We provide the highest quality of dental care to infants, children, adolescents and those with special needs. We believe that every child has the right to grow with a healthy smile and a lifetime of good dental health. We emphasize importance of early prevention, starting with the first dental visit at age 1. Our goal is to make your child's experience as comfortable and positive as possible. You will find this office very preventive-oriented. It is easier, less expensive, and more pleasant to prevent dental problems than to repair. We recommend seeing your children at a young age. Once we have our patients at a high level of dental health, we want to keep them that way. For this reason, we have developed a unique state-of-the-art "kids" and "teens" oriented setting creating a fun environment from the time they walk into the office until the time they leave. The play room, game stations and monitors mounted on cieling and chair to show the movies are provided for the children comfort. The team of skilled doctors and caring staff will not only eliminate the fear associated with dental visits, but also leave an enjoyable impression to last a life time.

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), your child should visit the dentist by his/her 1st birthday. You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. Your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and their staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. The less to-do concerning the visit, the better.
It is best if you refrain from using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as needle, pull, drill or hurt. Pediatric dental offices make a practice of using words that convey the same message, but are pleasant and non-frightening to the child.
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Why Are The Primary Teeth So Important?

It is very important to maintain the health of the primary teeth. Neglected cavities can and frequently do lead to problems which affect developing permanent teeth. Primary teeth, or baby teeth are important for (1) proper chewing and eating, (2) providing space for the permanent teeth and guiding them into the correct position, and (3) permitting normal development of the jaw bones and muscles. Primary teeth also affect the development of speech and add to an attractive appearance. While the front 4 teeth last until 6-7 years of age, the back teeth (cuspids and molars) aren’t replaced until age 10-13.
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Eruption Of Your Child’s Teeth

Children’s teeth begin forming before birth. As early as 4 months, the first primary (or baby) teeth to erupt through the gums are the lower central incisors, followed closely by the upper central incisors. Although all 20 primary teeth usually appear by age 3, the pace and order of their eruption varies.
Permanent teeth begin appearing around age 6, starting with the first molars and lower central incisors. This process continues until approximately age 21.
Adults have 28 permanent teeth, or up to 32 including the third molars (or wisdom teeth).
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TOOTH DEVELOPMENT

Toothache: Clean the area of the affected tooth thoroughly. Rinse the mouth vigorously with warm water or use dental floss to dislodge impacted food or debris. If the pain still exists, contact your child's dentist.  DO NOT place aspirin on the gum or on the aching tooth. If the face is swollen apply cold compresses and contact your dentist immediately.
Cut or Bitten Tongue, Lip or Cheek: Apply ice to bruised areas. If there is bleeding apply firm but gentle pressure with a gauze or cloth. If bleeding does not stop after 15 minutes or it cannot be controlled by simple pressure, take the child to hospital emergency room.

Knocked Out Permanent Tooth: Find the tooth. Handle the tooth by the crown, not the root portion. You may rinse the tooth but DO NOT clean or handle the tooth unnecessarily. Inspect the tooth for fractures. If it is sound, try to reinsert it in the socket. Have the patient hold the tooth in place by biting on a gauze. If you cannot reinsert the tooth, transport the tooth in a cup containing the patient’s saliva or milk. If the patient is old enough, the tooth may also be carried in the patient’s mouth. The patient must see a dentist IMMEDIATELY!  Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth.
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What is Pulp Therapy?

The pulp of a tooth is the inner central core of the tooth. The pulp contains nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue and reparative cells. The purpose of pulp therapy in Pediatric Dentistry is to maintain the vitality of the affected tooth (so the tooth is not lost).
Dental caries (cavities) and traumatic injury are the main reasons for a tooth to require pulp therapy. Pulp therapy is often referred to as a "nerve treatment", "children's root canal", "pulpectomy" or "pulpotomy". The two common forms of pulp therapy in children's teeth are the pulpotomy and pulpectomy.
A pulpotomy removes the diseased pulp tissue within the crown portion of the tooth. Next, an agent is placed to prevent bacterial growth and to calm the remaining nerve tissue. This is followed by a final restoration (usually a stainless steel crown).
A pulpectomy is required when the entire pulp is involved (into the root canal(s) of the tooth). During this treatment, the diseased pulp tissue is completely removed from both the crown and root. The canals are cleansed, disinfected and in the case of primary teeth, filled with a resorbable material. Then a final restoration is placed. A permanent tooth would be filled with a non-resorbing material.
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Does Your Child Grind His Teeth At Night? (Bruxism)

Parents are often concerned about the nocturnal grinding of teeth (bruxism). Often, the first indication is the noise created by the child grinding on their teeth during sleep. Or, the parent may notice wear (teeth getting shorter) to the dentition. One theory as to the cause involves a psychological component. Stress due to a new environment, divorce, changes at school; etc. can influence a child to grind their teeth. Another theory relates to pressure in the inner ear at night. If there are pressure changes (like in an airplane during take-off and landing when people are chewing gum, etc. to equalize pressure) the child will grind by moving his jaw to relieve this pressure.
The majority of cases of pediatric bruxism do not require any treatment. If excessive wear of the teeth (attrition) is present, then a mouth guard (night guard) may be indicated. The negatives to a mouth guard are the possibility of choking if the appliance becomes dislodged during sleep and it may interfere with growth of the jaws. The positive is obvious by preventing wear to the primary dentition.
The good news is most children outgrow bruxism. The grinding gets less between the ages 6-9 and children tend to stop grinding between ages 9-12. If you suspect bruxism, discuss this with us . Because every child is different, we have a wide range of choices to help a child complete needed dental treatment. We will make a recommendation of behavior management methods for your child based upon your child's health history, special health needs, dental needs, type of treatment required, emotional and intellectual development, and your parental preferences.
The three main goals of behavior management are first to help a child feel relaxed and confident; second to guide a child in coping with dental treatment; and third to complete dental treatment as quickly and safely as possible.
To be a well-informed parent, you should know the choices available to help your child during dental treatment. Working together, we can select the best treatment methods to make your child's visit as safe and comfortable as possible.

