• Building a Relationship with You and Your Child
• Dual Specialty Practice
• Preventive Care and Dietary Education
• Preserving the Health of Your Child's Teeth
• Treatment for Decay
• Sealants

Building a Relationship with You and Your Child

  We appreciate the opportunity to apply our care, skill and judgments to your child's total dental needs.

Regular dental exams, just like physical examinations, are an important part of your child's overall health care program.  The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends your child's first dental visit take place between the ages of 12 and 18 months, or even earlier if problems arise. Typically we schedule a first "get acquainted" checkup between the ages of 2 and 3.  We also encourage you to contact us should you need counseling regarding hygiene or dental care of your infant.

Before the first visit, please discuss the positive aspects of dentistry with your child. Convey good feelings about dental visits as being a part of growing up. Expect your child to react well and enjoy the first visit to our office, and chances are, he or she will do exactly that.

Parents are encouraged to come into the treatment room with their child during the initial visit, which helps a child feel more at ease.

At future appointments, parents may or may not be asked to remain in the reception area depending on what the doctor feels is best for your child.  In many cases we find we can establish communication and rapport more quickly with your child when the parent is not present.

Dual Specialty Practice
We regularly monitor your child’s need for orthodontic treatment; and if needed, we can coordinate your entire child’s dental and orthodontic care in one office, with two locations to serve you.

We also provide comprehensive orthodontic care for adults.  After seeing the positive results of their child’s orthodontic care, many of our parents choose orthodontic treatment for themselves.

Preventive Care and Dietary Education Are Very Important 

Excellent diet and nutrition habits need to start early in life.  Children with healthy teeth chew food easily, learn to speak clearly and smile with confidence.  Sweet drinks are a particular problem as they may cause decay between the teeth.  Drs. Carey and Jones will tell you: “Drink Water---It’s Healthy for Your Teeth!”

Preserving the Health of Your Child's Teeth

Doctors Carey & Jones and their staff of dental assistants, provide a variety of dental services to children:

• Fluoride Treatment
• Teeth Cleanings
• Sealant Applications
• Diet Counseling
• Orthodontics
• Treatments for decayed teeth, including fillings and crowns

During dental appointments, we emphasize and demonstrate important tooth brushing and flossing techniques for your child. We also use local anesthetics and, at times, premedications to relax your child or eliminate pain.

Treatments for Decay

Even primary (baby) teeth can get decayed. Primary teeth normally remain in the child's mouth until age 11 or 12.

We treat decayed teeth with tooth-colored filling for smaller cavities and caps for larger cavities that won't hold fillings. If the decay is extensive and affects the tooth's nerve, we can often still save the tooth with nerve treatment (pulpotomy).

Premature extraction is not recommended unless it is absolutely necessary because it may cause loss of chewing ability and may shift the position of the teeth, making braces a necessity later on.

Sealants

For children five or older, we often recommend sealants to provide added protection against tooth decay. Molars and back teeth have pits and grooves on their crowns that trap cavity-breeding food particles, which are often difficult to remove with even the most diligent brushing.

Sealants form a clear plastic shield upon the crown, filling the pits and grooves and preventing those cavity traps from forming. A single application of this clear liquid hardens to the tooth's surface and usually lasts several years.

Go to our Educational Video tab

to learn more about dental sealants for your child.