Compassionate Dental Care for Children
At Gallery Park Dental, we understand that children have unique dental needs, and Glenview dentists Dr. Gripentrog and Dr. Rogers are trained to meet the needs of our youngest patients.
Meeting Your Child’s Unique Dental Needs
At our Glenview office, we offer a friendly atmosphere and a compassionate pediatric dentistry team that can help ease children's fears, giving them positive experiences at the dentist from an early age. This can be an important part of minimizing or eliminating dental anxiety as children grow older.
Dr. Gripentrog, Dr. Rogers, and The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists recommend that a child have their first dental visit as soon as their first tooth comes in, or no later than their first birthday and every six months after. This may seem young, but finding a dental home for your child is the key to a lifetime of dental health.
Even young children can be susceptible to early dental cavities, especially if they are given a bottle at bedtime. Regular dental visits at least twice a year can help catch these cavities early and make them easily treatable.
Dr. Gripentrog, Dr. Rogers, and their team understand that children have different needs than adults, physically and emotionally, and are equipped to give your child the best experience.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
Early dental visits allow us to create positive associations with visiting the dentist. Children can become familiar with the sounds, smells, and sights of the dental office and learn what all the tools do.
At Gallery Park Dental, we believe that teaching children good brushing and eating habits from a young age, in a way they can understand, can set them on the right path to good dental health throughout their lives.
At your child's first dental visit, we make a point to show them the tools used in dental treatments and explain what each one does. We perform a visual inspection of any teeth the child has and give them a tour of the office.
Your child is encouraged to ask questions and build confidence about the relationship between healthy teeth and regular dental visits to ensure that as they grow they view the dentist in a positive light.
Fluoride Treatments
For our younger patients, we recommend regular fluoride treatments and supplementation in accordance with AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) guidelines. Fluoride can strengthen developing teeth and help prevent cavities.
Regular fluoride treatments help strengthen teeth by replacing minerals that are removed by acids and bacteria. Fluoride can even reverse early stages of decay in some patients, helping to avoid fillings.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are a thin film that is applied to the biting surfaces of teeth, usually the molars and pre-molars. Even children who brush properly may not be able to get into all the pits and grooves between these teeth, and they are particularly susceptible to decay between the ages of 6 and 14. We recommend sealants as soon as a child's molars and pre-molars grow in for the best protection.
We may also recommend sealants for younger children depending on the condition of their teeth. For baby teeth that are pitted or grooved, sealants can provide protection, allowing the baby teeth to do their job until a child's permanent teeth come in.
Many people around Glenview don't realize the important role that baby teeth play in their child's oral health. Along with allowing them to bite and chew food properly, they also regulate the spacing of the child's teeth.
Premature loss of baby teeth may lead to crooked or crowded permanent teeth that require orthodontic intervention.
Benefits of Pediatric Dentisty
It’s important to keep baby teeth healthy because problems with baby teeth can affect how permanent teeth grow later on. If you neglect your child’s cavities, they can cause pain and infection, leading to problems with their developing permanent teeth.
We understand that your child’s first dental visit can be stressful for you as a parent as well. Our Glenview team is always happy to answer any questions you have and to give both you and your child the best dental experience possible.