Pediatric Dentist Near Me North St. Louis County, MO
Pediatric Dentist Near Me North St. Louis County, MO. The first few years of parenthood are stressful, to say the least. Searching, frantically attempting to locate a “pediatric dentist near me” in North St. Louis County, MO shouldn’t be adding to that pull-your-hair-out or hit-the-roof level of stress. We’re here to help. With over 30 years of experience, along with two convenient locations in the North St. Louis County, MO area, Martin Dental & Associates is the nearby pediatric dentist you’ve been searching for.
Dr. John Martin is the dentist on staff at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Hospital, providing free pediatric dental services for the children they serve. He and his team of pediatric dentists, hygienists, and staff is committed to providing top-quality dental care near you in North St. Louis County, MO. Nothing matters more to him than making sure his North St. Louis County, MO patients’ oral health is taken care of, particularly children.
Our team is ready to serve your North St. Louis County, MO family’s complete dental needs, making our services as accessible near North St. Louis County, MO and as affordable as possible. Call us at 314-739-1222 for our Maryland Heights location, or 573-764-2425 for our Gerard location, or contact us online today to schedule an appointment. New North St. Louis County, MO patients are always welcome at either location.
North St. Louis County, MO Pediatric Dentist Near Me: What Is a Pediatric Dentist and When Do I Need One?
Pediatric dentists are specialists dedicated to the oral health of children, from infancy throughout the various stages of childhood and teenage years. They have an extra two to three years of specialized training after dental school. Some of this training includes:
- Advanced diagnostic and surgical procedures
- Oral pathology
- Child development
- Clinical management
- Child psychology
- Child-related pharmacology and radiology
- Management of oral and facial trauma
- Care for young patients with special needs
- General anesthesia for children
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that parents establish a pediatric dental home for their child by their first birthday, or within a few months of their first tooth coming in. This will help you introduce your child to oral care in a relaxed first meeting near North St. Louis County, MO, and will put them on the right path to a healthy smile. The sooner children begin getting regular dental checkups, the healthier their mouths will stay throughout their lives. Early checkups help prevent cavities and tooth decay, which can lead to pain, trouble concentrating, and other medical issues.
Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among kids near North St. Louis County, MO. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 40 percent of children have decay by the time they reach kindergarten, and 52 percent among kids aged 6 to 8. In order to ward off this decay, your child needs an entire oral health plan from a pediatric dentist near you in North St. Louis County, MO.
Contact us or give us a call at 314-739-1222 for our Maryland Heights office, or 573-764-2425 for our Gerard location today to book an appointment near you in North St. Louis County, MO.
In addition to our pediatric dental services near you in North St. Louis County, MO, Martin Dental & Associates provides the following services:
- Dental Checkup
- Gum Disease Treatment
- Root Canal
- Teeth Implants
- Pediatric Dentist
- Cosmetic Dentistry Services
- Severe Tooth Pain
- Crowded Teeth
- All on 4 Dental Implants
- Chipped Tooth Repair
North St. Louis County, MO Pediatric Dentist Near Me: Our Pediatric Dental Services
Good oral hygiene, particularly started at an early age by a pediatric dentist near you in North St. Louis County, MO, gets rid of bacteria and leftover food particles that, without attention would, combine to create cavities. But cavities aren’t the only things building in your North St. Louis County, MO child’s mouth. Routine pediatric dental checkups twice a year, as the AAPD suggests, will put your little one on a trajectory of good dental health for life. The pediatric dental services supplied by Martin Dental & Associates near North St. Louis County, MO, include:
- North St. Louis County, MO Infant Care
- North St. Louis County, MO Tooth Brushing
- North St. Louis County, MO Thumb Sucking
- Crooked Teeth
- Constricted Palate
- Orthodontic Problems
- Speech Issues
- North St. Louis County, MO Tooth Eruption
- North St. Louis County, MO Early Childhood Tooth Decay
- North St. Louis County, MO Cavity Prevention
- Limit frequency of meals and snacks
- Encourage brushing, flossing, and rinsing
- Watch what you drink
- Avoid sticky foods
- Make treats part of meals
- Choose nutritious snacks
- Drink an adequate amount of tap water daily
- North St. Louis County, MO Gum Disease
- Swollen, red, or tender gums
- Gums that bleed easily
- Pus between the teeth and gums
- Bad breath
- Buildup of hard brown deposits along the gumline
- Loose teeth or teeth that are moving apart
- Changes in the way dental appliances fit
- Topical Fluoride — Fluoride is particularly helpful for your pediatric dentist in preventing cavities and decay, and strengthening tooth enamel near North St. Louis County, MO.
- Dental Sealants — Sealants are great for protecting a child's molars from infection and cavity in North St. Louis County, MO. They are painless and relatively simple to apply, and work to block unwanted particles from entering the crevices of a tooth.
- Root Canal Therapy — Root canals minimize further harm when inflammation, infection, or damage has happened near North St. Louis County, MO. Removing pulp and nerve tissue from within a damaged tooth relieves pain, prevents the formation of abscesses, and can avert problems like malocclusion from developing.
