Pediatric Dental Cleanings Sudbury, MA

What’s one of the best ways to help prevent your child from developing cavities? Regular professional dental cleanings at their pediatric dentist’s office.

Why Kids Need Dental Cleanings

If you have teeth, you need to clean them regularly, no matter what age you are – even if you have teeth that will eventually fall out.

The reason for this is because it promotes good health. While you and your child do your best to remove plaque from their teeth, it’s inevitable that there’s going to be at least a little bit of plaque build-up. It happens to everyone – even dental professionals! Over time, the plaque that isn’t removed starts to calcify and hardens into a substance called tartar or calculus. It is impossible to remove this substance without professional dental tools.

What happens if we don’t remove the plaque and tartar?

Gums: Plaque and tartar contain bacteria, making them very irritating to the gum tissue. Left unattended, the gums will become inflamed, red, and swollen. They might even start to bleed. This is called gingivitis and is the first stage of gum disease.
Teeth: Again, because of the bacteria build-up, your child is at a higher risk of dental decay. The more bacteria there are, the more acids they produce, which will eventually damage the enamel.
Soft tissues: Plaque and bacterial build-up on soft tissues (cheeks, tongue, roof of the mouth) can lead to chronic bad breath.
General health: Dental decay and gum disease have been linked to heart disease. Dental tooth and gum infections are painful and can lead to fever and feeling sick.

What Happens During a Cleaning Appointment?

Our #1 priority: Having some fun!

We want your child to feel completely at ease during their cleaning appointment. When they feel comfortable, they’ll be able to take in what we teach them during their cleaning. Here is a breakdown of what a typical cleaning appointment is like.

The Cleaning

We’ll use specialized instruments to remove the plaque and tartar. Sometimes, we’ll use instruments that are motorized and spray a bit of water to help remove stubborn tartar build-up. Then, we’ll polish the teeth, so they look and feel amazing.

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Oral Hygiene Instructions

Our team will take time to review the proper way to brush and floss, as well as how often to practice oral hygiene at home. We’ll even suggest ways to make brushing and flossing easier and more fun (turning it into a game, keeping the floss by the TV, etc.). We urge parents to join us during this part of the appointment so we can make sure we’re all on the same page regarding how to best care for your child’s teeth and gums.

An Examination

The doctor will examine the teeth and oral cavity to check for:

Cavities
Anomalies
Occlusal (bite) development

Dental X-Rays

We cannot see in between the teeth, below the gumline, or into the jawbone. The only way we can check for signs of decay or other diseases/anomalies in those areas is with a couple of dental x-rays.

Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride treatments are easier than you may remember from your childhood. Instead of using foam fluoride with trays, which is messy and can easily be gag-inducing, we take a simpler, faster approach. We use fluoride varnish, which is painted onto the teeth after they’ve been dried. We recommend not eating for 5 minutes after fluoride treatment and avoid sticky foods for the rest of the day.

Dr. Kristi Seibel earned her DMD degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. After working some years as a general dentist, Dr. Seibel returned to Tufts to specialize in her first love, pediatric dentistry. Her training included treating children, young adults, and special needs patients at New England Medical Center, the Cotting School, and Brookline Dept. of Health Dental Clinic.

Dr. Thaker is passionate about providing the highest quality of dental care to children in the most comfortable atmosphere possible. Dr. Thaker has continued her education by taking several courses throughout the years to stay informed about the newest and most proven research and developments in the field of pediatric dentistry.

We want your child to have a beautiful, healthy smile for their entire life. For that to happen, it’s vital to take preventative action. Daily dental hygiene at home, a healthy diet, and regular visits to the pediatric dentist for a cleaning and checkup can help.

Has it been a while since your child has had a professional teeth cleaning?

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Kids Teeth
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Pediatric Dental Cleanings Sudbury, MA

Why Kids Need Dental Cleanings

What happens if we don’t remove the plaque and tartar?