Kids Healthy Teeth

Dental x-rays are essential tools used by pediatric dentists to tell how their patients’ teeth are developing. Specific dental issues are challenging to detect without x-rays, especially if the problems are below the surface. Our Katy pediatric dentists need dental x-rays to see if the teeth and jaws are growing correctly. Here are common issues x-rays can help bring to light:

• Crowded teeth
• Cavities
• Impacted wisdom teeth
• Underdeveloped tooth bones
• Periodontal disease

For the Kids:

Below is a great video from the American Dental Association for the kids to watch so they can learn about our dental sealants. The American Dental Association is one of the best places to learn about dental health other than from your very pediatric dentist in Katy.

For the Parents: 

Sometimes, children need an extra boost to keep unwanted cavities at bay. Dental sealants aren’t a permanent solution, but they do create a protective barrier between the teeth and enamel-eroding acids caused by bacteria. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), sealants are shown to reduce cavities by 86% the first year and 56% after four years. They’re usually placed on the baby molars between the ages of 6 -13.

As a practice with some of Katy’s top pediatric dentists we are always trying to educate our patients and their parents about how they can maintain great oral care at home. Even with sealants, it’s important for kids to continue practicing their dental hygiene routine to avoid cavities. To learn more about preventative dentistry, check out parent guide below. 

At Kids Healthy Teeth, we like to emphasize the importance of education and prevention when it comes to dental care. That’s why parents are encouraged to start taking their children to the dentist early on for dental care guidance. 

The pediatric dentist in Katy can help your child develop strong, healthy teeth early on. Even before the child is born, there are steps parents can take to ensure the best for their baby’s oral health. Check out our Early Infant Oral Guide for parents below to learn more! 

General anesthesia is usually recommended for extremely apprehensive children, very young children, and children with special needs that would not work well under conscious sedation.

General anesthesia renders your child completely asleep. This would be the same as if he or she was having their tonsils removed and ear tubes placed. While the assumed risks are greater than that of other treatment options, if this is suggested for your child, the benefits of treatment this way have been deemed to outweigh the risks.

For the Kids:

Below is a great video for the kids to watch so they can learn about our dental lasers.

Information for the Parents:

As a practice with some of Katy’s top pediatric dentists we are always researching the best ways to safely and successfully treat our patients. We are proud to introduce the most advanced technology in laser dentistry. Our office offers the WaterLase iPlus and the Biolase Epic 10. With the use of these lasers we are able to treat apthous ulcers, dental decay, gum tissue procedures, teeth whitening and pain therapy. Listed below is more information about our lasers.

Kids who are involved in contact sports should definitely invest in a mouthguard for practice and games. Baby teeth are important to preserve because they create space for permanent teeth later on. Losing teeth can also result in bone loss and structural imbalances later on. In sports, accidents can’t always be prevented. If your child is involved in an accident, like an elbow to the face or ball to the mouth, the right equipment can prevent a major injury.

Kids and teens who have braces are at a higher risk of injury during contact sports because their metal braces could break and scratch tissue in the mouth if there is an accident. Dentists and orthodontists recommend children using orthodontic appliances to get a custom-fitted mouthguard for safety.

To learn more about dental safety and dental emergencies, head over to our pediatric dentist’s guide for parents below.

Dental treatment is usually straightforward. Even though the patient may have a sensation of discomfort following treatment completion, you shouldn’t expect any significant complications when you come to us for treatment. Some of the most common concerns are feeling pain or swelling after your kid visited the dentist.

Primary teeth will fall out of a child’s mouth, but if your dentist recommended installing space maintainers in Katy, you should know why. Primary teeth may fall too early in a kid’s dental development, and this may put the kid at risk of developing other orthodontic conditions. When there is a space left in the child’s mouth, the rest of the teeth may shift positions, and prevent the proper eruption of a permanent tooth.

We say that a primary tooth may fall out too soon if the permanent tooth is not yet ready to erupt. A child may lose a primary tooth due to an accident and trauma, an infection caused by poor hygiene, or other health complications. Your dentist may recommend space maintainer in Katy because they can determine that the position of the other teeth will change and result in serious complications later on.

Space maintainers in Katy are dental appliances, they can be fixed or removable, and they all serve to either maintain or fill the space left by the previous tooth while the new one erupts. You have three types of space maintainers, and only a consultation with your dentist will determine if you need these appliances or not.

Crown and Loop Space Maintainers are placed on the side of the mouth. They are a crown installed over a tooth that holds a metal loop in place over the space we are trying to maintain. The loop pushes against the other tooth to help them resist the temptation of moving into the now-free space. Another type of space maintainers in Katy is the lingual holding arch. This appliance may be installed when several teeth are missing, cemented to a molar tooth, and connected by a wire.

Sedation medications are chosen with consideration of your child’s medical history, type of dental treatment necessary, discomfort potential, length of time required, and child’s reaction to noise and activity in the mouth. Possibilities include: a narcotic medication indicated for pain relief, an anti-histamine medication which helps control the gag reflex (often more accentuated in children than in adults), an anxiolytic medication to relax and provide mild amnesia.

When it comes to tooth restorations in Katy, you cannot talk only about one type of dental procedure. Restorative dentistry refers to several treatments aimed at restoring your mouth and dental structures to a functional and esthetic state. There are many reasons why you would need to get any of these treatments. Restoring a tooth can mean different things depending on the state of your tooth.

Dentists promote dental hygiene and may have to perform more invasive procedures to maintain or improve your dental health. If you suffer severe cavities, a dentist may need to perform a root canal or pulpectomy. You may have suffered some trauma after an accident of any nature and you may have lost a tooth, or a dentist may have had to remove a tooth due to health concerns. Whatever the reasons, you may require tooth restorations in Katy if your teeth have suffered any damage.

When it comes to restoration treatments, you can get some of the following depending on the severity of your case:

Fillings. Fillings are part of the process to treat a tooth that has suffered infections because of severe cavities. If enough enamel has decayed due to harmful bacteria, your tooth’s pulp may suffer an infection. Aside from pain and swelling of the surrounding soft tissues, you may be at risk of developing severe infections that can spread to the rest of your body. A dentist like Dr. Elizabeth Chen would clear the infected tissue, and to preserve the functionality and structural integrity of the tooth, she will fill the tooth with an inert material.