If you have any questions about your role at your child’s dental appointment, please feel free to contact our office.

Cleanings

Great oral health can last a lifetime, and we are here to help your child get the right start and you can do your part by visiting Morrison Dental for a cleaning and exam twice a year. At each visit, one of our friendly hygienists polishes and flosses your child’s teeth and we will:

• Check your child’s teeth for decay and early signs of developmental problems
• Explain ways to care for your child’s teeth
• Answer any of your questions or concerns

We recommend your child visits us every six months for routine cleaning and exam, but we may suggest more frequent visits if needed.

Radiographs (X-rays)

Dental x-rays are used to further evaluate your child’s smile and to ensure he/she receives the proper dental care your child needs and deserves. Dental x-rays are a very valuable diagnostic tool and allow us to:

• Diagnose cavities in between the teeth that are touching each other
• Determine if your child’s teeth are infected
• See how your child’s teeth are erupting
• See the number, size, and position of your child’s teeth
• Monitor mouth and teeth injuries
• Identify bone diseases
• Detect any other problems that cannot be seen with the eye

If you have any questions about the necessity of dental x-rays for your child, please feel free to contact our office.

Fluoride

Fluoride treatment is recommended to help strengthen your tooth enamel and prevent cavities from developing. Fluoride is a mineral that is naturally found in water and many common foods. While you receive a fluoride from your regular diet, by using toothpaste with fluoride and professional fluoride treatments twice a year, you are strengthening your teeth and helping to prevent cavities.

Sealants

Sealants are recommended for children whose permanent molars have fully come in. Sealants are a white protective coating that work to help stop harmful bacteria and food debris from entering the chewing surface of the tooth. This helps to keep your child’s teeth strong and help to prevent cavities. Sealants are recommended when the permanent molars come in, which is around ages 6 and 12 years old. If you have any questions about your role at your child’s dental appointment, please feel free to contact our office.

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) is used to help relax your child, reduce any discomfort if it should arise, and ease the fear of the dental office if your child should need any restorative work. As stated by the AAPD, nitrous oxide is safe to be administered to children of all ages.

White (tooth colored) Fillings

White fillings are also called tooth color fillings or composite resins. They provide good durability in small fillings and can be used in front or back teeth since they are chemically bonded to the tooth.

Since the white colored filling is chemically bonded to the tooth, sometimes the placement of a white colored filling does not need the tooth to be numbed. Often, it is not necessary to numb the tooth when placing a white colored filling because the cavity is often contained to the enamel layer of the tooth. Numbing is required when the cavity progresses past the enamel layer and into the dentin layer which surround and protects the nerve of the tooth.

Once the cavity is removed from the tooth, the area is cleaned before placing the filling material. The filling material is shaped to resemble the natural anatomy of the tooth and then hardened by curing it with a strong light. Once the white colored filling is light cured, the filling will be checked to make sure it is properly sealed and that the teeth fit together properly.

Pediatric Stainless Steel Crowns

Stainless steel crowns are necessary for teeth that have large cavities or a pulpotomy therapy needs to be performed. Stainless steel crowns can also be used when other restorations (white or silver fillings) have broken. Stainless steel crowns protect the entire tooth and stay on the tooth until it exfoliates.

Extractions

At Morrison Dental, we want your child to keep their teeth until the permanent teeth are ready to come in. However, on certain occasions extractions are our last resort. Some reasons to make extractions are necessary are if the tooth has become infected, the permanent tooth is also in the mouth or if the cavity has become too big and we cannot save the tooth with a stainless steel crown. If a primary molar is extracted, we will discuss with you if there is a need for a space maintainer.