Pediatric Dentistry in Alexandria, Virginia

What Is Children’s Pediatric Dentistry?

Pediatric dentistry focuses on children’s unique needs; kids are not miniature adult patients. Our kid’s dentists have two or three additional years of training after dental school. They are well versed in educating parents about kid’s dental care at home, orthodontics, and personalizing care for children with special needs. Each of our pediatric dental specialists, including our pediatric oral surgeon, speaks to their young patients in an easily understandable manner so children always know what’s happening during their appointment.

Why Is Children’s Pediatric Dentistry Important?

Our toddler dentist excels at educating parents about caring for their child’s teeth with practical tips that actually work. A major part of pediatric dentistry is preventing cavities and other dental diseases both through directing their patient’s home care and through regular exams. Our mission is to encourage patients of all ages to care about their dental health for the rest of their lives. We strongly believe children who enjoy visiting a dentist are much more likely to continue maintaining their oral health throughout their lifetime.

When’s the Best Time to Start Taking My Child to a Dentist?

You should bring your child in for their first dental visit by age one. They will probably have at least one tooth by then; however, bring your child to our office even if they don’t have any teeth yet. Children begin teething at different ages. If your child hasn’t started at 12 months, our dentist can verify there is no underlying cause for the delay. Your dentist will show you how to clean your child’s teeth until they are older. Even a child with one tooth can get a cavity. Parents are often surprised that we offer pediatric periodontics, but children can also develop gingivitis and other gum issues at an early age. If your child is 12 months or older, contact us to arrange your child’s first appointment. We look forward to meeting your family.

Some people believe dental care for baby teeth isn’t important since the teeth fall out anyway. Nothing could be further from the truth. Baby teeth help children speak clearly and chew their food properly. They are important for their social development. They also hold a space for adult teeth. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the other teeth can drift to fill in the space. This could make it hard for the adult teeth to come in where they are supposed to, resulting in misaligned teeth. Most importantly, if your child has a tooth with decay, the decay can spread without regular checkups and cause your child pain. No parent wants to see their child in pain, especially if it is avoidable.

What Happens During a Child’s First Dentist Visit?

Your child can sit in your lap while one of our pediatric dentists examines your child’s teeth. He or she may also perform a special dental cleaning for kids to remove plaque buildup. You can ask your child’s dentist questions about teething, pacifier use, thumb sucking or anything else that concerns you. While a very young child won’t know why they are seeing a dentist, they can take cues from a parent. If you are comfortable and not nervous, your child won’t be either. We strive to make both parents and their children feel at ease to ensure their visit to our office is a positive experience for everyone.

Who Treats Special Needs Children?

Our pediatric dental specialists treat children with physical, emotional, developmental or cognitive challenges with safe, personalized care. Our first step is to talk with you about your child’s special needs during the pretreatment planning phase because you’ll be able to tell us the best way to communicate with and treat your child. While our team has special training in providing safe and comfortable treatment to special needs kids, we understand you know your child best.

Our Doctors – (beginning) Our children’s dentists understand that being a kid’s dentist is more than handing out a sugar-free lollipop after each visit. It’s about truly loving kids and making sure we meet their unique needs.

Children’s Dental Services – (end) If you have any questions about the cost of pediatric dental visits or one of our other services, please don’t hesitate to ask.

New Patient Information – (end) We also look forward to meeting parents and making the appointment a pleasant stress-free time for them as well.