Children’s Dental Care – Gaithersburg, Maryland
Oral Hygiene &
Preventive Care
At Children’s Dental Care, we want to create a lifetime of happy and healthy smiles for our little patients.
Dental Hygiene for Children
Dental hygiene comes from regular cleanings and is the best investment in your smile. At your child’s initial appointment and regular check-ups every six months, a trusted dental hygienist will gently and thoroughly clean their teeth.
Cleanings help prevent cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, and other conditions. A regular cleaning includes the removal of plaque, calculus, and stains from teeth using ultrasonic and hand instruments. A fluoride treatment will also be applied to maintain the benefits of each dental cleaning.
Our exceptional care, knowledgeable staff, and pleasant, comfortable surroundings are a few reasons why patients love us. Our hygienists perform thorough dental cleanings as well as teach your child how to keep a healthy smile. Your dental cleaning appointment will typically include:
Removal of Plaque – When you eat, naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth produce acids that form plaque. This filmy substance coats the surfaces of your teeth, eventually dissolving the outer layer called enamel. Regular cleanings at home and at the dentist can keep plaque from permanently damaging your teeth.
Tartar Removal – Also known as calculus, tartar is a hardened plaque that is firmly attached to the tooth. This substance is above and below the gum line, and can only be removed during a trip to the dentist.
Teeth Polishing – While a dental cleaning removes plaque and tartar from your teeth, polishing makes the surfaces of your teeth smooth. This technique removes the stains from substances like coffee, tea, and wine that build up over time.
Fluoride Treatment – Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by making your teeth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque, bacteria, and sugars in the mouth. Fluoride will help re-mineralize teeth that have been affected by decay, stopping cavities from forming.
Preventive Care
Prevention is always better than treatment. Brush your teeth twice daily using any soft-bristled, ADA-approved toothbrush. We also recommend the use of modern electric toothbrushes such as Sonicare and Braun. Floss daily to remove plaque between teeth that you can’t reach with regular brushing.
Always rinse thoroughly with water after brushing (or after meals if you are unable to brush.) You may occasionally use a mouthwash to rinse. Children may benefit from the use of ACT fluoride rinse, to help prevent cavities from forming in between the teeth.
3D & Digital X-Rays
Dental x-rays or radiographs allow the dentist to see things about your oral health that cannot be seen by the naked eye. These items include cysts, cancerous and non-cancerous tumors, invisible decay that occurs between teeth, and the location of teeth that haven’t grown all the way in.
Modern dental x-ray machines are very safe. We use only state-of-the-art, low radiation machines. The amount of radiation exposure your body receives on an airplane flight from Los Angeles to New York exceeds the amount of exposure you will receive from a modern dental x-ray machine. Contrast this minimal exposure with the risk of not finding an illness until it is too late, and you can see why we prescribe regular diagnostic x‑rays.
Fluoride Treatment
Topical fluoride strengthens the teeth once they have erupted by seeping into the outer surface of the tooth enamel, making the teeth more resistant to decay. We gain topical fluoride by using fluoride containing dental products such as toothpaste, mouth rinses, and gels. Dr. Tong and the dental hygienists generally recommend that children have a professional application of fluoride twice a year during dental check-ups.
Systemic fluoride strengthens the teeth that have erupted as well as those that are developing under the gums. We gain systemic fluoride from most foods and our community water supplies. It is also available as a supplement in drop or gel form and can be prescribed by Dr. Tong or your physician. Generally, fluoride drops are recommended for infants, and tablets are best suited for children up through the teen years. It is very important to monitor the amounts of fluoride a child ingests. If too much fluoride is consumed while the teeth are developing, a condition called fluorosis (white spots on the teeth) may result.
Sealants
A sealant is a thin, plastic coating applied to the chewing surface of molars, premolars, and any deep grooves (called pits and fissures) of teeth. More than 75% of dental decay begins in these deep grooves. Teeth with these conditions are hard to clean and are very susceptible to decay. A sealant protects the tooth by sealing deep grooves, creating a smooth, easy-to-clean surface.
Sealants can protect teeth from decay for many years but need to be checked for wear and chipping at regular dental visits.
Sports Guard
Provent to reduce the risk of sports-related dental injuries. Dr. Tong recommends his custom-made mouthguards for sports that include impact or contact with others. The ADA recommends a properly fitted custom mouthguard in all contact or collision sports such as basketball, martial arts, boxing, football, rugby, soccer, water polo, wrestling, lacrosse, handball, and hockey. Limited-contact sports like acrobatics, baseball, skateboarding, skydiving, bicycling, skiing, equestrian events, field events, squash, pickleball, volleyball, racquetball, tennis, weight-lifting, softball, and more. Essentially, if there’s a moving ball or you’re moving fast, consider getting a custom-made mouthguard to protect your smile and health!
Dental Emergency
There’s little that’s as painful as a tooth or jaw ache, so call us any time to schedule an emergency appointment. Our doctors and team love our patients and want what’s best for you, so call us today for an emergency appointment!
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8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Closed
8:00 am – 3:00 pm
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8:00 am – 2:00 pm
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