In our Portland family dentist office, we are focused on providing the highest quality of care for your family. This means focusing on prevention and as a children’s dentist, we take that aspect of our job very seriously. We understand that if we can educate and empower our patients to make healthy decisions, regardless of how old they are, it will help them to maintain healthy teeth for a lifetime. This is the power of family dentistry – the habits that you establish now will impact your children for the rest of their life.
What we can do for your child:
Educate
As a family dentist, part of our job is to inform your children as to what they should and should not eat or drink to keep their teeth healthy. For example, they should drink milk and eat a diet that contains lean protein, nuts, dairy, and vegetables. Simultaneously, they need to avoid drinking or eating anything that is overly acidic. Everything has a pH level. Water has a level of 7, meaning that it is neutral. Battery acid has a pH level of zero and phosphoric acid has a level of 2.
Dentin begins to dissolve when anything below a 5.5 pH level comes in contact with the teeth. With that in mind, we warn children to stay away from soda which can have a pH level of 2.5 or lower and juice which can have a pH level in the 3’s. Drinking water and milk, while simple, can make the difference between a life of strong and healthy teeth or a life full of brittle, decayed and damaged ones.
Cleanings
Part of our children’s dentist services is to clean teeth on a regular basis. We recommend that children have their teeth cleaned twice a year so that we can remove the plaque and bacteria that has built up on them. Even if your child brushes and flosses every day, there are some areas that are difficult to reach. As a family dentist, we can use dental tools to reach these places and prevent cavities in the process. These appointments can be completed fairly quickly and comfortably so that your child can actually enjoy receiving dental care.
Restorations
As a family dentist, we know how common it is for a child to crack or chip a tooth. It happens on the playground, when eating, wrestling with friends or playing sports. While common, it is important to have the option of getting it restored quickly. Our children’s dentistry services include dental bonding since bonding material is a non-invasive and immediate way to restore a tooth. As a result, it is a comfortable option for children that can restore their appearance and functionality.
Prevention
We can provide your child with dental sealants to help prevent cavities. By brushing the sealant onto their teeth, nothing can touch the chewing surfaces of them. This way, plaque cannot gather here and they will experience fewer cavities.