Getting your child into a good routine of dental cleanings and exams will set them on a path of healthy teeth for the rest of their life. Having dental cleanings and exams that happen routinely helps prevent decay and disease. What happens in the home is also important, but professional cleanings will take away plaque that has been mineralized, even after proper brushing and flossing. Mountain View Pediatric Dentistry is one of the very few pediatric dental offices in the area that has a dental hygienist on staff. Your child will receive great treatment from a highly trained pediatric dental assistant or certified hygienist. We recommend your child visit our office once every six months. Appointments typically take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Of course, parents are welcome to be with their child during the treatment or wait in the lobby.
Cleaning & Fluoride
During your child’s exam and cleaning appointment, our pediatric dental assistant or hygienist will polish their teeth and be scaled for plaque removal and tartar from the surface of the tooth. We have a variety of flavors of toothpaste he or she can choose from for the cleaning.
As part of the exam, your child will receive a fluoride treatment to make their teeth extra strong. The fluoride is a varnish that is applied to your child’s teeth. The fluoride sets up on your child’s teeth immediately. Because of this your child can eat or drink immediately.
X-rays
For the routine appointment, dental x-rays will only be taken when needed. The purpose for the x-rays is to find cavities that hide between their teeth, look for teeth that will be coming through soon, survey for bone disease, determine results from an injury, or make a plan for braces. When it comes to having your child’s teeth x-rayed, we take the necessary steps to keep them safe from the radiation. Your child will wear a lead body apron and we provide a thyroid collar upon request. We only utilize digital x-rays which allow us to use lower doses of radiation when obtaining x-rays on your child. If you have any questions or concerns about your child having x-rays, please feel free to talk to our staff about it.
Examination
During the visit, the last part of the routine will be an examination by one of our dentists. He will review the x-rays, and determine if there are problems with their teeth by taking a look inside their mouth. The dentist will also use this opportunity to talk to your child about their teeth and how to have good hygiene. If there are issues with your child’s teeth beyond hygiene, the dentist will take the opportunity to talk to you and make arrangements for a dental treatment appointment on another day.