Young girl smiling in dental chair during pediatric treatment at Upland dentist office.

Children's Dentistry Services for Healthy, Happy Smiles

The primary patients that our children's dentists at Caring Kids Dental see range from infants to adolescents. Pediatric dentistry was called Pedodontics a long time ago. The American Dental Association describes pediatric dentistry as a specialty that requires dentists to complete two to three years of additional training after they earn their general dentistry degrees. Our dentists earn Diplomate ABPDs after they complete the extra training. Pedodontists are Children's dentists who specialize in oral care for children who have special needs, including mental retardation, autism, or cerebral palsy.

A very important skill our children's dentists have is in child psychology. Our office at Caring Kids Dental is very colorful and has books and toys set up that help ease the anxiety of our young patients. Our children's dentists are trained to adjust their overall communication with children and to avoid using any negative/scary words that are associated with dental procedures or exams. Our dentists realize the lifelong effects childhood dentist anxiety can have on a child which is why they establish positive associations with our patients.

What Our Children's Dentists Do

Our children's dentists at Caring Kids Dental focus on the maintenance of baby teeth first. This is because these teeth will affect a child’s future oral development. Baby teeth are eventually replaced by permanent teeth which affect the development of proper speech and good chewing habits. Our Upland, CA children's dentists provide services for baby teeth that influence a child’s overall hygiene and health.

Some other functions our children's dentists provide include the following:

Education – Our children's dentists use child-friendly terms, computer technology, and models to help educate children about overall oral health. They give parents guidance about preventing oral trauma and disease by encouraging healthy eating. They also help parents establish oral hygiene routines that can be used with their children at home.
Growth Monitoring – Our children's dentists track a child’s overall oral development and growth to detect any dental issues that may occur. This helps our dental team address issues early on before they get worse. If these issues are resolved quickly, the child’s self-esteem can remain preserved.

Positive oral care routines and a diet rich in nutrients can prevent tooth decay. Our children's dentists apply topical fluoride or dental sealants during dental cleanings and checkups which prevent tooth decay. Our dentists will also provide parents with information about sippy cup or bottle cessation, orthodontic pacifiers, and thumb sucking in addition to demonstrating best practices for flossing and brushing teeth.

Sometimes, our children's dentists will discuss early oral treatment options for symptoms which can include bruxism (tooth grinding), malocclusion (teeth and jaw alignment), or oral injury. We offer appliances such as space maintainers or night guards to help with these issues. If the case is more serious, our staff can also perform reconstructive surgery.