A Menu of Behavior Management Methods
Tell-Show-Do: The pediatric dental team explains the treatment in words just: right for the child's age and level of understanding, shows the child the treatment in a simplified manner, and then does the treatment.
Positive Reinforcement: The pediatric dental team praises the child for any behavior that helps with treatment. Every child does something right during a dental visit.
Distraction: In this technique, the pediatric dental teams choose their treatment words carefully, pass instruments out of the child's sight, and occasionally distract the child's attention away from the treatment with conversation, music, or games.
Voice Control: The pediatric dental team changes voice tone or volume to calm a child or get a child's attention. Typically, we speak in a soft, controlled tone and repeat messages as necessary. We may occasionally use a loud tone to discourage disruptive behavior or movements that can pose a risk to the child, such as reaching for a sharp instrument. If' you are not comfortable with the use of voice control with your child, then you should certainly speak to us about the issue.
Local Anesthetics: A topical anesthetic can be applied with a cotton swab to prevent pain on the surface of the mouth. A local anesthetic, such as Novocaine, may be injected in a specific area of a child's mouth to prevent discomfort during treatment. These local anesthetics cause temporary numbness that may last past the visit. Parents/Guardians must be careful about giving children hot food or liquids until the numbness wears off Parents should also monitor their child after local anesthesia to ensure that they are not injuring themselves.
Nitrous Oxide / Oxygen Analgesia: If a child is worried by the sights, sounds or sensations of dental treatment, they may respond more positively with the use of nitrous oxide / oxygen. Perhaps the safest analgesic in dentistry, nitrous oxide/oxygen can reduce anxiety and gagging in children and make long appointments easier. The child remains fully conscious during treatment. Recovery after treatment is rapid and complete. Nitrous oxide is not effective for children who are congested or will not breathe through their nose.
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Because every child is different, we have a wide range of choices to help a child complete needed dental treatment. We will make a recommendation of behavior management methods for your child based upon your child's health history, special health needs, dental needs, type of treatment required, emotional and intellectual development, and your parental preferences.

The three main goals of behavior management are first to help a child feel relaxed and confident; second to guide a child in coping with dental treatment; and third to complete dental treatment as quickly and safely as possible.

To be a well-informed parent, you should know the choices available to help your child during dental treatment. Working together, we can select the best treatment methods to make your child's visit as safe and comfortable as possible.

A Menu of Behavior Management Methods

Tell-Show-Do: The pediatric dental team explains the treatment in words just: right for the child's age and level of understanding, shows the child the treatment in a simplified manner, and then does the treatment.

Positive Reinforcement: The pediatric dental team praises the child for any behavior that helps with treatment. Every child does something right during a dental visit.

Distraction: In this technique, the pediatric dental teams choose their treatment words carefully, pass instruments out of the child's sight, and occasionally distract the child's attention away from the treatment with conversation, music, or games.

Voice Control: The pediatric dental team changes voice tone or volume to calm a child or get a child's attention. Typically, we speak in a soft, controlled tone and repeat messages as necessary. We may occasionally use a loud tone to discourage disruptive behavior or movements that can pose a risk to the child, such as reaching for a sharp instrument. If' you are not comfortable with the use of voice control with your child, then you should certainly speak to us about the issue.

Local Anesthetics: A topical anesthetic can be applied with a cotton swab to prevent pain on the surface of the mouth. A local anesthetic, such as Novocaine, may be injected in a specific area of a child's mouth to prevent discomfort during treatment. These local anesthetics cause temporary numbness that may last past the visit. Parents/Guardians must be careful about giving children hot food or liquids until the numbness wears off Parents should also monitor their child after local anesthesia to ensure that they are not injuring themselves.

Nitrous Oxide / Oxygen Analgesia: If a child is worried by the sights, sounds or sensations of dental treatment, they may respond more positively with the use of nitrous oxide / oxygen. Perhaps the safest analgesic in dentistry, nitrous oxide/oxygen can reduce anxiety and gagging in children and make long appointments easier. The child remains fully conscious during treatment. Recovery after treatment is rapid and complete. Nitrous oxide is not effective for children who are congested or will not breathe through their nose.

Physical Restraint: Possibilities in this category include asking the parent/guardian to hold the child on his/her lap with arms and hands holding the child's hands and legs. Another approach is the use of a body wrap (pediwrap) that holds the child's arms and legs away from the mouth. A mouth prop may be used to help children who have a difficult time keeping their mouths open. Restraint may be recommended for children who are very young or have difficulty remembering the importance of keeping their hands away from dental instruments. Used only after alternative approaches have been considered, this approach is sometimes necessary to protect a child from the sharp, fast moving instruments required in dental treatment.

Note: The parent or guardian will be informed if any of the above behavior management techniques are recommended prior to their usage.

IV SEDATION : Medically speaking, IV SEDATION  is an induced state of unconsciousness. In practical terms, the patient is asleep and unable to respond to touch or voices. It is most often recommended for very young children with extensive treatment needs and/or an inability to communicate and cooperate. Sometimes it may also be the best way to provide treatment for children with special medical / developmental needs.At Smile Angels, Only highly qualified anesthesiologists   provide the Iv sedation services. Parents should talk openly with the pediatric dental staff about the benefits and risks of this treatment.
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