Children’s Dentistry Frisco

My Child’s First Dental Appointment

We encourage you to bring your child to our dental office every six months for a regular dental exam and cleaning. During this visit, Dr. Prakash Gadhiya and our dental team will gently clean your child’s teeth and check for signs of dental problems, such as tooth decay.

We understand that it is important to build a positive, trusting relationship between your child and the dentist at a young age, and we are dedicated to ensuring they feel comfortable and safe at our office. If you have any questions about your child’s dental health or oral development, we welcome you to ask us during the visit or by calling our dental office.

How Do I Help Children Care for Their Teeth?

In addition to bringing your child to our office for regular checkups, it is important that you help them establish good oral hygiene habits at home. Teach your child to brush and floss their teeth every day and have them follow these simple steps:

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes each time.
• Brush the front, back, and sides of every tooth.
• Brush the tongue.
• Do not swallow toothpaste.
• Floss every day to remove plaque from between the teeth.

To further help your child’s oral health, make sure they’re drinking fluoridated water. If it’s not, our dentist may prescribe fluoride supplements. Also, have your child eat a well-balanced diet that is low in starch and sugary foods. Should they indulge in these foods, make sure they’re included with a meal instead of enjoying them as a snack.

Teenagers Welcome!

Dr. Gadhiya and our team see many changes during a child’s adolescent years, which is why we do our best to keep these smiles on the right track. Several oral concerns may come up, all of which we will address quickly to prevent long-term problems. These may include:

Braces

Those with cooked teeth or a bad bite may benefit from braces. These appliances can straighten your teeth, enhance the appearance of your smile, and improve your oral health because perfectly aligned teeth are easier to maintain. Braces come in several varieties, including tooth-colored and metal braces, and removable aligners.

Wisdom Teeth

A child’s wisdom teeth generally erupt between 17 and 21 years of age. In many cases, there is not enough room in the mouth for these third molars to grow properly. If this is the case, our dentist will refer you to a specialist to have your impacted wisdom teeth removed so that pain, infection, tooth decay, and damage to the surrounding teeth do not occur.

Smoking

Smoking is bad in general, so it’s no surprise that tobacco is also bad for you and your teenager’s teeth. There are several ways that smoking can affect oral health, including:

• Bad breath
• Stained teeth and tongue
• Dulled sense of taste and smell
• Slow recovery and healing after a tooth extraction or oral surgery
• Difficulty with correcting cosmetic dental issues
• Gum disease, and even tooth loss
• Oral cancer

If you or your teenager smoke, try to quit so that the risk of these and other tobacco-related health problems is reduced. It is important that you and/or your teen have a plan, method, and support group when working to kick the habit.

Mouth Jewelry

Piercings of the mouth or tongue may look cool, but they can be dangerous to oral health. The mouth has millions of bacteria, and piercings often cause infection and swelling. If the swelling becomes severe, it could close off the airway. It’s also possible to crack a tooth when biting down on a piercing. Because of these and other risks, it is best not to pierce any part of your mouth.

Sportsguards

If your teen plays a sport like basketball, baseball, or football, our dentist in Frisco, Texas, may recommend they wear a mouthguard. This carefully crafted oral appliance can minimize the potential of needing to leave an athletic event to seek emergency dental care. Instead, a mouthguard can help protect your teenager’s teeth, lips, cheeks, and tongue from injury.