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Pediatric Dentistry

St. John, MO

St. John, MO Pediatric Dentistry

As a great parent, you know how big of a deal oral health is for your children. But with your demanding work schedule, the busy lives of your children, and the several other priorities you surely have, it can be difficult to find a way to fit it in your life. Schedule a simple biannual pediatric dentistry appointment with John Martin Dental and Associates. Pediatric dentistry guides growing St. John, MO children of all ages with all dental concerns they have as they develop.

John Martin Dental is the top St. John, MO pediatric dentistry provider. Not limited to one age group, we provide family dental care for all ages and stages of life. We pride ourselves not only in our high quality dentistry, but also in providing a welcoming, pleasant atmosphere for all ages. You and your children will 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 St. John, MO pediatric dentistry appointment for your child.




Pediatric Dentistry : When and Why

Exposing your children to proper dental care from a young age will only benefit them. Early oral health education, treatment, and routines help a young child develop strong and healthy teeth and gums that will positively impact their oral health throughout the rest of their life. As soon as a child gets their first tooth, the principles of oral health and pediatric dentistry should be introduced. The dental community agrees that each child should begin seeing a dentist by the time they are a year old.

But how important is pediatric dentistry? After all, we start the first few years of our life with baby teeth, which aren't permanent. We realize that we have to take good care of our permanent teeth, but why is St. John, MO pediatric dentistry necessary? First, pediatric dentistry is for a large age range. Patients range from less than one year to eighteen years old, and sometimes continue into adulthood. Additionally, healthy baby teeth are a necessary foundation for strong, 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 St. John, MO - from routine 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, in many cases your dentist may detect the need for additional pediatric dentistry services. St. John, MO pediatric dentists see a host of issues, the most common of which include delayed teething, malocclusion or misaligned teeth, dental caries and tooth decay, and ongoing thumb-sucking.

A child has unique needs from their dental care team, both physiologically and emotionally. Many young people get nervous or aggitated when going to the dentist, and can be easily upset by 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 the needs of a developing mouth, 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 it is vital that your dentist is 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, prevents the formation of abscesses, and can prevent a child from developing maloclussion.
  • Bonding: Bonding is used for both general and cosmetic dentistry. A resin material similar in appearance to a natural tooth is shaped, applied, and hardened. It is a swift and easy 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 even those of us who take the best possible care of our teeth still end up with a cavity or two. 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. If you have a dentist for your St. John, MO pediatric dentistry needs, there is no question about who to call when your kid trips on the playground and chips their tooth, or cracks a tooth playing ball. John Martin Dental is equipped to address any dental emergency for a patient of any age.
  • Othrodontic & Other Treatments: As your child grows, they may need things like mouth guards, space maintainers, or braces to assist in the alignment of their teeth and jaw. 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 be there to help your child through every stage of their dental needs.
  • John Martin Dental provides quality dental procedures from pediatric dentistry to many our other services. Besides performing the necessary work on your child's teeth, your St. John, 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 dental hygiene products developed specifically for kids, 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 St. John, MO all of their dental needs. With us, a visit to the dentist is a positive experience that your child won't dread. It brings us joy to work with our pediatric dentistry patients over the years and see them grow and develop into strong adults with a beautiful, healthy set of teeth. Your children deserve the skilled dental work and stress-free experience that we provide at 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.