Children’s Dentist – Ocala, FL
Keeping Growing Smiles Healthy
At Weldon Implant and Cosmetic Dentistry of Ocala, we strive to provide families in Ocala and surrounding areas with the highest quality of dental care for their children. Your child’s growing smile is important to us, which is why we offer countless kid-friendly preventive services to ward off cavities and other oral health problems that are common in children. If you’re looking for a team of professionals who can put your child’s mind at-ease and allow them to feel comfortable while they receive great dental care, then you have definitely come to the right place! Be sure to schedule your little one’s checkup and cleaning today by contacting our office.
Your Child’s First Dental Appointment
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, it’s recommended to take your child to their first dental appointment by the time their first tooth emerges. Our team works hard to make a great first impression on your child and help them feel comfortable at our office, that way, they’ll be excited about coming back. We also want to provide them with the tools and knowledge they need to keep their smile healthy, which is why we show them how to properly brush and floss their teeth.
Although this initial appointment may seem daunting, we’ll do our best to ensure that it’s fun and educational. If your child is comfortable, we’ll quickly examine their mouth. For the rest of the appointment, we’ll let them explore, ask questions, and get to know us so they have a positive first experience! This is also a great time for parents to ask us about any concerns or questions that they may have about caring for their child’s smile at home.
Kid-Friendly Dental Services That We Offer
At Weldon Implant and Cosmetic Dentistry of Ocala, we offer a variety of preventive service for children to ward off cavities or other common oral health problems at this age. After we conduct our checkup of your child’s pearly whites, we may suggest one of these helpful treatments.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride is a mineral that’s naturally found in a variety of foods and is even added in water supplies. It’s used to help strengthen the protective outer layer of children’s teeth, called the enamel. If they aren’t getting enough fluoride, their teeth can be more susceptible to decay, which is why we may suggest an additional fluoride treatment. This only takes a couple of minutes and it’s completely painless. We’ll place some fluoride over their teeth and allow it to set in, afterward, we may instruct your child to avoid drinking or eating for 30 minutes.
Dental Sealants
Cavities are a common oral health problem among children because they’re still learning how to properly care for their smile. If your child frequently experiences decay, we’ll likely recommend dental sealants. This is another easy, fast, and painless preventive measure to keep cavities from harming your child’s smile. They are small shields that we’ll paint over your child’s molars to protect them from collecting sugar and plaque, causing decay to develop.
Children’s Dentistry FAQs
Do you have more questions about maintaining your child’s oral health? For your convenience, we’ve answered some common concerns that we receive from parents about their child’s oral health below.
What dental problems can my infant encounter?
Early dental visits are the most effective form of preventive dentistry because baby teeth need to be cared for just the same as permanent teeth. Many parents in the past have ignored baby teeth because they are only temporary and thought not to be of importance. However, this isn’t the case. If neglected, the baby teeth can obtain cavities, damage the gums, or even keep their adult teeth from being able to grow in properly.
Additionally, oral health problems such as early childhood cavities are big concerns. Previously known as baby bottle tooth decay, these lesions can occur when the diet consists of anything besides breast milk. Your children’s dentist in Ocala can diagnose and properly treat these cavities so they don’t have a lasting impact on your child’s oral health.
Can I pass decay onto my child?
it or not, parents can be the cause of early childhood cavity development. We all have good and bad bacteria in our mouths. However, each person, even your own child, has different types of oral bacteria than your own. This can be passed down to children in several ways:
- Providing inadequate nutritional intake to the child
- Neglecting children’s dental hygiene
- Tasting the child’s food for temperature
- Kissing the child on the mouth
When should children first get their teeth cleaned?
The sooner you bring your child in for a professional cleaning, the better. As an infant, it is recommended that parents clean their child’s gums with a soft infant toothbrush or with water and a cloth. This should be done even before the first teeth erupt. Once your child’s teeth begin to grow in, you can start brushing twice daily with an American Dental Association approved age-specific soft toothbrush and a rice-grain-sized dab or fluoride toothpaste. Once your child turns three, they can graduate to using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
Can diet play a role in my child’s oral health?
A healthy balanced diet not only provides the essential nutrients for the growth of your child, but also plays a major role in the development of healthy teeth. Foods that are high in sugar or carbohydrates can increase your child’s risk of dental decay. However, because these foods often contain essential nutrients, they should not be removed completely from the diet, just monitored.
Infants and toddlers should never be put to bed with a bottle containing anything but water because this can also increase their risk of cavities at a young age. It’s a good idea to transition sippy cups into adult cups as soon as possible as well.
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