Pediatric Preventive Dentistry Hinsdale and Downers Grove

Healthy Choices for Healthy Smiles

When it comes to your little one’s oral health, it’s not only what, but also how often they snack that can be a problem. Grazing on treats and drinks throughout the day is the enemy. Children tend to like sweeter and high carbohydrate foods, and unfortunately, these types of foods can do a number on their teeth. They fuel the bacteria in plaque that leads to tooth decay and cavities! Try to limit their consumption of sugary foods like sodas, juices, candies, and cookies to just every once in a while. If they’re thirsty, the best option is always water. When they get hungry during the day between meals, fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese sticks or nuts make for excellent snacks. By helping them form these healthy habits early, you’ll be doing tremendous good for both their oral and overall health. Try to avoid occupying your child with snacks.

Effective Brushing and Flossing Habits

The best way to keep your child’s teeth healthy is with consistent brushing and flossing. Setting good habits at a young age makes all the difference. Of course, many parents know that’s easier said than done. Our team will partner with you and your child to help teach them the proper ways to take care of their teeth at home. We’ll make it fun and educational for them in the office, and we’ll send you home with a few tricks as well.

Generally, we advise that you help your child brush their teeth through age 7. We realize that it can be tough, but the time invested will be more than worth it because it could save them from having to get dental problems fixed in the future. If you ever have any issues getting them to brush consistently, be sure to call us! We’re always willing to help.

Help with Thumb-Sucking & Pacifier Use

It’s important to preface this section with the fact that pacifier use and thumb-sucking are completely safe and natural habits for children to develop. However, once they get to a certain age and their temporary teeth begin to fall out, allowing their permanent ones to grow in, curbing these habits is important for the future of their oral health. Our team can provide you with advice on how to minimize non-nutritive habits at the right time to keep their permanent teeth from growing in misaligned.

Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends bringing your child in for their first dental checkup by the time their first tooth erupts. As they begin to feel more comfortable with us and their teeth start to touch, our team can begin completing thorough teeth cleanings at these routine visits as well. Don’t worry! We’ll never rush children into anything that they don’t feel comfortable with and always take as much time as they need to build trust with them.

Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is a special cavity-busting mineral that we can place on your child’s teeth to help fortify their enamel, which is the outermost protective layer of teeth. In cases where cavities have already begun to develop, we can use FDA-approved silver diamine fluoride, which arrests and protects from decay. Oftentimes, silver diamine fluoride allows us to take a more conservative approach to treating cavities, as it can minimize the need for fillings!

Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are another excellent protective measure that we can take to minimize your child’s risk of cavities. The treatment is pain-free and fast—all we’ll do is brush a clear sealant over the biting surface of their molars and harden it with UV light. This will seal the crevices off, preventing food debris and plaque from accumulating and causing decay.

Athletic Mouthguards / Sportsguards

We all enjoy watching our children participate in sports, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful at times! Sports are one of the most common places people injure their teeth, and that’s especially true for children.

To protect their pretty smile on the field/court, we recommend that they should always wear a mouthguard. This will provide a layer of cushion for their teeth, lips, and gums should they come into contact with any force. Also, mouthguards have been shown to reduce the risk of concussions. We can provide your child with a custom-made mouthguard so they can be comfortable, protected, and keep their mind on the game.

The American Dental Association suggests that children should always wear mouthguards when participating in:

• Football
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Soccer
• Hockey
• Boxing
• Rugby
• Cycling
• Weightlifting
• Gymnastics
• Wrestling

Sleep Issues

If you notice that your child is constantly tired despite sleeping enough during the day and at night, then they may be suffering from some type of sleep issue. This could stem from large tonsils, adenoids, or many other reasons. During their regular checkup, we’ll evaluate the airway, and any other factors that might be preventing them from getting fully rested. If we find something, we’ll let you know exactly what to do next.