Protect Your Child’s Teeth with Routine Dental Cleanings & Exams

Olde Orchard Pediatric Dentistry offers various preventative dental measures to keep your child's teeth healthy and free from cavities and gum disease. Prevention is the key to long-lasting oral health for your children, from regular dental cleanings and routine exams to personalized dental hygiene instructions, sealants, and more. We are dedicated to keeping your family's teeth happy and healthy. To schedule an appointment, call us at 248-478-3232 today.

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Dental Cleanings & Exams

The American Association of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children visit their dentist every six months for routine checkups and cleaning - this allows for early diagnosis of any problems. During the exam, your child's pediatric dentist will carefully check the health and development of your child's teeth and gums. X-rays may be necessary as they make it easier for the pediatric dentist to spot decay and ensure teeth are coming in correctly. Our digital X-rays require less radiation and allow you and your child to see what's happening in their mouth. The dentist will gently probe your child's gums for disease or places where disease could develop. If problems are found, your pediatric dentist will explain what's happening in easy-to-understand terms and discuss how to treat it.

  • Why Are Dental Cleanings Important?

    Professional dental cleaning is vital. Even if your child is brushing and flossing daily at home, it's hard for them to remove all food particles and bacteria that allow plaque to build up on your child's teeth. Plaque can cause cavities and gum disease. Your child may also have fluoride treatment or sealants to help prevent tooth decay.

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Dental Sealants

Sealants are a popular, painless way to help keep your child cavity-free. They are applied to back molars after a child has had a cleaning and exam, where four out of five cavities in children are found.

  • What is a Sealant?

    A sealant is a plastic material painted onto the tooth's chewing surface to act as a barrier for food, plaque, and acid that causes decay. Sealants are practically invisible because they are clear, white, or slightly tinted to exactly match your child's teeth. Even better, they take only a few minutes to apply during one office visit and can protect your child throughout their cavity-prone years. 


    Applying sealants is a comfortable procedure. The teeth are cleaned and prepped, and the sealant is painted on and hardened with a special light. Your child can drink and eat right away.

Fluoride

Natural mineral fluoride reduces tooth decay, so your child must get enough fluoride to reap its benefits.

  • How Does Fluoride Work?

    Bacteria in your mouth produce acid that removes minerals from the surface of your teeth. Fluoride can stop tooth decay by preventing the minerals in tooth enamel from breaking down. Because it is so effective, fluoride has been added to community water supplies since the 1940s, and today, more than 70% of cities with public water supplies have fluoridated water. Besides the water supply, an estimated 95% of toothpastes sold in the US contain fluoride.

  • How Much Fluoride is Too Much

    While a certain amount of fluoride is good for teeth, swallowing too much fluoride can cause a child's teeth to develop lasting white spots, brown stains, or problems with the enamel in permanent teeth. To prevent this problem, which is called dental fluorosis, parents should make sure their children do not get too much fluoride. For example, toddlers two to three years old can't spit out toothpaste very well and might swallow too much-fluoridated toothpaste. Certain foods also contain large amounts of fluoride. 


    At the other extreme, your tap or well water might not have enough fluoride, or if your child drinks only bottled water, it may not contain fluoride. 


    Parents need to make sure their children get the right amount of fluoride. At Olde Orchard Pediatric Dentistry, we're glad to advise you. If your child needs more fluoride than they are getting, we can give you a prescription to help. If your child develops dental fluorosis, we can help determine the cause and prevent further problems.

Little Girl Showing Her Teeth — Novi, MI — Olde Orchard Pediatric

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Kid Holding Dental X-ray — Novi, MI — Olde Orchard Pediatric

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Dental X-rays

Even for young children with only primary teeth, x-rays play an important role in their dental health. X-rays are our best way to ensure teeth are coming in correctly, that they are healthy, and that unseen problems are not cropping up. Besides helping us find decay, x-rays also enable us to see how wisdom teeth are coming in and help our orthodontists plan treatment.

Think of X-rays to find dental problems early so that treating your child is easier and more affordable. We use digital X-rays and take particular care, so your child receives the least exposure. For a growing child, we suggest X-rays once each year. It's one of the best ways to ensure your child keeps smiling.

Schedule a dental cleaning today! Call us at 248-478-3232.