Oral Surgery Services for Kids and Teens
Sometimes, our kids end up in a situation where oral surgery might be the best option. It could be a situation where veneers for children or teenagers are the right option, or you might find your child in need of sedation dentistry and have questions about the side effects in children. Whatever the case may be, we’re here to point you in the right direction.
Root Canals
We don’t like to think about root canals as adults, let alone think about them for our children and teenagers. The good news is, we’re here to make this process as painless as possible for both mom and dad and the children.
The first thing to understand is that primary teeth are a bit like guides for the permanent teeth that follow them. If something happens to the guide, that’s not a good thing for the tooth to follow. If the pulp, which is the tissue inside a tooth, becomes infected, the tooth could be in danger of being lost. Root canal is the best course of action in this situation.
We can talk you through exactly what to watch for to prevent this sort of thing from happening, or explain why a root canal is needed, and ease your child’s mind by explaining what we plan to do and why it’s important for long term health.
Wisdom Teeth
As parents, many of us remember having our wisdom teeth removed as youngsters. While we might remember a less than fun recovery process, the procedure has improved somewhat since we were younger. It’s often necessary to remove these final sets of molars due to improper alignment. As your child enters their teens and especially as they progress toward their twenties, decisions regarding wisdom teeth almost always have to be made.
If removal is necessary, we’ll provide you with all the facts you need to know about the procedure, the recovery process, how it will impact important activities such as sports and why we feel it’s the right move at the time we’re making the recommendation.
Wisdom teeth removal is also often one of the last procedures that will take place over the course of your child’s pediatric dental history. As they move toward adulthood, this can ensure continued oral health for years to come.
Crowded Teeth and Tooth Extractions
In certain cases, extreme crowding can lead to the extraction of a tooth. In many cases, the premolars, or bicuspids are the teeth that are removed. This is done during the early stages of orthodontic treatment, as we’re beginning to assess whether enough space exists to properly align the teeth. Once we’ve had an opportunity to make that assessment, we’ll explain exactly why we think tooth extraction is necessary, and answer any questions you have about the process.
Creating necessary space for proper alignment will be a vital part of ensuring that you and your child are satisfied with the orthodontic process once it’s been completed in full.
Crossbites, Underbites, and Overbites
A bite that does not meet properly is known as a malocclusion, and is often inherited. However, some times can be acquired. Some of the causes of a malocclusion might include missing or extra teeth, crowded teeth or misaligned jaws. Accidents or developmental issues, such as finger or thumb sucking over an extended period of time, may also cause malocclusions.
As we assess these types of situations, we’ll explain exactly what type of malocclusion we think your child has, as well as the best course of action toward correcting it.
Dental Implants and Veneers
A dental implant is an implant that we permanently attach to your child’s jawbone, in order to replace a missing tooth or teeth. A veneer, on the other hand, is a plastic, porcelain or composite material used to improve the attractiveness of a stained or damaged tooth.
As these options arise, we'll discuss the best course of action with you or your child.