Children's Dentist in Appleton

When Should My Child Have Their First Dental Visit?

Schedule your infant's first visit to a children's dentist in Appleton six months after they get their first tooth or by age one, whichever comes first. While this may seem early to some parents, it's what both the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association recommend.

What Happens During My Child's Dental Exam?

Your child's first visit with a dentist should be a stress-free experience. You can sit in the dentist's chair and hold your child. Our dentist will ensure your child's teeth are developing normally and talk to you about infant oral care. You'll learn how to care for your child's teeth as they come in and you can ask questions about teething, pacifier use and more. Your dentist will also caution you about putting your child to bed with a bottle or sippy cup unless it has water in it to avoid baby bottle decay.

What Services Are Included in Kid’s Dental Care?

Our children's dentist offers the following services to our young patients to keep their teeth healthy:

Fluoride - Fluoride treatments strengthen tooth enamel to help prevent cavities. Dental insurance often covers fluoride treatments for children, but they are usually quite affordable if you don't have insurance.

Dental Sealants - Dentists paint sealants on the chewing surface of molars which will penetrate and seal the fissures and pits, allowing children to keep cavity-prone areas clean.

Teeth Cleaning for Children - Our dental hygienist can gently clean your child's teeth when they are old enough, usually at age two or three.

Fillings - Our dentists can remove decay from your child’s tooth and fill the cavity with a silver color or white filling material. We offer several preventative dentistry for children services to reduce your child’s risk for needing fillings.

Dental Bonding - Dental bonding can repair a child's chipped or cracked tooth with a tooth-colored composite.

Baby Root Canal - A baby root canal, or pulpotomy, will restore a baby tooth with deep decay. You want to preserve your child's baby tooth so it holds the space for the adult tooth, so your child does not have a crooked adult tooth emerge. Baby root canals also stop your child's pain.

Pediatric Crowns - Our kid’s dentist will use a crown on a baby tooth to repair it if its broken or to restore a tooth after a root canal. There are stainless steel crowns for children or white ones if aesthetics are important.

Mouthguards - The ADA recommends sports mouthguards for children engaging in any contact sport or any sport where there is a chance they could suffer from an injury to their teeth or mouth. Our children's dentist can also provide a night guard to protect teeth for kids who grind their teeth at night.

What's the Normal Time for Baby Teeth to Come In?

A child's first tooth normally appears at age six months, although this varies as all children are different. Usually the two lower front teeth appear first. By age three, most children have all 20 of their primary, or baby teeth.

When Do Children Lose Their Baby Teeth?

Primary teeth usually start falling out when your child turns six, but it could be later. They usually fall out in the same order as the teeth appeared, with the bottom front teeth falling out first. Your child's baby molars won't fall out until they are between 10 and 12. Don't pull out loose teeth, let them fall out on their own. It's okay if your child wiggles the tooth a bit to help it along. Once your child's permanent teeth appear, their oral hygiene is more important than ever.

Why Do Children Get Toothaches?

As a parent or caregiver, there's nothing worse than seeing your child in pain. Younger children often have trouble isolating the pain, making it more difficult for you to see what's going on. It could be anything from a piece of popcorn stuck between their teeth to a cavity. Please call our office for an appointment for your child if the pain persists more than a day or if it's severe. Our children's dentist in Appleton excels at diagnosing the reason for the pain and making sure it will not return.