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Pediatric Dental Treatments
Kids orthodontist
As your child grows, we monitor their smile development and bite alignment. Early orthodontic evaluations help identify potential concerns and create a plan for a healthy, confident smile.
Kids dental cleanings and exams
Regular dental cleanings and exams help keep your child’s teeth healthy and cavity-free. These visits allow us to monitor growth, prevent issues, and build positive dental habits.
Invisalign teen
For teens seeking a discreet way to straighten their teeth, Invisalign Teen uses clear, removable aligners designed to fit comfortably into their active lifestyle while improving smile alignment.
Tooth colored fillings for kids
When cavities occur, tooth-colored fillings restore and protect teeth while blending naturally with your child’s smile. These durable restorations help maintain both function and appearance.
Healthy Smile Habits
As your child grows, we focus on prevention and education to ensure their smile remains healthy. Our goal is to help children learn and develop consistent oral hygiene habits.
Prophylaxis (Teeth Cleaning)
During their regular six-month appointment, your child will experience a gentle and thorough cleaning to help prevent cavities and promote overall oral health.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation (Laughing Gas)
For children who feel a little nervous or anxious during dental visits, we offer nitrous oxide sedation—often called "laughing gas." This safe, mild option helps your child feel calm, relaxed, and happy while staying fully awake and able to chat with us.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
When necessary, we use composite fillings with a tooth-colored resin to fill in cavities. As a result, fillings blend in naturally.
Dental Sealants
A plastic coating can be professionally applied to prevent cavities by sealing the chewing surfaces. Dental sealants are easy to apply and provide years of protection.
Tooth Extractions
When a tooth has decay, disease, trauma, or may impede normal oral development, we remove the tooth.
Dental Emergencies
If you are unsure if the pain your child is experiencing requires immediate attention, please call us.
Dental fillings/composite restorations
The focus for dental fillings is to fix the decay while keeping as much of the natural tooth intact as possible, especially when it is a baby tooth. We use white filling material that blends in with the rest of their teeth. Each step of the process is explained to them in child-centered terms. The key is consistent exams and timely x-rays to look for cavities early so we can consider simpler treatments, shorter visits, and a better overall experience for kids. Without
timely treatment, cavities may enlarge, cause pain, or lead to dental infection.
Sealants
Dental sealants are a quick, simple, and evidence-based preventative procedure to help prevent cavities in the teeth most likely to be affected. We apply a thin protective coating to the chewing surfaces of permanent molars shortly after they come into the mouth, typically around 6 years old. These adult molars have deep grooves and pits that are so deep, the bristles of the toothbrush cannot reach where the bacteria are hiding. Sealants act as a barrier, filling in the tiny inaccessible grooves and making the tooth cleansible with a toothbrush. Sealants reduce the risk of cavities on these teeth by up to 80%!
Preventative services are worth their weight in gold! It is always better to take proactive preventative measures instead of treating problems after they occur. Treating cavities can be costly and time-consuming for parents and kids. Best of all, most insurance plans cover the sealant at close to 100%.
A microscopic view to visualize the depth of the grooves of a 6-year adult molar and how inaccessible they are to a single toothbrush bristle.
A 6-year adult molar before and after a sealant is placed.
White Dental Crowns
Sometimes a cavity gets too big for a filling, in this case, a crown is the best option for a baby tooth. Our office has many esthetic options, so children can feel confident about their smiles. We offer white crowns from trusted brands like Sprig and NuSmile to ensure the best results in both strength and esthetics. We also offer the traditional gold standard in pediatric
dentistry, surgical grade stainless steel crowns from NuSmile, if indicated.
Pulpal therapy
Sometimes a cavity has gotten so large that it is sitting right next to or into the nerve of the baby tooth. In these cases, we have evidence-based options and advanced techniques to try to save baby teeth! After pulpal therapy, a crown would be placed to protect the baby tooth afterward.
Non-Invasive Dentistry
We treat teeth with a dental drill only when absolutely necessary. We have plenty of
Non-invasive and Minimally Invasive options to slow down early decay when it is still reversible.
NuNamel Silver Diamine Fluoride by Nusmile
Uses the power of silver and fluoride to kill cavity-causing bacteria and strengthen early cavities before they grow to the size to be treatable with the dental drill. This is the option of choice for very young kids who are not cooperative enough to sit for dental fillings or to help slow down small cavities on kids of any age. It is applied in-office with a tiny paintbrush and floss, is very quick, and is pain-free!
