Preventive Dentistry
At Cottage Grove Pediatric Dentistry

Just as for adults, dental check-ups and cleanings for kids are vital to maintaining their oral health. Our friendly dental team will ensure your child's teeth and gums are clean, healthy, and developmentally on track. For the complete exam of their mouths, we only take necessary x-rays to catch any potential problems early. These visits are a great time to chat about your child's growth and what to expect next. We want to provide you tips for oral care at home and food choices that can help keep their teeth strong and cavity free.

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When a pesky cavity pops up in your child's teeth, Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is a great treatment option for pre-cooperative children! This kid-friendly procedure is quick, pain-free, and doesn't involve any drills or shots. It's like painting a superhero shield on their tooth that fights off decay-causing bacteria and strengthens their tooth. So, if your child has a cavities and isn't quite ready to sit for a filling, we can often buy time with this treatment.

Our x-rays, are designed to be smaller and easier for your child to use. We only take x-rays when it is deemed necessary by the dentist for treatment. Typically, x-rays are recommended every year to catch cavities while they are small to keep treatment to small white fillings. However, different children with different histories have different needs. If your child has a higher risk of oral disease, we may need to take more frequent x-rays, but we always try to keep your child's exposure to a minimum on an as needed basis.

Dental sealants prevent cavities from starting on the hard to reach chewing surfaces of our back teeth. We paint a clear, safe resin on the deep grooves of your child's teeth that hardens under a special light. It acts like a barrier, keeping away cavity-causing bacteria and food particles from the deep grooves that are hard to clean, the most likely places to get cavities from sticky foods.

Yes, even kids need oral disease screenings! This quick check is done with your routine checkup visits to as part of your normal exam. Our dental team takes a good look at your child's mouth, gums, and oral tissues for any possible signs of trouble. If we spot something out of the ordinary, we'll guide you through the next steps with the proper referrals as needed. Regular dental visits can help us keep your child's mouth healthy and happy!

We believe in a "whole health" approach, which includes good, healthy food choices and structured snack times. It's not always easy to change eating habits, but it's definitely worth it. The earlier in life that we implement healthy food choices and eating frequencies, the better your child will be in the long term. When we set a firm foundation at home for nutrition, not only does it benefit your child's teeth but also their overall wellbeing. 

Building a strong foundation for healthy oral habits will establish your child's dental routine for their entire lives. With our educational, compassionate care, we are here to give your child the guidance they need to have healthy dental hygiene habits that will stick with them for a lifetime. Trying to break a pesky thumb sucking habit? Let our team give you some helpful guidance on how to move forward to break through that habit.

Fluoride treatments offer a simple, non-invasive way to prevent dental decay. After your child's cleaning, a fluoride-rich varnish is applied, followed by a short period of no eating or drinking. One of the many key benefits of fluoride is that it initiates a process called "remineralization" for your teeth. Remineralization strengthens your teeth with essential minerals that prevents decay now and also in the future.

For dental emergencies involving children, acting swiftly is vital to getting the whole house back on track. Quick and appropriate care is essential not only for their recovery but also for alleviating their pain and discomfort. Whether it be a toothache, a broken tooth, or any other urgent dental issue, rest assured we are prepared to assist. Uncertain whether your child's situation qualifies as an emergency? Please don't delay in contacting us. Many emergencies can be diagnosed over the phone for whether or not you should come into the clinic for evaluation. Our experienced team is ready to evaluate the urgency, provide appropriate guidance for care at home, and arrange a prompt appointment. We're dedicated to helping your child and home return to normal as soon as possible.

Does your child have trouble staying still at the dentist? Do they get anxious about dental visits? Has your child had a dental appointment before that didn't go so well? We have a range of different treatment options with differing levels of sedation as well. Our sedation tools range from laughing gas, that helps children that have a little anxiety, to full sedation for children that need all the help they can get. We have you covered. We want to ensure that your visit goes as well as it can by finding a way that helps your child stay calm and comfortable. From a good experience of treatment, we can start building positive attitudes towards dental care and oral health. If you think sedation might help your child, let us know. We'll help you find the right option for your child.

Included in your routine exams, we monitor how your child's teeth are positioning and how their bite is developing. We aim to be proactive in early detection of tooth alignment issues to help counsel and prepare you for whether you may need to plan to see the orthodontist in the future. Early detection of issues such as oral habits, like thumb sucking, helps eliminate the need for complex orthodontic procedures or compromised results later in life when they are old enough to see the orthodontist. We aim to send your children to the orthodontist at the right time and not have you waste time or money being in treatment for longer than necessary. 

If you're struggling with nursing, a frenectomy might be the solution for you. A frenectomy is a simple surgical procedure that can improve the quality of life for both you and your baby. It involves releasing the tissues that restrict the mouth and tongue from allowing a proper latch during nursing. Later in life, when the frenum tissue is tight or restrictive, it can also limit your child's ability to make certain sounds and their ability to use their tongue to naturally clean their back teeth. Unsure if your little one needs a frenectomy? We can help with a comprehensive evaluation and refer you to the proper specialists.