As your adorable baby grows up into an energetic toddler, they’ll likely become much better at exploring, speaking, and expressing their likes and dislikes to anyone who will listen! As a parent, it may start to feel overwhelming to keep up with them, but it’s important to not let good oral health tumble down the list of priorities. At Bright Pediatric Smiles, Dr. Sam can lend a helping hand as your son or daughter’s “baby” teeth start needing more attention. Our team will do a great job of helping them feel relaxed and at ease throughout each visit here in Poway, CA. Contact us today to get started!

DENTAL CHECKUPS & TEETH CLEANINGS

At this age, your toddler may be capable of sitting in the dental treatment chair – whether alone or in their parent’s lap! This will give Dr. Sam the valuable opportunity to look closer at their developing teeth, overall bite, and the gum tissue for any symptoms or signs of damage that need further attention. We may even be able to provide a very gentle hygiene session so that pesky plaque and tartar are safely cleared away from their tooth enamel!

SILVER DIAMINE FLUORIDE (SDF) TREATMENTS

While our team will always do their best to help your toddler prevent cavities, decay can still spring up in unexpected ways. Adding to the frustration is the fact that very young children are often not capable of receiving restorative treatment safely – so what can you do to preserve the hurting tooth? Dr. Sam recommends silver diamine fluoride, which is a safe and effective service that can stop the cavity’s progression and protect what remains of the natural tooth until more time has passed. The application only takes a few minutes and is completed at routine appointments until your son or daughter can finally receive proper treatment.

AT-HOME HYGIENE PRODUCTS

As your toddler’s smile starts to grow and thrive, it’s important for parents to start putting together the building blocks for a strong, successful oral hygiene routine at home. Toothpaste, mouthwashes, toothbrushes – what are the right products for young children? At Bright Pediatric Smiles, Dr. Sam can provide plenty of guidance and even offer custom recommendations that are the ideal fit for your son or daughter.

TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

In a perfect world, all of your toddler’s “baby” teeth would be able to fall out naturally and on their own time frame. Unfortunately, circumstances can arise where our team needs to proceed with a manual extraction, such as:

  • When advanced tooth decay is present
  • When one or more teeth have experienced a serious injury
  • When the existing tooth is negatively affecting the future development of the “adult” tooth

Dr. Sam understands that some parents may balk at the idea of their toddler undergoing this type of procedure, but rest assured that we’ll use calming sedation dentistry to help them remain safe and at ease.

NON-NUTRITIVE HABITS

When your toddler sucks their thumb or finger regularly, it may lead to some cute pictures, but it’s important to remember that these habits can have lasting negative effects on oral development if they continue past the age of four. Thankfully, there are effective ways for parents to break the cycle gently and positively – just talk to our Poway team for guidance. We’re always happy to help!