Curodont
by Vvardis
State of the art peptide-guided enamel regeneration formula to rebuild weakened enamel before they turn into cavities before they grow to the size to be treatable with the dental drill. This is a great option for white spots formed after braces and early decay on adult teeth in adolescents and teenagers. It is applied in-office and is drill and pain-free!
Hall Crown
Technique
This amazing technique allows stainless steel crowns to be placed without the need for numbing or drilling. When the crown is placed, bacteria is sealed within the crown and cement and stops the cavity from growing until the baby tooth naturally is exchanged for its adult tooth. It is quick, easy, and evidence-based!
Equia Forte
Strip Crowns
Sometimes front baby teeth can be affected by cavities at an early age. This option helps to bring back form and function while being gentle on the tooth.
Sedation
Sometimes the dentist can make kids nervous. We want to provide options to families and tailor your child’s treatment to what makes them feel most comfortable and is most likely to be successful. Dr. Ross will work with you to help make the best decision for your child when it comes to sedation. We offer 3 sedation options to choose from:
Mild Sedation - “Laughing Gas” or Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide has been used in dentistry since the 1800s is a trusted method in pediatric dentistry for managing mild anxiety. Your child breathes a mix of oxygen and nitrous oxide through a soft and squishy nose with their choice of scent! Kids are awake, alert, and recover back to pre-sedation level within minutes after.
Moderate Sedation - Oral Conscious Sedation
With this option, a liquid medication is taken by mouth in-office in addition to breathing in Laughing Gas. This is a great option if your child has moderate anxiety or requires a lengthier procedure.The oral medication helps kids stay calm and relaxed but they are awake, responsive, and able to follow directions. The medications also provide some amnesia, so kids often do not even remember the appointment.
Deep Sedation - General Anesthesia
For this option, our trusted anesthesiologist provides general anesthesia for your child to be completely asleep to finish all the dental needs in one visit at our office. Sometimes kids have severe dental anxiety, special healthcare needs, or require extensive dental treatment beyond what is achievable under lesser sedation options.
State-of-the-Art Technology
SOAN
The most compassionate way to provide local anesthesia
The future is here! The SOAN is the greatest advancement in pediatric dentistry for providing
compassionate care to children. Gone are the days of scary syringes and painful shots. The SOAN looks more like a pen or thermometer than a syringe and needle—It’s unassuming, quiet, and calming.
The SOAN delivers local anesthesia via a highly advanced computer control to make sure the flow is so smooth, most kids don’t even notice the injection. The local anesthesia is targeted to the tooth that needs it, so we can use the least amount of medication as is necessary and avoid the numb lips and tongues for hours after seeing the dentist so less risk of biting cheeks or tongues.
iTero Scanner
No more gloopy & gaggy impressions of the past!
If your child needs a dental lab fabricated appliance or space maintainer, we’ll use the iTero scanner. This revolutionary scanner means faster, more accurate and comfortable scans for your child with no gloopy and gaggy impressions!
Digital X-Ray
Digital dental x-ray technology means child sized high-quality imaging with the least amount of radiation exposure!
Dexis digital x-ray sensors offer rounded corners and a slim profile, so taking x-rays goes smoothly. Due to digital technology, potential radiation exposure to your child is no longer a worry!
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Your child's first dental appointment
We love welcoming little ones for their very first dental check-up! The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends bringing your child in by their first birthday (or within six months of their first tooth erupting). This first visit helps us ensure everything is developing beautifully and sets the foundation for a lifetime of healthy, confident smiles. Starting early allows us to catch any potential issues and prevent them from growing.
Quick Tip for Parents:
Try to avoid packaged snack crackers. These snacks are usually high in sugar and can easily get stuck in the grooves of back teeth. When food stays on teeth for a long time, cavity-causing bacteria have more time to feed on the sugar and produce acids that can lead to cavities. Even cheese-flavored crackers or other “savory” varieties often contain hidden sugars, and they don’t clean off easily with just saliva or a quick brushing. Choosing snacks that are less sticky and lower in sugar helps protect your child’s teeth and makes dental care easier.
What to do instead: Parmesan crisps made of 100% grated Parmesan baked in the home oven are a healthy, delicious, cheesy and crunchy alternative! Parmesan has no carbohydrates, so it cannot cause a cavity! Also, it releases calcium and phosphate (building blocks of our teeth) which makes teeth stronger! Parmesan has plenty of protein and healthy fats which help kids stay full, stay focused, and build strong muscles. It is low in lactose, so it is gentle on the stomach, and is stable at room temperature for lasting until snack time! Give them a try!
Visit Smile Vista
Please call (720) 868-5980 or click below to schedule an appointment online. We can't wait to
meet you! We can’t wait to meet your family and help your child smile with confidence!
