Services
Dental Exams & Cleaning
Because children grow so quickly, we recommend a dental exam and cleaning at least twice a year after your child’s first birthday or when their first tooth emerges (whichever happens first). Whether you’re booking your child’s first dental appointment or looking for a dedicated pediatric dentist near Elgin, Dr. Justin Baik and the Fox Pediatric Dentistry team are eager to assist with your child’s preventative dentistry needs..
How often should you get your teeth cleaned?
Like most dental professionals, Dr. Justin recommends a dental exam and cleaning every six months, with x-rays as recommended. Regular dental checkups allow our team to diagnose and treat dental problems before they worsen. Dr. Justin can typically address these issues with less invasive, expensive, and time-consuming procedures. Establishing a dental exam and cleaning routine can help your kid keep a clean bill of health and desensitize your little one to the dentist’s office as they gain more familiarity with each dental visit.
What happens during a kid’s dental exam and cleaning?
A dental checkup assesses the health and development of your child’s teeth, gums, and jaws. Dental treatments are often more comfortable and affordable if a dental problem is caught early on.
For example, a minor cavity can be treated with a simple filling or disking. But, if tooth decay has a chance to develop, it might require more extensive restorative dentistry work, like a dental crown or removal.
A dental cleaning removes debris and build-up that naturally occurs on our teeth and around the gumline. First, our dental hygienist carefully cleans the teeth by meticulously scraping away built-up plaque, including areas challenging for young patients to reach themselves. Then, they brush and polish the teeth with professional-grade, gritty toothpaste. If your child has multiple teeth and is old enough to withstand the process, our dental hygienist will also floss between the teeth to remove any plaque or food particles.
Since cavities are the leading childhood disease, we suggest anti-cavity measures (like dental sealants) to many pediatric patients to prevent cavity development on the back teeth. Dental Sealants are a thin, protective coating placed on the biting surfaces of our molars to help prevent tooth decay. Most often, sealants will be placed on permanent molars, which are difficult to clean and prone to the accumulation of food and bacteria.
Most importantly, we hope to provide valuable feedback and education to each parent and child at each visit. This information is vital to a healthy smile and allows parents and kids to ask questions and take notes about keeping their kid’s smile healthy and sparkling.
Keep Your Child’s Smile Clean and Healthy
As a parent, you understand the importance of caring for your child’s health. From teaching your little one good dental habits like brushing and flossing to finding the best pediatric dentist near Elgin for their checkups and dental cleanings, staying on top of your little one’s dental care needs can seem overwhelming. There’s no time like the present to schedule your child’s next dental exam and cleaning with our trusted pediatric dentist, Dr. Justin. Call (224) 629-4125 or contact us online to book your child’s next dental appointment.
