We are not taking new patients at this time. Thank you for for visiting and please check back soon.

  Make an Appointment

Union, MO Pediatric Dentistry

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

John Martin Dental is the top Union, MO pediatric dentistry provider. Not limited to one age group, we provide family dental care for all ages and stages of life. Our team is skilled not only in technical dental work, but also in creating a welcoming, pleasant experience 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 Union, 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. Early oral health education, treatment, and routines help your young child develop strong and healthy teeth and gums that will put their oral health at an advantage 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. The dental community agrees 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 Union, MO pediatric dentistry necessary? First, pediatric dentistry is for a large age range. People from one year to eighteen years and older see pediatric dentists. Additionally, healthy baby teeth are a necessary foundation for strong, well-aligned permanent teeth. Lastly, baby teeth are important in themselves. Most people have 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 Union, MO - including routine teeth cleaning, examinations, and special and emergency procedures. At the very least, every child should receive pediatric dentistry care for regular dental check-ups. 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. A young person may be scared or aggitated about receiving dental care, and can be easily upset by the discomfort they feel and the unfamiliar, hostile tools they see and hear. Pediatric dentistry not only requires the dentist to have an understanding of the needs of a developing mouth, but also have a disposition that keeps their young patients calm, comfortable, and motivated 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 rapport 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 are painless and relatively simple to apply, and works to block food and other unwanted particles from entering the crevices of a tooth. 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 relieves pain, prevents the formation of abscesses, 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 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 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 generally eat more sugary, sticky foods and may not be as strict in their 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 Union, 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: 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 Union, 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 the team at Martin Dental is committed to helping Union, MO children of all ages with all of their dental needs. We make going to the dentist a pleasant 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. Send us a message online or call the office nearest you to get your child's pediatric dentistry plan on track right away.