If you’re a parent and are looking for a “dental home” for your children, the team at Scarsdale Smiles is here to help. Dr. Cox specializes in family and children’s dentistry. From infants to toddlers, older kids, pre-teens, teenagers and young adults, we will provide your children with the dental care they need to maintain a beautiful, healthy smile. Contact us to schedule an appointment now.
Dr. Cox has extensive experience with patients of all ages
Our welcoming office and team will make you and your children feel right at home and will love getting to know your entire family
Early access to dental care can prevent your children from suffering with cavities and poor gum health
We can help your children maintain a healthy mouth in a lot of ways. First, we promote regularly scheduled oral exams and teeth cleanings, which are essential for preventing common oral health issues like gingivitis and tooth decay. Our hygienists teach your children important home care habits to keep their smiles healthy and strong.
We also offer additional preventive care treatments. Fluoride treatments help protect, remineralize and strengthen your child’s teeth, and can help prevent cavities in the future.
Dental sealants are another option. Sealants consist of a strong, clear dental resin that is applied to the chewing surface of back teeth. The sealants harden into a plastic barrier that prevents direct contact between your teeth and oral bacteria, acid, and food debris and stops cavities from forming. Sealants have been shown to reduce the risk of decay by nearly 80%.
Finally, we can monitor your child’s oral development, and be on the lookout for common orthodontic and developmental issues with their teeth and jaw structures. You’ll have peace of mind, knowing that your child will always get the dental care they need.
The answer may surprise you. It’s usually recommended that kids come to the dentist when they turn 1 year old, or whenever their first tooth comes out. The AAPD recommends visiting the dentist from such an early age because it helps your dentist track your child’s dental health, helps reduce the risk of dental anxiety, and ensures that your child is more comfortable with regular dental visits.
The best way to prevent cavities in children is to ensure they are practicing good oral hygiene by brushing their teeth twice a day, flossing their teeth at least once a day, and going to regular dental cleanings every 6 months.
You can also reduce their cavity risk by limiting sugar in their diet and discouraging frequent snacking. Make sure your child drinks fluoridated water or is using a fluoride rinse to remineralize their teeth.
Common dental issues that children face include tooth decay, dental trauma, gingivitis, premature tooth loss, and bad breath. Tooth decay is treated by drilling out tooth decay and restoring the tooth with a dental filling.
If your child has a tooth infection, they will need a pulpotomy to save their tooth. In some cases, pediatric crowns may be needed to protect weakened and damaged teeth. If your child is showing signs of gingivitis, this can be treated with regular dental cleanings and a good oral hygiene routine.
Bad breath is also usually caused by odor-causing bacteria in the mouth and can respond well to dental cleanings. If your child has lost a baby tooth, they may require a space maintainer to prevent the teeth from shifting and to hold the space open for the permanent tooth.
If a permanent tooth is lost, it should be replaced with a tooth restoration. Have your child wear a mouthguard to prevent oral injuries and dental trauma when they’re playing sports or if they grind their teeth.
At your child’s first dental visit, our friendly staff will welcome you to our office, and Dr. Cox will introduce himself and converse with your child so they feel at home. If your child is nervous, Dr. Cox will use the show-tell-do technique, where he carefully explains what’s going on in a child-friendly level of communication so they feel at ease.
Dental sedation is also available in the form of laughing gas or oral conscious sedation if your child has special needs or severe dental anxiety. An oral exam will be performed so we can look for signs of issues like tooth decay and gum disease or abnormalities that could indicate oral cancer.
If we have reason to suspect that there could be an issue or if we don’t have x-rays on file for your child, then we will take digital scans of their mouth to look closer at the health of their teeth and gums. This will help us determine if your child has any oral health problems that need to be treated.
We’ll then perform a dental cleaning by scaling and polishing your child’s teeth. This removes plaque and tartar buildup from around the gum line and teeth as well as thoroughly brushing and flossing their teeth to remove stains, food particles, and other lingering bacteria.
First, it’s important to lead by example. If you want your child to eat a healthy, low-sugar diet to keep their teeth healthy, you should do the same. Kids look up to their parents, so it’s important to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk” when it comes to oral health habits.
The same is true of brushing teeth. When your children are learning to brush their teeth, make it a family activity. Brush with your children so that you can show them proper technique, encourage them to brush for at least 2 minutes, and set a good example for them in the future.
Education is also important. We recommend reading children’s books and watching YouTube videos about dentistry to help your children learn more about basic dental concepts. Our team loves to talk about dentistry in child-friendly terms, and we can help your kids learn more about the importance of good oral health.
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