We are a dental home for infants, children, adolescents, young adults up to the age of 18 years old, and for individuals with special healthcare needs of all ages.
We pride ourselves on preparing children for a lifetime of healthy smiles. We offer minimally invasive treatments based on advanced technology, to ensure that your child's experience is positive and enjoyable.
The chewing surfaces of the back teeth are filled with tiny grooves referred to as “pits and fissures,” which trap bacteria and food particles. The bristles on a toothbrush can't always reach all the way into these dark, moist little crevices. This creates the perfect conditions for tooth decay.
Also, a child's newly erupted permanent teeth are not as resistant to decay as adult teeth are.
Dental sealants are invisible or white coatings that smooth out the chewing surfaces of the back teeth — the place where your child is most likely to get tooth decay.
Call Little Heroes Pediatric Dentistry at 765.759.6355 today to learn more!
Dental fillings are designed to patch the hole that dental decay has left in the tooth. Without fillings, food, plaque, and bacteria could easily collect in the space again, causing deeper and more painful damage. After the dentist numbs the area with a local anesthetic, the decay is removed with a gentle dental drill. Next, either a tooth colored composite resin filling or a siler amalgam filling is used to fill in the cavity. The surface is smoothed and the tooth is polished, leaving a strong, healthy tooth once again.
Stainless steel crowns are silver caps that cover the whole tooth. Porcelain crowns are tooth colored. Dental crowns for children are generally completed in one visit, and will usually last until the tooth falls out at around the age of 12.
Often, if a 2-surface filling is used to restore a first baby molar, the tooth may decay again or the dental filling may break due to the shape of the tooth. If that occurs, the tooth may need a stainless steel crown or to be extracted and treated with space maintenance. That would mean the child would have to go through an extra procedure and the parent would pay for treatment of the same tooth twice! Our goal is to restore the health of the tooth for longevity. We place crowns on first baby molars that have decay in between the teeth, or on teeth which are too damaged to be repaired with fillings.
The video below shows the pros and cons of doing dental crowns and fillings.
Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, is essential for proper tooth development and the prevention of tooth decay.
Because it is possible for children to get too much fluoride, it is best to seek professional advice on the use of any fluoride-containing product.
A very beneficial way to deliver fluoride to the teeth is with topical fluoride applications painted right onto your child's teeth and allowed to sit for a few minutes for maximum effectiveness.
A lingual frenum is the band of tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. In some children the lingual frenum is too short, restricting tongue movement and impairing the child’s oral and airway development. Your doctor may recommend a frenectomy to remove or clip the connective tissue. Sometimes a child's lingual frenum may be too tight or too short restricting the movement of the tongue. This can lead to ankyloglossia, also known as "tongue tied." It can also impair a child's jaw growth and airway development leading to open mouth breathing, speech impediment, swallowing problems and bite misalignment. In babies, it can cause nursing problems. A frenectomy is a simple procedure that can be performed surgically or with a laser. For a surgical frenectomy, a local anesthetic is applied to the site first. Next your doctor removes, or clips, the lingual frenum and uses dissolvable sutures. The site is usually healed within a couple of weeks.
Here at Little Heroes Pediatric Dentistry, we use a laser to remove or sever the lingual frenum. Using a laser can be beneficial as it eliminates the need for stitches and allows for minimal bleeding, as well as a faster healing time. Once the area is healed, your child will have improved oral health, proper tongue function and appropriate airway development. Call us today if you suspect your newborn has a tongue tie that could be preventing him/her from breastfeeding.
An upper labial frenum is a band of tissue that connects the upper lip to the jaw. A lower labial frenum connects the lower lip to the jaw. To correct esthetic issues caused by a labial frenum, your doctor may recommend a labial frenectomy, a surgical or laser procedure to remove or clip the connective tissue from either the upper or lower frenum. A frenectomy is most commonly used in conjunction with orthodontic treatment of a child’s permanent teeth. Sometimes a child’s upper labial frenum may be too long or too thick creating a gap between the two upper front teeth. It can also prevent the mouth from properly closing, leading to open mouth breathing, and in some cases, causing gum recession. In adults, a lower lip frenectomy may be needed to stop periodontal issues and gum recession or it may be performed when being fitted for dentures. A frenectomy is a simple procedure that can be performed surgically or with a laser. For a surgical frenectomy, a local anesthetic is applied to the site. Next your doctor removes, or clips, the labial frenum and uses dissolvable sutures. The site is usually healed within a couple of weeks.
Here at Little Heroes Pediatric Dentistry, we use a laser to perform Labial Frenectomy. A laser can be beneficial as it eliminates the need for stitches and allows for minimal bleeding, as well as a faster healing time.
Esthetic results of a labial frenectomy are usually immediate and when used in conjunction with orthodontic treatment will improve your child’s smile.