- Fillings — Children near North St. Louis County, MO are more prone to tooth decay, plaque, and cavities because they normally are liable to eat more sugary, sticky foods and may not be as staunch to the recommended oral hygiene plan as adults.
- Bonding — Bonding is used for both general and cosmetic dentistry. A resin material similar in appearance to a natural tooth is shaped, applied, and hardened. It is a quick and easy method to protect an exposed root, and is a common solution for masking minor chips, cracks, and gaps to give your child a pristine smile in North St. Louis County, MO. Particularly after falling face first into that table.
- Orthodontic & Other Treatments — As your child ages in North St. Louis County, MO, they might need things like mouth guards, space maintainers, or braces to assist in the straightening of their teeth and jaw. As they age, they will likely need wisdom teeth removal. Your pediatric dentist near you in North St. Louis County, MO, Martin Dental & Associates, can provide these services and will work with your child throughout the stages of their dental needs. Reach out to us or give us a call at 314-739-1222 for our Maryland Heights office, or 573-764-2425 for our Gerard location.
Even before your child gets teeth in North St. Louis County, MO, there are several habits that you should work on to help ensure good oral health. Starting the practice of wiping your baby’s mouth with a wet washcloth after nursing/feeding is a great routine to help in establishing strong oral health in North St. Louis County, MO.
As your baby grows and teeth erupt, begin using a child’s toothbrush with a pea-sized amount of training toothpaste. After age 2, children’s fluoridated toothpaste should be used, but only the size of a grain of rice. By age 3, start teaching your child to brush. The pediatric dentists and team near you in North St. Louis County, MO, at Martin Dental & Associates will help with the process.
Non-nutritive sucking habits cause damage to developing oral cavities in North St. Louis County, MO. These habits can lead to:
There are several ways to help break a thumb or pacifier habit, and our pediatric dentists near North St. Louis County, MO will work with you and your child to give specific strategies to help correct them. In some instances, an orthodontic appliance may be recommended in North St. Louis County, MO
As teeth begin to erupt into the mouth, your child may experience some discomfort or sleepless nights in North St. Louis County, MO. Teeth always seem to erupt according to the circadian rhythm, and go through the greatest amount at nighttime in North St. Louis County, MO. Many individuals believe that teething may cause a fever, however, this is just not true.
Many North St. Louis County, MO parents ask our pediatric dentists, “Why worry about baby teeth when they are just going to fall out?” Baby (primary) teeth are important because they not only aid in the function of the oral cavity through chewing and speech development, they help to hold space for the developing permanent teeth. When primary teeth rot, they can lead to dental pain and abscessed teeth. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, and an additional one by the CDC, children who have poor oral health miss more school and receive worse grades than those who don’t. It is vital for North St. Louis County, MO children to cultivate strong preventative habits, beginning at an early age with Dr. Martin and his staff near North St. Louis County, MO.
Most of the time, cavities are due to a diet in sugary foods, drinks, and a lack of brushing. Every time someone eats, an acid reaction occurs inside their mouth as the bacteria digests the sugars. This reaction lasts approximately 20 minutes, during which the acid environment can destroy tooth structure and lead to cavities. By age 3 your child should have all 20 teeth. Between the ages of 5 and 7 the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth and some do not. Dr. Martin and his pediatric dental staff near North St. Louis County, MO will go over some tips for cavity prevention:
While many people feel periodontal disease is an adult problem in North St. Louis County, MO, studies indicate that gingivitis is nearly a universal problem among children and adolescents. Gingivitis is preventable and treatable with a regular routine of brushing, flossing, and professional pediatric dental care near North St. Louis County, MO, from Martin Dental & Associates. Dr. Martin’s symptoms of gum disease near North St. Louis County, MO, are:
Reach out to us or call us at 314-739-1222 for our Maryland Heights office, or 573-764-2425 for our Gerard location now to schedule an appointment.
North St. Louis County, MO Pediatric Dentist Near Me: Our Pediatric Dental Treatments
The staff at Martin Dental & Associates, the pediatric dentist near you in North St. Louis County, MO, knows the importance of being able to communicate with your child and build a rapport. We realize it can be difficult to get a child to cooperate with a dentist or hygienist, particularly after sitting for a long period of time near North St. Louis County, MO. Some of the common pediatric dental treatments we use near North St. Louis County, MO, include:
Make an Appointment at the Pediatric Dentist Near Me in North St. Louis County, MO | Martin Dental & Associates
You deserve a pediatric dentist near you in North St. Louis County, MO that you are comfortable with and trust with your child’s dental care and overall well-being. From the second you step inside either of our two offices near North St. Louis County, MO, your child’s comfort and satisfaction is our number one goal. Our cordial and experienced staff will address any questions or concerns you might have before, during, or following your visit.
Great smiles begin with us, especially at an early age. Give us a call at 314-739-1222 for our Maryland Heights location, or 573-764-2425 for our Gerard office, or contact us online as soon as possible to make an appointment. New North St. Louis County, MO patients are welcome at either location.