PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY BAKERSFIELD
Your Child’s Healthy Smile Starts Here
Growing smiles need access to preventive dental care. Cavities remain the most common oral health problem among children, and the damage they cause can have long-term repercussions. Our team aims to prevent this issue (and many more) with early detection. With six-month dental checkups and teeth cleanings, fluoride treatment, dental sealants, and more, we can better protect and minimize the risk of more serious problems down the road. If it’s time for your child’s next preventive dental checkup, call our Bakersfield dental office today to schedule an appointment.
Why Choose Purdy Pediatric Dentistry for Kid’s Preventive Dental Care?
- Bilingual Team That Speaks Both Spanish & English
- Delivering First-Rate Pediatric Dental Care for 25 Years
- Flexible Payment Options to Minimize Out-of-Pocket Costs
Dental Checkups & Cleanings
We encourage six-month dental checkups and teeth cleanings for patients so that we can take digital X-rays and perform a visual examination of their mouth and facial features. We’ll check for signs of cavities, gum disease, bite misalignment, damage, and even oral cancer. If concerning areas are discovered, we’ll develop a treatment plan and go over it with you during the appointment before one of our staff begins to clean and polish your child’s teeth. Removing harmful plaque and tartar from their pearly whites and gumline will ensure their smile remains healthy in between appointments.
Fluoride Treatment
Naturally occurring in various foods, oral hygiene products, and tap water, fluoride treatment is recommended by dentists for its ability to prevent dental decay by strengthening tooth enamel. If your child is prone to developing cavities or is not receiving enough fluoride exposure at home, we can provide an additional application during a regular checkup. The process is completely painless, so your child will have nothing to worry about when we apply the fluoride to their teeth for another added layer of protection.
Dental Sealants
Permanent molars can often be the hardest areas of the mouth to reach for a child. They also have deep grooves which are natural areas that are hard if not impossible to clean. When brushing, these surfaces can be easily missed, making it easier for bacteria and food particles to collect in the crevices and grooves of teeth, resulting in tooth decay. With dental sealants, though, we can apply a clear layer of composite resin to the chewing surfaces of these teeth and create a barrier of protection that can last up to a decade.
Non-Nutritive Oral Habits
Thumb-sucking and pacifier use are common among infants and young toddlers, as these are ways for them to self-soothe when feeling unsure or afraid. However, these prolonged habits can have harmful effects on your child’s facial and oral development. To prevent bite misalignment and other serious abnormalities, our team will provide helpful tips and recommendations to stop these habits at home without causing your child to experience a meltdown.
Space Maintainers
If your child loses a baby tooth prematurely and their permanent tooth has yet to erupt, we can insert space maintainers. These small appliances fit nicely into vacant areas of your child’s mouth, keeping natural teeth in place and preventing them from shifting out of alignment. This will give your child’s adult teeth time to push through the gums without any difficulty.