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Pediatric Dentistry

Hazelwood, MO

Hazelwood, MO Pediatric Dentistry

One of a parent's many jobs is to take care of your child's oral health. But with a full-time job, the hectic lives of your children, and all your other needs and priorities, how do you help your children care for their teeth? Start by scheduling a simple biannual pediatric dentistry appointment with John Martin Dental and Associates. Pediatric dentistry helps growing Hazelwood, MO children of all ages with all dental needs they have as they develop.

John Martin Dental is the top Hazelwood, MO pediatric dentistry provider. We are a family dental center, equipped to be by your family's side for all your dental needs for many years to come. Our team is skilled not only in technical dental work, but also in creating a welcoming, pleasant atmosphere for all ages. Our patients always leave our office smiling. Call us today at (314) 739-1222 for our Maryland Heights location or (573) 764-2425 for our Gerald location to schedule a Hazelwood, MO pediatric dentistry appointment for your child.




Pediatric Dentistry : When and Why

Exposing your children to quality dental care from a young age will only benefit them. Learning about teeth, practicing oral health care habits, and receiving general dental treatment help a young child with a foundation for strong and healthy teeth and gums that will positively impact their oral health throughout the rest of their life. Oral health and pediatric dentistry should be brought into an infant's life as soon as their first tooth emerges. Dentists highly recommend that each child sees a dentist by the age of one year.

But how important is pediatric dentistry? After all, we spend much of childhood with a set of baby teeth, which aren't permanent. We all know that we have to take good care of our permanent teeth, but why is Hazelwood, MO pediatric dentistry necessary? First, pediatric dentistry is not just for young children. People from one year to eighteen years and older see pediatric dentists. Additionally, healthy baby teeth pave the way for healthy, well-aligned permanent teeth. Lastly, a child still relies on their baby teeth for years, usually working with a combination of adult and baby teeth up until the early teenage years. Keeping baby teeth healthy helps us bite, chew, and speak effectively and comfortably during this time.



The Role of Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric dentistry addresses the wide array of the oral health needs of developing individuals in Hazelwood, MO - including regular cleanings, x-rays, and special and emergency procedures. All children should at least see the dentist every six months for regular pediatric dentistry appointments. However, many patients require additional pediatric dentistry services. Some of the most common issues seen by pediatric dentists include delayed teething, malocclusion or misaligned teeth, dental caries and tooth decay, and ongoing thumb-sucking.

Your child's dentist and hygenist should be familiar with the unique needs of children, both physiologically and emotionally. Many young people get scared or aggitated when going to the dentist, and can have a low tolerance to the pain they feel and the intimidating tools they see and hear. To be successful in pediatric dentistry, a dentist must not only be congnizant of children's developing dental needs, but also possess a skill for keeping children calm, distracted, and comfortable and motivating them to follow dental hygiene instructions. Anyone with a child knows it can be challenging to get them to sit through an uncomfortable experience, so your dentist must be able to effectively communicate with your child and build a relationship between them.



Pediatric Dentistry Treatments

Some of the most common treatments conducted in pediatric dentistry are:

  • Topical Flouride: Flouride is especially helpful in preventing cavities and decay, and strengthening tooth enamel
  • Dental Sealants: Sealants effectively prevent foreign particles such as food from getting into the crevice of a tooth, and they are easy and painless to apply. Sealants can be used to shield a child's molars from infection and cavity.
  • Root Canal Therapy: Root canals minimize further damage when inflammation, infection, or damage has occured. Removing pulp and nerve tissue from inside a damaged tooth aleviates pain, keeps abscesses from forming, and can prevent a child from developing maloclussion.
  • Bonding: Bonding is both a general and cosmetic dentistry tool. The dentist molds a resin material to the size, shape, and appearance of a natural tooth, and it is then applied and hardened. It is a quick and simple way to protect an exposed root, and is perfect for hiding minor chips, cracks, and gaps, leaving your child with a perfect smile.
  • Fillings: Sometimes cavities happen even when we take the best possible care of our smile. Young people are more suseptible to tooth decay, plaque, and cavities because they tend to eat more sugary, sticky foods and may not be as faithful to the recommended oral hygiene routine as adults are.
  • Emergency Dental: Children are active, and like it or not, at some point they will get hurt on some scale. When they fall face first into your coffee table or get hit in the face with a baseball, count on the same dentist you use for your routine Hazelwood, MO pediatric dentistry needs. John Martin Dental is equipped to address any dental emergency for a patient of any age.
  • Othrodontic & Other Treatments: Some kids need devices like mouth guards, space maintainers, and braces to assist the placement of their teeth and jaw as they grow. As they get older, they will likely need wisdom teeth removal. Your pediatric dentistry clinic, John Martin Dental, can provide all these services and will work with your child throughout the stages of their dental needs.
  • You can count on John Martin Dental for any of our other services in addition to these common pediatric dentistry procedures. Besides performing the necessary work on your child's teeth, your Hazelwood, MO pediatric dentistry team is here to provide education to both the child and the child's parents, assist in forming responsible oral hygiene habits and eradicating unhealthy ones, provide reports and updates on their dental development, monitor their overall oral health, and provide youth-specific and youth-oriented dental hygiene supplies, like soft-bristle toothbrushes that are bright and colorful.


    Pediatric Dentistry Services Near Me | John Martin Dental & Associates



    Dr. John Martin and his skilled associates are committed to serving children in Hazelwood, MO all of their dental needs. We make going to the dentist a pleasant experience that your child won't dread. We have had the privaledge partner with our pediatric dentistry patients over the years and see them grow and develop into strong adults with a beautiful, healthy set of teeth. Give your child the pediatric dentistry they deserve by bringing them to John Martin Dental & Associates. Reach out to us online or call the office nearest you to get your child's pediatric dentistry plan on track right away.