Few things can compare to the smile of your child.

Preventive Services

Stay ahead of decay and protect your child’s overall health through regular preventative care. Children as young as six months can benefit from our expert services and our ability to identify potential issues before they can take root.

Cleanings and Checkups

We offer services specific to children of all ages. Introducing kids early with gradually progressing services is a great way to ease them in to dental appointments. Checkups allow us to examine your child’s mouth for proper development and identify any abnormalities, while our professional cleanings remove buildup that may have been missed by daily brushings and clean below the gumline. Two cleanings a year are recommended for all ages and are the best way to keep decay away.

First Dental Visit and Anticipatory Guidance

We want every trip to our office to be a good one and understand that the “unknown” can add to pre-appointment jitters. Age-appropriate communication is the best way to help kids feel less anxious about dental appointments. Additionally, parents are more calm and can better reassure their child when they also have a clear understanding of what to expect. We take the time to talk with kids and parents, and answer questions before each procedure as well as discuss “what’s next” as we track your child’s progress. We also work with both parents and their children to make sure they know how to properly care for their teeth at home.

Happy Visits

Happy Visits are a great way to get to know our office! Children tend to do better when they are already familiar with the office. A Happy Visit consists of a tour of the office by one of our friendly staff to help alleviate any jitters.

Digital Xrays

Xrays are sometimes necessary to thoroughly examine areas beneath the gumline and inside the teeth where the naked eye simply cannot see. Our practice follows ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable), a standard of care established to minimize radiation doses and the release of radioactive materials to ensure patient safety. Digital xrays also drastically reduce the amount of radiation used as compared to traditional X-rays.

Fluoride Treatments

A simple application “painted” onto teeth helps strengthen teeth’s ability to keep out harmful bacteria and fight decay. We offer several fun flavors such as marshmallow and strawberry, allowing kids to choose their preference! Patients can eat and drink shortly after the treatment is completed.

Don't want fluoride? No problem! All of our prophy pastes are fluoride free!

Sealants

Sealants can be applied to trouble spots such as deep pits in molars or biting surfaces as an extra reinforcement against tooth decay. Sealants are tooth colored, take just moments to apply and can offer years of additional protection for your child’s teeth.

Advanced Services

Minimally Invasive

For younger children, kids with excessive anxiety, or problems with baby teeth that are “on their way out,” we offer minimally invasive options that can address issues with little or no discomfort:

Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) — SDF is an antimicrobial liquid that is brushed onto a tooth to treat a cavity in a minimally invasive, fast and painless manner.
Silver Modified Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (SMART) — This treatment is specified for patients who have had a cavity treated using SDF (above) to add another layer of protection and to help cosmetically conceal the discoloration due to SDF.
ICON Resin Infiltration — This quick painless procedure can greatly reduce white spot lesions — the beginnings of cavities which often become apparent after a child has worn braces — and congenital hypocalcified enamel lesions that cause irregular tooth color. It has cosmetic benefits while arresting the further advancement of the lesions.
Hall Crowns - Sometimes a tooth needs a full coverage restoration in order to preserve its integrity. On a case by case basis, we are able to provide no anesthetic, no drill crowns for little ones with severe anxiety.

Restorations

When a tooth becomes damaged due to decay or injury, it cannot regenerate new tissue and therefore must be restored. Even damaged baby teeth require restoration to prevent further decay or discomfort.

White fillings — After any decay has been removed, these tooth-colored restorations are done to reseal the tooth’s surface. These are done in the case of smaller cavities.
Crowns — Crowns are used to “cap” a severely damaged tooth after the affected area has been removed. Crowns are used when the cavity is too large and too much of the tooth is affected for a simple filling. Crowns restore the function of the tooth while extending its life.

Nerve Therapy (“baby root canal”)

When infection in a baby tooth has made its way into the nerve, it may require a “baby root canal.” In this process, the damaged nerve is removed, and the rest of the tooth is “saved.“ In dental terms, this is called a pulpotomy. This allows the tooth to remain in place until the adult tooth is ready to emerge and take its place.

Tooth “Wiggles” (tooth extractions)

Sometimes a tooth will need to be removed for a variety of reasons such as decay or crowding. As with all procedures, we have options to ensure the process is as pain-free as possible.

Space Maintainers

This simple dental solution maintains a space in the patient’s mouth while waiting for a permanent tooth to emerge after the loss of a baby tooth. A metal band is placed around one or two of the patient’s remaining teeth. A small metal bar connected to the band(s) prevents the open space from closing by holding the teeth in position.

Laser Frenectomy (often called a lip or tongue tie release)

Occasionally, a child will be referred to us for a frenectomy, a procedure to release a small excessive connection under the child’s tongue or upper lip which can cause interference with speech, sleep or breastfeeding. We offer laser frenectomies for our infants rather than ones done with scissors.

“Snipping or clipping” a newborn or infant’s tongue tie rarely resolves the problem and often times makes it worse due to scar tissue buildup after the procedure. Cutting a tongue or lip tie with scissors creates a lot of bleeding which obscures the field of view, resulting in an ineffective and incomplete release. A CO2 laser frenectomy is faster, cauterizes (bleeding control) while cutting, is antimicrobial (less chance of post-operative infection) and has a quicker recovery time. Additionally, laser frenectomies are more effective at removing the unwanted tissue and have less chance of having to be repeated (called a “revision”).

Visit our Tongue Tie Center for more information.

Functional Frenuloplasty

For some children and adults, Dr. Lela will perform what’s call a Functional Frenuloplasty. This incorporates Myofunctional Therapy stretches before, during and after the procedure (Frenuloplasty). In this case, she will use both the laser and scissors to release the frenum. Due to the Myofunctional Therapy exercises performed before the release, bleeding is rarely an issue and a scissor release can yield great results. Sutures are then placed to provide ideal closure and wound healing.

Visit our Tongue Tie Center for more information.

Behavior Management

Whether it is to minimize discomfort or calm anxious nerves, we have several ways to help your child have a positive dental experience:

Tell-Show-Do — We make sure patients and parents alike have an understanding of any instructions through verbal communication and a visual demonstration, followed by a chance to practice before leaving our office.
Nitrous — Often called “laughing gas,” nitrous is administered via a soft breathing mask. It works quickly to mildly calm and sedate the patient, and the affects begin to wear off as soon as the mask is removed.
General Anesthesia — Typically used for more complex and long procedures, general anesthesia is a state of medical unconsciousness.