Pediatric Dental Procedures
Developmental Dental Health
Your child’s dental health needs change throughout their development years. From baby teeth to regular maintenance, accidents to braces, at Gole Dental Group we monitor and grow with your child’s needs.
Fillings
The concept of a “filling” is replacing and restoring your tooth structure that is damaged due to decay or fracture with a material. We use white fillings (composites) to restore your smile and teeth to a more natural look and feel.
Extractions
An extraction is the complete removal of a tooth. Extractions are sometimes necessary if a primary tooth is preventing the normal eruption of a permanent tooth, if the tooth has suffered extensive tooth decay or trauma that cannot be repaired, if the patient has gum disease, or if the tooth is impacted (usually the wisdom teeth). Depending on the complexity of the case, an extraction can be performed surgically or non-surgically. A mild anesthesia is used to ensure your child is as comfortable as possible throughout the procedure.
Sealants
The grooves and depressions that form the chewing surfaces of the back teeth are extremely difficult (if not impossible) to clean of bacteria and food. As the bacteria reacts with the food, acids form and break down the tooth enamel, causing cavities. Recent studies indicate that 88 percent of total cavities in American school children are caused this way.
Tooth sealants protect these susceptible areas by sealing the grooves and depressions, preventing bacteria and food particles from residing in these areas. Sealant material is a resin typically applied to the back teeth, molars and premolars and areas prone to cavities. It lasts for several years but needs to be checked during regular appointments
Space Maintenance
Baby or primary teeth are significant to your child’s current and future dental health. They promote normal development of the jaw bone and muscles, preserve space for the eruption of permanent teeth and guide them into their proper positions. If your child loses baby teeth due to injury or decay, we may recommend space maintainers.
Made of metal or plastic, space maintainers are small and unnoticeable in appearance. They are customized to fit in your child’s mouth. Space maintainers hold open the empty space left by a lost baby tooth. They stabilize the remaining teeth by preventing movement until the permanent tooth erupts; taking its proper place in the jaw.
Interceptive Braces and Appliance Treatment
Along with the American Association of Orthodontists, we recommend that a child receive their first braces and appliance screening by age 7. By starting treatment early, we are able to recognize potential problems early and correct them before they become more serious, saving time and money.
Early braces and appliance treatment varies between patients, but may include removable or fixed appliances that can provide more room for crowded, erupting teeth; preserve space for unerupted teeth; create facial symmetry through manipulating jaw growth; reduce the possibility of tooth extraction; and reduce overall treatment time in braces.
