Children's Dental Care in Springfield

Children need their teeth cleaned regularly, just like adults do, to prevent cavities and other painful tooth problems. Tooth decay is easily preventable, yet it’s the most common chronic childhood disease, outranking diabetes, asthma, and early-childhood obesity. Severe tooth decay causes pain and possible infection. It also impacts how well your child eats, sleeps, learns, speaks, and develops physically overall.

Our friendly staff in Springfield looks forward to working with you to help keep your child’s smile healthy and meeting your entire family’s dental needs.

Here are some of the dental services for children that we provide:

Teeth Cleanings for Children in Springfield

The dentist’s office does have some strange-looking equipment, which we know can seem scary. Our experienced dentists and hygienists know how to set little ones at ease as they gently clean away cavity-causing plaque.

Topical Fluoride

Nature’s cavity fighter, topical fluoride helps resist tooth decay by strengthening the teeth’s surface. Ours also has a pleasant taste.

Dental Sealants

Our children’s dentist in Springfield can apply a sealant to your child’s rear teeth, where it can be difficult for little hands to properly brush and floss. Our permanent molars don’t grow in until about ages 9 to 12, which gives decay a long time to develop as a child matures into better brushing habits. Dental sealant is a safe, thin plastic coating that keeps food particles and bacteria out of the grooves on the teeth’s chewing surfaces. Your child won’t taste the sealant, which is painless to apply and can last for years.

Fillings

If your child does happen to develop a cavity, we’ll help him or her feel as comfortable as possible while getting a filling. We also use tooth-colored fillings that repair any tooth damage seamlessly.

Bonding

If a mishap causes a chip or small fracture to your child’s front teeth, our tooth-colored bonding materials will help him or her smile confidently again in no time.

Pediatric Crowns

Occasionally, a child has a tooth crack or break, or develops a cavity too large for a filling. Because we typically don’t like to remove a baby tooth unless it’s close to falling out naturally, we’ll work with your child to create a custom crown to protect such a tooth. We also can place a crown on a tooth saved through a root canal.

Space Maintainers

Sometimes when we lose a baby tooth before it’s ready to come out naturally because of decay, an accident, or other reasons, the surrounding teeth will cause problems by shifting into the empty space. A space maintainer holds that gap in your child’s smile until the permanent tooth grows in as it should. This also can help with pre-orthodontic treatment.

Mouthguards

Anyone who plays sports should wear a mouthguard to protect the teeth, according to the American Dental Association. This particularly holds true for children, whether they’re involved with football, gymnastics, basketball, boxing, baseball, skateboarding, martial arts, field hockey, or wrestling. Although you can buy a boil-and-bite mouthguard at most sporting-goods stores and drugstores, our family dentists can create a custom-made one that feels and works better.

Emergency Dental Services for Children

We’re also here to help if your child chips a tooth, knocks a tooth loose, or knocks out a tooth completely. Call our office in Springfield at (571) 364-7212 for emergency dental care.