Providence Pediatric Dentist
Directions to Our Office From Providence
If you’re heading to our office from the Providence area, you’ll head north on Larry Mcbryde St towards Farm Rd and then turn right onto Farm Rd in .1 mile. In .6 miles, turn right onto N Hualapai Way. In another mile, turn left onto W Deer Springs Way and you’ll find our office on the left side in about 50 ft.
Services
We offer a range of preventative, restorative, and emergency dental procedures to keep your child in good oral health. Prevention is often better than the cure so we strongly urge that you take your child in for a dental cleaning and checkup every 6 months to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
During your child’s bi-annual checkup, we can also apply a fluoride treatment to protect their teeth from cavities. We highly recommend that you have dental sealants placed on your child’s first and second permanent molars at age 6 and 12, which seal the pits and grooves on these teeth to reduce the likelihood of developing cavities by 80%.
If any cavities are detected during their checkup, we can fill them with tooth-colored composite resin fillings. Other restorative treatments include space maintainers for prematurely lost teeth, dental crowns which can protect weak or damaged teeth, and frenectomies that can correct tongue ties.
In rare cases, your child could need an extraction, but this is always a last resort in dentistry. We will do everything we can to protect and save your child’s teeth and the best way to do that is through prevention.
If your child ever experiences a dental emergency such as severe tooth pain, bleeding, a knocked-out or loose tooth, or infection, we can treat them right away with same-day dental appointments. It’s incredibly important to us at Desert Kids Dental to prevent things from becoming worse and ensuring your child gets the prompt care they need to relieve pain and protect them from becoming hurt.
Amenities
We want both parent and child to feel relaxed and at home in our office. For adults, we provide a relaxing atmosphere in our chic office while your child can roam around in our child-friendly iPad station to keep them occupied and entertained. If your child suffers from dental anxiety or restlessness, we offer dental sedation in the form of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) which can be used during any dental treatment.
Nitrous oxide induces your child into a relaxed, somewhat sleepy, and euphoric state. Sedation also has the effect of reducing sensitive gag reflexes and pain sensitivity. Sedation can be useful for young children who are unable to cooperate during procedures.
Inside of each of our treatment rooms, you’ll find a TV on the wall, which can play whatever your child would like to watch during their appointment. This can be a nice distraction for them and can relieve the stress associated with the procedure itself.
Book Your Next Appointment
If you have a child in the Providence area, consider booking their next appointment with a pediatric dentist at Desert Kids Dental where they’ll get the most compassionate, child-centered care. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Sandra Thompson, contact us at 702-660-7099 today.
Have questions? Find answers here.
Why Should My Child See A Pediatric Dentist?
Pediatric dentists are experts in children’s dental health. As specialists, we had to go through an extra 2 to 3 years of education and training to earn this specialization.
Throughout these additional years, we learn how to prevent tooth decay in baby teeth, manage orthodontic treatments early on to prevent long-term problems, dietary needs of children, child psychology, child development, child-friendly communication skills, and how to treat children with special needs.
Not only are pediatric dentists able to provide individualized treatment that is tailored to children in a child-friendly environment, but we also perform dental treatments that many general and family dentists don’t offer.
These include frenectomies, pulpotomies, space maintainers, dental sealants, silver diamine fluoride, and pediatric dental crowns. All of these treatments are specifically tailored to a child’s dental needs. These will prevent long-term oral health problems or save your child’s baby teeth.
A pediatric dentist knows how to explain things to your child at a level they can understand and that won’t scare them. We can help your child work through dental anxiety and make accommodations for children with special needs.
A pediatric dental office is designed to make children feel comfortable and at home. Family dentists are generalists who treat patients of all ages but do not provide the specialized high-quality care that your child deserves to prevent oral health problems before they occur.
When To Take Your Child To the Dentist
Your child should start seeing a pediatric dentist very early on – by the time they turn one, at the latest. However, if your child’s first tooth erupts before their first birthday, that is when it’s time for their first checkup. This first appointment serves a few purposes.
Firstly, it will get your child acquainted with the dental office and will be their introduction to visiting the dentist. It is very important psychologically for children to establish a dental home early in life because this reduces feelings of stress and anxiety related to dentistry.
The second purpose is the check-up itself. We will examine your child’s soft tissues and teeth to look for signs of problems such as tongue or lip ties that may need to be treated. The final purpose is to provide parents with information on oral hygiene, diet, oral development, and how to wean children off of certain habits.
We recommend you schedule this appointment strategically so your child doesn’t feel fussy or stressed. Avoid appointments when your child would normally be sleeping or eating. We recommend first thing in the morning after they have eaten.
What To Expect At Your Dental Appointment
When your child gets here, Dr. Thompson will introduce herself and make them feel at ease. Then, we will perform an oral exam to check the condition of their gums, jaw alignment, teeth, and frenulum. We will take note of any signs of oral health problems or conditions that could cause problems in the future (such as tongue and lip ties). Your child may require a dental cleaning to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth and gum line. A fluoride treatment may be applied to your child’s teeth depending on their age.
We will provide parents with detailed information on what to expect from your child’s teething schedule, how to prevent cavities through diet, lifestyle, and oral hygiene, and how to wean your child off of thumb-sucking, pacifiers, and baby bottles.
If you have any questions about your child’s oral health or hygiene, we will be happy to answer them. Your child should return for regular dental cleanings and checkups every 6 months. Returning to the same dentist helps build trust and relaxation that curbs dental anxiety. Depending on the age of your child, we can administer dental sedation to put them at ease.
