Pediatric Preventive Dentistry – Coppell, TX

Oral Health Risk Assessment 

When it comes to your child’s smile, Dr. Linda believes that there’s no such thing as being too careful. That’s why, even if your little one barely has any teeth yet, she’ll carefully evaluate their risk for tooth decay and other oral development issues early on. If she notices any concerns, she’ll develop a treatment plan to stop them in their tracks. She’ll also give you personalized advice on how to clean growing teeth and which mouth-healthy foods your child should eat. These crucial assessments should be performed at regular intervals until your child is old enough for proper checkups and cleanings.

Teething

Once your baby begins the teething process, you’ll probably notice them sleeping less soundly and becoming crankier than usual. This is normal, as the feeling of their first set of pearly whites pressing up through their gumline isn’t exactly comfortable. If you’ve been struggling to help them find relief, please let us know. Dr. Linda can guide you no how to ease this transition with solutions like teething rings and gentle gum massaging.

Non-Nutritive Habits 

While it’s completely normal (and adorable!) for your infant to suck on their thumb to calm themselves, thumb-sucking can result in developmental problems if they don’t grow out of the habit by the time most of their baby teeth have erupted. For example, their permanent teeth may grow in at awkward angles and require orthodontic intervention. Using strategies that have helped countless children break these habits, Dr. Linda can encourage your child to find other coping mechanisms that won’t harm their precious smile.

Wellness-Based Methodologies

Wellness-based dentistry is a philosophy that focuses on the connection between oral health and overall health. Diseases in your head and mouth can affect the rest of the body as well as vice versa. Understanding this connection as well as being able to recognize the signs and symptoms of such diseases allow us to come up with treatment plans that deal with the source of the problem, not just the symptoms. Dr. Steele will walk you through a thorough exam and will answer any questions you may have about airway grinding.

Myofunctional Approach

“Myofunctional” relates to muscle function. While you may not realize it, your child’s orofacial muscles can have significant influence on their teeth as well as their ability to breathe or speak. Mouth-breathing, developmental issues that affect facial symmetry, and resting the tongue at the roof of the mouth can all have a negative influence on these muscles. A myofunctional approach to dentistry involves paying close attention to your orofacial muscles and intervening to correct any problems with oral rest posture in order to prevent long term problems.

Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings

When your son or daughter is old enough for regular dental checkups and cleanings, we’ll make sure the process is as smooth as possible. With partitioned-off hygiene rooms, your child will feel like they’re in their own exclusive suite as we check for oral health concerns and give their pearly whites a professional polish. Plus, kids who are cavity-free at their checkups get their name put in a raffle to win movie tickets and other prizes!

Dental Sealants 

As part of your child’s routine visit, we may apply a thin resin coating, called dental sealants, to the chewing surfaces of their molars. These teeth can be hard for your child to brush since they’re so far back in the mouth. Coupled with the deep grooves that can trap food particles and bacteria, this makes molars more susceptible to decay than front teeth. Dental sealants create a barrier over these teeth, shielding them from cavity-causing bacteria. The process is quick, painless, and can last for several years.

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Fluoride Treatments 

A naturally occurring mineral, fluoride can be found in many fruits and vegetables, and is often added to public drinking water. That’s because decades of research have shown that fluoride strengthens tooth enamel, decreasing the risk of cavities. If your child doesn’t get enough fluoride in their everyday life, or if they have a particular high risk for tooth decay, we can paint a topical fluoride gel over their teeth in just minutes at the end of their routine checkups.

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Athletic Mouthguards 

Maybe your little one would rather be a sports star than a movie star. If that’s the case, we can protect their pearly whites from injury by giving them a custom-crafted mouthguard. We’ll design one of these comfortable oral appliances to fit over the unique contours of their teeth, lessening the damage in the event of impact to the mouth, jaw, or face. Not only are custom mouthguards from our dental office more comfortable than store-bought guards, but we can also personalize them to match your child’s school or team colors!

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Oral Cancer Screenings

While oral cancer is incredibly rare in children, the risk is still present, particularly if they are genetically predisposed to certain health conditions. To keep your little star’s smile as bright and healthy as possible, Dr. Linda will take a few minutes during every checkup to screen for oral cancer. She’ll check the soft tissues in their mouth for unexplained lumps, sores that are slow to heal, and other areas of concern. If she spots a potential issue, she can refer you to the right specialist for additional testing.

Lip & Tongue-Tie Treatment

Children with restricted bands of tissue located behind the upper lip and underneath the tongue can experience a wide range of motion with the help of lip and tongue-tie treatment. Examined early on by Dr. Steele, she can refer you to an outside specialist who can perform a frenectomy to help improve your child’s ability to use their lip and/or tongue when eating, speaking, and breathing.

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