Our Services
At Small Smiles, we offer a variety of dental services to care for your child’s dental health. If you require more information regarding our services, or have a concern that is not addressed within our listed services, we are happy to speak with you via phone or email.
Infant Care
The first visit is an important one for both you and your child. During this visit, we will:
- Educate you on proper care of your child’s teeth, including brushing techniques
- Make sure that good habits are established early on
- Conduct an examination to ensure proper development
- Answer any questions or concerns
Sealants
Sealants are a simple, non-invasive procedure to help prevent cavities from forming around the molars. During this procedure, a protective coating is ‘painted’ into the grooves of the teeth to prevent plaque and bacteria from accumulating in the crevices.
Check-up and Cleaning
We recommend to see our patients every 6 months for their routine check- up and cleaning. During your visit, we will review your personal dental history and any current concerns you may have about your dental health. Additionally, we will take this time to fully answer any initial questions you might have.
During this appointment, we will:
- Examine the general health of your mouth, teeth, and gums
- Remove build-up on the teeth
- Polish & fluoride
- Take x-rays as needed to check for cavities and other concerns
Fillings and Crowns
Fillings
Fillings are applied to teeth that have been damaged by trauma, decay, or other occurrences. A filling will restore the tooth back to its normal shape and function. During this procedure, we start by removing the decayed or broken tooth material. We then clean the affected area, and then fill the cleaned-out area with a filling material to restore the strength and integrity of the tooth.
Stainless Steel Crowns
A Stainless-Steel Crown is a metal cap used to repair a heavily decayed tooth and prevent it from decaying any further. Stainless steel crowns give your tooth complete coverage, just like a baseball cap.
Once the decay has been removed, the tooth shaped covering is then cemented to the tooth structure. It’s recommended not to have any sticky candy or gum for the first few days to ensure that you don’t remove the new crown.
These plaque-fighting shields help protect your teeth, but that doesn’t mean you get to stop brushing or flossing! The metal cap will naturally exfoliate when the adult tooth erupts (meaning it will come out with that baby tooth once the adults tooth pushes it out).
Silver Diamine Fluoride
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is used as an alternative & preventative treatment for your child’s cavities. This non-traumatic and less invasive treatment works to stop the cavities decaying process. While this is a very conservative way of treating a cavity, it does stain the cavity black. SDF can be effective in treating certain types of cavities. The dentist will decide on an individual basis if SDF may be an effective option for treating your child’s dental decay.
ExtractionS
Tooth extractions are done for a variety of reasons on children, including:
- Broken or irreparable tooth
- Infection or abscess
- Dental crowding or orthodontic reasons
- Dental trauma to the affected area
- Teeth that are chipped or damaged beyond repair
Space Maintainers
Space maintainers are used when children lose their baby teeth early. This can sometimes happen due to decay, dental trauma, or overcrowding. When a baby tooth is missing, the teeth on each side may move into the space. This can block the permanent tooth from coming in. To hold the space, your dentist may put a space maintainer on the teeth on each side of the space, which will keep the teeth from moving in.
Sedation for Procedures
We offer the following forms of sedation at Small Smiles:
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly called ‘laughing gas’, is often used to help with anxiety and make kids feel more comfortable. Your child will be able to choose their favorite scent, including: orange, strawberry, bubble gum, or grape. Laughing gas is an extremely safe option. Your child will remain awake throughout the procedure, and normal activity can resume immediately after treatment.
General Anesthesia
General Anesthesia is commonly called ‘being put to sleep’. We offer general anesthesia for children that are unable to tolerate treatment while awake, or for those who are unable to cope with multiple dental appointments. This service is offered at an Accredited Non-Hospital Surgical Facility, with a Licensed Anesthesiologist that will monitor the child closely. After they have been under general anesthesia, children are often feeling well by late evening, and some can potentially resume regular activities the following day.