Services

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry said, “Children with healthy mouths chew more easily and gain more nutrients from the foods they eat.

They learn to speak more quickly and clearly. They have a better chance of general health, because disease in the mouth can endanger the rest of the body.

A healthy mouth is more attractive, giving children confidence in their appearance. Finally, preventive dentistry means less extensive—and less expensive—treatment for a child.”

Preventive Dental Care
Dental Treatments

First Visit

Your child should see a dentist when the first tooth appears, usually between six and twelve months. Oral health is a vital part of overall health in children just as it is in adults. We understand that going to the dentist can be a stressful experience, especially when it is your child’s first visit to the dentist.
At First Care Dental of Palm Beach, we want to help you put those concerns and anxieties to rest. The doctor will perform a gentle but thorough examination of the teeth, jaw, bites, gums and oral tissues to monitor growth and development and observe any problem areas. X-rays may be taken if necessary for a complete examination. We use digital X-ray method that has minimal radiation to our patients.
After the examination, the doctor will sit down with you to discuss the results and any necessary treatment steps if indicated. She will advise you how to properly care for your child’s teeth and mouth . Most importantly, we also would want to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you have in regard to your child’s oral health. During the visit, your child will receive a gentle cleaning which includes polishing teeth and removing any plaque, tartar buildup or stains.

Continuing Oral Care(Regular Check-up)

Continuing Oral Care is most important to timely prevent and address any oral health issues before they become serious and costly. We recommend regular check-up every six months or sooner, if indicated.
The doctor will examine how your child’s teeth are developing, check for possible oral health problems. Digital X-rays may be taken to support a thorough examination. After the examination, the doctor will sit down with you to discuss the results and any necessary treatment steps if necessary. She will inform you about your child’s risk of getting tooth decay.
We will work with you to develop good habits of oral hygiene, such as daily brushing and flossing. Your child will receive teeth cleaning and fluoride treatments during the visits.

Professional Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is a mineral that strengthens the tooth enamel. It helps prevent cavities and also repair teeth in the very early stages of tooth decay.
The fluoride used in the office is a much stronger concentration than that in commercial toothpastes or mouth rinses. The procedure generally takes just a few minutes. After the treatment, you may need to wait for at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking.

Protective sealants

Sealants are thin, plastic coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. They quickly harden to form a shield over the tooth to keep food and bacteria out. They can lower your child’s risk for cavities by up to 90 percent. We recommend sealants when their molars and premolars come out.

Digital X-Ray

Intraoral X-rays may be taken during your examination in order for the doctor to detect problems that can’t be seen with a visual exam, such as cavities between teeth that are touching each other.
Also it enables her to check the health of the bony area around the tooth, as well as the teeth developing progress. We place a lead apron over your child’s body to protect her.

We use the newest X-ray techniques in digital technology to minimize radiation exposure. Your child’s safety is at most important to us.

Fillings

Your child’s primary teeth are not only small but the enamel covering them is thinner than permanent teeth. Tooth decay can therefore penetrate through the enamel and move into the central pulp or nerve area of their teeth much quicker than with permanent teeth. Thus, it is important that your dentist can detect the first sign of cavities during your child’s continuing dental care visit so that she can repair it with a filling and avoid the need for more complex and painful treatment.

First the doctor will remove the decay and clean the affected area. The cleanout cavity will then be filled with filling materia to prevent further decay. In our office, we avoid mercury based (Amalgam) fillings completely and use tooth-colored composite resins instead. Mercury definitely does not belong in your child’s mouth !

Pediatric Crowns

When a baby tooth is extensively decayed, a filling may not be successful. In this case the doctor may recommend restoring the tooth with a pediatric stainless steel crown. After removing the decay and thoroughly cleaning the decayed area, the doctor will fit and cement a crown over the tooth.

Pulpotomy

The tooth’s pulp is the soft tissue found in the center of all teeth, where the nerve tissue and blood vessels are located. If tooth decay reaches the pulp, then a procedure called “pulpotomy” may be indicated. The procedure involves the removal of some pulp or nerve tissue above the gum line where the decay has entered.

After a thoroughcleaning, a layer of sedative filling material is then placed in the cavity to protect the remaining nerve tissue. The remainder of the tooth is filled with a composite material, and a stainless steel dental crown will be placed over the treated tooth for protection.

Pulpectomy

In case the pulp is deeply infected into the root, a procedure called Pulpectomy may be indicated where the entire pulp area needs to be removed.
After a thorough cleaning, the inside of the tooth will be filled with a special material and a stainless steel dental crown will be placed over the treated tooth for protection.

Tooth Extraction

Tooth extraction is a procedure to remove a tooth from its socket. Every patient is unique and our objective is always to save the natural tooth as long as we can. However, in certain cases, a tooth extraction is not avoidable. Some common reasons for tooth extraction are infection, cysts, tumors, severely decayed or damaged teeth, fractured or broken teeth.
The procedure may also be used to reduce dental crowding or the risk of infection when a tooth cannot erupt fully (e.g., impacted tooth).

Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas

Nitrous oxide, a blend of two gases, nitrous oxide and oxygen, is a mild, fast-acting, safe sedative. The calming effect of nitrous oxide reduces anxiety and pain.

Your child will receive nitrous oxide through a mask as they breathe normally. The nitrous oxide will make your child feel relaxed. However, it will not cause a deep sleep.
At the end of the procedure, pure oxygen is given to the patient to clear out any remaining nitrous oxide. Once the mask is removed, nitrous oxide wears off rapidly.
Your child may be a little disoriented, but this usually lasts a very short time. Your child may eat right away unless there is a reason not to, such as another medical test. Once at home, your child may participate in normal activities. It’s extremely safe.
Among medical gases, nitrous oxide is considered to be very mild. Our equipment to administer nitrous oxide is fail-safe, so an overdose is impossible.