What is a Pediatric Dentist?
Friday, January 24th, 2014Pediatric Dentistry is one of nine recognized dental specialties of the American Dental Association. A pediatric dentist is a specialist in the field of dentistry dealing particularly with the oral healthcare of children, from infancy through the teenage years. Pediatric dentists complete two to three years of additional specialized training (after the required four years of dental school) to prepare them for treating a wide variety of children’s dental problems. They are also trained and qualified to care for patients with medical, physical, or mental disabilities.
Your Child’s First Visit
Friday, January 24th, 2014According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), your child should establish a dental home by age one, or within 6 months of the eruption of their first tooth.
Our goal at Mount Rose Pediatric Dentistry is to provide a comprehensive and comfortable dental home that exceeds your expectations. Our entire team will strive to put you and your child at ease and make the visit fun while also being thorough and informative. We will educate you and your child to make sure you have all of the tools you need to establish a lifetime of optimal oral while maintaining a positive dental experience.
What to Expect
Friday, January 24th, 2014All new patients and parents meet privately with Dr. Murphy prior to any dental services being provided. This meeting is crucial in determining the most appropriate dental care based on the child’s needs as well as parent’s desires and concerns. For most patients, the initial visit will consist of a comprehensive exam and dental cleaning. Other services may be recommended and Dr. Murphy will speak with you in detail about any other recommendations as well as future visits. He will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have during this time.
First visits typically last about an hour and are scheduled throughout the day. For younger children, sometimes a morning appointment can be more appropriate when the child is well rested.
For new patients with pain or discomfort, our office will schedule a limited exam to address the immediate concern and bypass a comprehensive exam and cleaning until a later time.
Parental Role
Friday, January 24th, 2014Mount Rose Pediatric Dentistry has an “open door” policy with regard to parents accompanying their kids at their dental appointments. We feel that it is important for parents to take an active role in their children’s dental care and invite them to be present with their kids at all times. As all children are different, some kids respond more favorably to a new environment with their parents present while other children are more comfortable being alone. It is important that we find what works best for your children.
It is very common for young infants and young children to have some degree of anxiety during their first couple of dental appointments. Children will feed off of parent’s feelings and emotions and it is for this reason that we ask parents to always express of fun and positive attitude about their kids dental appointments. We ask parents to never use words that may evoke any sort of negative feeling about coming to the dentist. Words like:” shot”, “pinch”, “it will only hurt for a little”, or anything that may scare a child should never be used.
Fluoride
Friday, January 24th, 2014The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), stands firm in that fluoride is a safe and effective adjunct in reducing the risk of caries (cavities) and reversing enamel demineralization (early cavities). A number of clinical trials have confirmed the anti-caries effect of professional topical fluoride treatments, including 5% neutral sodium fluoride varnish. Fluoride varnishes can prevent or reverse enamel demineralization. In children with moderate to high caries risk, fluoride varnishes and fluoride-releasing restorative and bonding materials have been shown to be beneficial and are best utilized as part of a comprehensive preventive program in the dental home. In our community, the public drinking water supply does not contain fluoride and for this reason, some patients at high risk of dental decay can benefit from a systemic fluoride supplement. Dr. Murphy will be happy to speak with you in person about any questions and concerns you may have regarding the use of fluoride.