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Pediatric Dentistry

Gray Summit, MO

Gray Summit, MO Pediatric Dentistry

As a great parent, you know how big of a deal oral health is for your children. But with a full-time job, the busy schedules of your children, and the several other priorities you surely have, how do you help your children care for their teeth? Schedule a simple biannual pediatric dentistry appointment with John Martin Dental and Associates. Pediatric dentistry guides growing Gray Summit, MO children of all ages with all dental needs they have as they develop.

John Martin Dental is the best and most convenient Gray Summit, MO pediatric dentistry solution. We are a family dental center, equipped to be by your family's side for all your dental needs for many years to come. We pride ourselves not only in our high quality dentistry, but also in providing a welcoming, pleasant experience for all ages. You and your children will leave our office smiling. Call us today at (314) 739-1222 for our Maryland Heights location or (573) 764-2425 for our Gerald location to schedule a Gray Summit, MO pediatric dentistry appointment for your child.




Pediatric Dentistry : When and Why

Exposing your children to proper dental care from a young age sets them up for success. Early oral health education, treatment, and routines help a young child with a foundation for strong and healthy teeth and gums that will positively impact their oral health throughout the rest of their life. Oral health and pediatric dentistry should be brought into an infant's life as soon as their first tooth emerges. The dental community agrees that each child should begin seeing a dentist by the age of one year.

Have doubts about the importance of pediatric dentistry? After all, we start the first few years of our life with baby teeth, which aren't permanent. We realize that we have to take good care of our permanent teeth, but why is Gray Summit, MO pediatric dentistry necessary? First, pediatric dentistry is not just for young children. Patients range from less than one year to eighteen years old, and sometimes continue into adulthood. Additionally, healthy baby teeth are a necessary foundation for healthy, well-aligned permanent teeth. Lastly, baby teeth are important in themselves. Most people have a combination of adult and baby teeth up until the early teenage years. To avoid pain and discomfort and to be able to bite, chew, and speak effectively, these teeth need to be well-taken care of.



The Role of Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric dentistry is used for all the oral health needs of developing individuals in Gray Summit, MO - from routine cleanings, examinations, and special and emergency procedures. At the very least, every child should receive pediatric dentistry care for regular dental check-ups. However, many patients require additional pediatric dentistry services. Gray Summit, MO pediatric dentists see a host of issues, the most common of which include delayed teething, malocclusion or misaligned teeth, dental caries and tooth decay, and ongoing thumb-sucking.

Your child's dentist and hygenist should be familiar with the unique needs of children, both physiologically and emotionally. A young person may be scared or unhappy about receiving dental care, and can be easily upset by the discomfort they feel and the intimidating tools they see and hear. Pediatric dentistry not only requires the dentist to have an understanding of children's developing dental needs, but also have a disposition that keeps their young patients calm, comfortable, and motivated to follow dental hygiene instructions. All parents have faced the challenges of trying to coax a child to sit through an uncomfortable experience, so your dentist must be able to successfully communicate with your child and build a rapport between them.



Pediatric Dentistry Treatments

Some of the most common treatments conducted in pediatric dentistry are:

  • Topical Flouride: Flouride is great for in preventing cavities and decay, and strengthening tooth enamel
  • Dental Sealants: Sealants are painless and relatively simple to apply, and works to block food and other unwanted particles from entering the crevices of a tooth. Sealants can be used to shield a child's molars from infection and cavity.
  • Root Canal Therapy: Root canals are used when there is inflammation, infection, or nerve damage to prevent additional damage. Removing pulp and nerve tissue from inside a damaged tooth relieves pain, keeps abscesses from forming, and can prevent a child from developing maloclussion.
  • Bonding: Bonding is both a general and cosmetic dentistry tool. A resin material similar in appearance to a natural tooth is shaped, applied, and hardened. It is a quick and easy way to protect an exposed root, and is a popular solution for hiding minor chips, cracks, and gaps, leaving your child with a perfect smile.
  • Fillings: Sometimes even those of us who take the best possible care of our teeth still end up with a cavity or two. Young people are at a higher risk of tooth decay, plaque, and cavities because they tend to eat more sugary, sticky foods and may not be as strict in their oral hygiene routine as adults are.
  • Emergency Dental: Children are active, and like it or not, at some point they will get hurt on some scale. When they fall face first into your coffee table or get hit in the face with a baseball, count on the same dentist you use for your routine Gray Summit, MO pediatric dentistry needs. John Martin Dental is equipped to address any dental emergency for a patient of any age.
  • Othrodontic & Other Treatments: As your child grows, they may need things like mouth guards, space maintainers, or braces to assist in the alignment of their teeth and jaw. Most of us need wisdom teeth removal when we reach young adulthood. Your pediatric dentistry clinic, John Martin Dental, can provide all these services and will be there to help your child through every stage of their dental needs.
  • You can count on John Martin Dental for any of our other services in addition to these common pediatric dentistry procedures. Besides performing the necessary work on your child's teeth, your Gray Summit, MO pediatric dentistry team is here to provide education to both the child and the child's parents, assist in forming responsible oral hygiene habits and eradicating unhealthy ones, provide reports and updates on their dental development, monitor their overall oral health, and provide youth-specific and youth-oriented dental hygiene supplies, like soft-bristle toothbrushes that are bright and colorful.


      Pediatric Dentistry Services Near Me | John Martin Dental & Associates



      Dr. John Martin and his skilled associates are committed to helping Gray Summit, MO children of all ages with all of their dental needs. With us, a visit to the dentist is a positive experience that your child won't dread. We have had the privaledge partner with our pediatric dentistry patients over the years and see them grow and develop into strong adults with a beautiful, healthy set of teeth. Your children deserve the skilled dental work and stress-free experience that we provide at John Martin Dental & Associates. Send us a message online or call the office nearest you to get your child's pediatric dentistry plan on track right away.