastering their oral hygiene routines, they can receive cavities from time to time. If their decay grows too large to repair with a traditional dental filling, we could place a crown to restore your child’s tooth instead. This treatment covers the entirety of their injury above the gum line to return their tooth’s function and withstand their bite. After repairing your child’s smile, they can continue to practice their brushing and flossing techniques with a smile they can be proud of!

At your Shirley, NY pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we care for children like yours every single day! By focusing on dental care for kids, we know just how to repair their smiles after cavities take a toll. By placing a proper restoration, we preserve their grins as they grow into adolescence.

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The Benefits Of Invisalign® Are Clear

Model holding clear aligners

When deciding to correct problems with the spacing of your teeth, there are many different therapies available. Any problem that affects the alignment of your smile should be addressed as they can lead to serious consequences for your oral health. While the esthetic benefits of a straighter smile are obvious, straightening your smile can prevent malocclusion from damaging your teeth and leading to decay or gum disease. Treatment with Invisalign® clear aligners offers an alternative orthodontic option to traditional bracket-and-wire braces.

At your Shirley, NY, pediatric dentist and orthodontic practice, we provide corrective orthodontic treatment for adults and children alike. If you have concerns over the appearance of other appliances, we could examine your smile to determine if clear aligner therapy is appropriate for you. By designing a custom set of trays, you can bring your smile into position discreetly.

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We Offer Phase I Orthodontics

Smiling girl

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children receive an exam by an orthodontist no later than 7 years old. This helps us identify problems with jaw growth or tooth development that could affect the position of their adult teeth. Also known as interceptive orthodontics, Phase I orthodontic treatment creates space to guide the permanent teeth into a desirable alignment. Using a variety of orthodontic appliances, we could help your child enjoy a straighter smile as they develop into adolescence.

At your Shirley, NY, pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we can provide custom treatment to help limit the severity of your young child’s dental misalignment. By taking action today, you can help them prevent major problems from developing in their later years when their jaw is less malleable.

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