Pediatric Dental Procedures

TREATMENT OPTIONS:

Prevention – proper dental care and attention is necessary for children to grow up with healthy teeth and gums and a beautiful smile. Please see our Pediatric Guidelines for Parents page for tips.

Cleanings – Hygiene visits are as important for kids as they are for adults. This helps prevent gum or tooth problems while also fostering excellent oral hygiene habits through proper instruction and evaluation.

Fluoride – In-office fluoride is vital to prevention of cavities, especially in northeast Louisiana where the natural supply is generally deficient or absent.

Sealants – These are excellent tools in the fight against cavities. A sealant covers and protects cavity prone areas on permanent teeth to help a child make it through adolescence without getting cavities.

Tooth-Colored Fillings – Dr. Cheng prefers using a special tooth-colored resin material, called Glass Ionomer, that bonds to the teeth but has the special property of releasing fluoride throughout its life making it the ideal choice for children.

Silver Amalgam Fillings – Some patients prefer the time-tested and safe alternative because it is easy and less expensive

Pulpotomy – This is the removal of the nerve and pulp tissue on an infected baby tooth. It is vital to save baby teeth for them to serve their full function in the development of the permanent teeth and oral cavity. An infection in a primary tooth, or baby tooth, can cause pain and developmental problems of the permanent teeth if left untreated. When cavities get too large for fillings, it is very important to remove the pulp tissue. We fill it with a restorative after.

Stainless Steel crowns – following pulpotomies, we crown the baby tooth with a stainless steel crown to retain its position and space in the dental arch.

Extractions and Space Maintainers – when baby teeth are too decayed to save we often have no choice but to extract the tooth to prevent pain/infection. To prevent tooth shifting and space loss due to the premature loss of a baby tooth, we often make Space Maintainers . A Space Maintainer is a wire device that us cemented into place that will prevent the remaining teeth from crowding and preventing the permanent teeth from coming in correctly.