Pediatric Dentistry in Los Altos CA

Dental health is something that can be addressed very early on in a child’s life. The sooner you attend to it, the better the chances are that your son or daughter will have a comfortable, healthy mouth. Here are a few of the common questions that some parents have about pediatric dentistry in Los Altos CA and how it can work for them.

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What Is a "Dental Home"?

The Dental Home concept is the idea that parents establish a relationship between a child and a dentist very early on in life. This creates a sense of regularity, a necessary fixture in the child’s life, just other professionals a child sees on a regular basis. It’s important to establish early and get a child used to the idea that a visit to the dentist can simply be for a check-up, rather than meaning something is wrong with their teeth.

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When Should A Child See A Dentist In Los Altos CA

This will vary with the individual child, but once you see the first tooth emerge, you should think about bringing the child in for his or her first examination. It is essential to schedule pediatric dental care visits for your child as soon as he/she turns one year old. This will help us be in track of the growth of your child's oral cavity.

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Importance of First Visit

Children would erupt their first tooth by the time they are six months old. It is good to bring children for early dental checkups by this age, as it would help understand the growth pattern of their teeth or complications that may have arisen during this phase. By being more informed, we'll be able to make decisions and educate parents regarding the suitable treatment option. As your child begins to grow, it will be necessary to schedule regular dental checkups to maintain optimal oral health.

We understand that anxiety comes with an unfortunate first visit. Hence, we take extra caution to ensure that your child's first visit with us is a comfortable and happy one.

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As your child grows

As your child's teeth progress and grow, we would ensure additional treatment. During your child's regular visits with us, we would provide them with fluoride treatment and may also suggest dental sealants.

Fluoride treatment would help build stronger and durable teeth structures. Wearing protective dental sealants can protect the surface of teeth from bacteria and plaque.

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What Is Teething?

Teething is the process by which the baby teeth or “milk teeth” begin to emerge from the gums. There’s some variance herein when this occurs, with some children getting their first teeth as early as three months while others may not have it happen until they are a year old.

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Are There Any Side-Effects Of Teething?

Teething is a relatively significant activity for a baby’s biology, so increased temperature, sleeplessness, irritability, and increased drooling may all be noticed. A child may even lose his or her appetite due to the discomfort that comes from teeth emerging.

While it is normal for a child to experience some minor health problems teething, fever, rash or diarrhea do not fall within the normal, healthy zone for symptoms. If your child is showing any of these while teething, bring him or her to the doctor for an examination.

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The early phases of your child’s dental development are important. Even though baby teeth aren’t permanent, they “set the stage” for the path those permanent teeth will follow. It is important to keep them healthy by ensuring your child sees a dentist early on and becomes familiar with both professional dental care, and oral hygiene at home.  For more information about our pediatric dentistry services in Los Altos CA contact our team at Tina Le DDS today.