At Albano & Greenwald Family Dentistry, we provide a full spectrum of pediatric dental services designed to protect and enhance your child’s oral health. Our services include preventive care, diagnostic imaging, and treatments tailored to the unique needs of children. 

Our team is adept at handling everything from routine check-ups to more complex dental issues, ensuring your child receives the best care in a comfortable and nurturing environment.

Cleanings & Exams

Regular cleanings and exams are fundamental aspects of pediatric dental care. During these visits, we gently clean your child’s teeth, removing plaque and tartar that can lead to decay. We also perform a thorough examination of the teeth, gums, and mouth to detect any potential issues early on. 

These routine visits are not only essential for maintaining dental health but also serve as an opportunity to teach your child about the importance of good oral hygiene practices. We strive to make each visit educational and enjoyable, helping your child develop positive associations with dental care.

Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is a natural mineral that plays an essential role in strengthening tooth enamel and preventing cavities. At our clinic, we offer fluoride treatments as a quick and effective way to help protect your child’s teeth from decay. 

The treatment involves applying a fluoride varnish to the teeth, which hardens quickly and helps to remineralize tooth enamel. This process is safe and painless and can be done as part of a regular dental check-up. Fluoride treatments are particularly beneficial for children who are at higher risk of developing dental caries, providing an extra layer of defense against tooth decay.

Sealants

Dental sealants offer an effective preventive measure against tooth decay, especially for children who are still learning optimal dental hygiene practices. Sealants are a thin, protective coating that is applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth—where most cavities in children are found. 

This coating acts as a barrier, protecting enamel from plaque and acids. The application process is quick, painless, and can be completed during a regular dental visit. Sealants are highly durable and can last for several years under the force of normal chewing and can be reapplied if necessary. They are a practical and proactive step in preventing cavities and maintaining your child’s oral health.

Fillings

Despite our best efforts in preventive care, sometimes cavities happen. When a child does get a cavity, fillings are necessary to restore the tooth. Our practice uses materials that are safe and durable, matched to the color of your child’s teeth, to maintain a natural look.

The process involves removing the decayed tooth material, cleaning the affected area, and then filling the cleaned-out cavity with a filling material. 

This treatment not only repairs the tooth but also prevents further decay by sealing off any cracks or spaces where bacteria might enter. We ensure that the process is as comfortable and stress-free as possible for your child, with minimal discomfort.

Pediatric Pulp Therapy

Pediatric pulp therapy, often referred to as a “baby root canal,” is a procedure used to treat, repair, and preserve a tooth that has been severely decayed or infected. The pulp of the tooth contains nerves and blood vessels, which can become inflamed or infected due to deep decay, trauma, or extensive restorative work.

In this treatment, the diseased pulp tissue is removed, the area is disinfected, and then it is filled with a biocompatible material that provides a foundation for further restoration. 

This therapy is crucial for maintaining the tooth’s integrity and preventing its premature loss, which is essential for maintaining proper spacing for permanent teeth as your child grows. Our team handles these sensitive procedures with care, ensuring your child’s comfort and the long-term health of their teeth.

Crowns

In pediatric dentistry, crowns are used to repair and protect a child’s tooth that has been compromised by decay, damage, or after receiving pulp therapy. Crowns restore the shape, strength, and function of a tooth with more substantial material loss, which cannot be sufficiently restored with a filling alone. They cover the entire visible part of the tooth above the gum line, effectively encapsulating it. 

We offer crowns made from durable, tooth-colored materials that blend seamlessly with your child’s natural teeth, ensuring the restoration is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The placement process is straightforward and performed with your child’s comfort in mind, making sure the experience is as positive as possible.

Tooth Extractions

Tooth extractions in children may be necessary for several reasons, including severe decay, infection, or as part of orthodontic treatment to correct overcrowding. Our primary goal is to preserve natural teeth when possible, but when an extraction is required, our skilled team ensures that the procedure is as stress-free and painless as possible. 

We use techniques that minimize discomfort and explain the process in a child-friendly way to ease any anxiety. After the extraction, we provide detailed care instructions and options for space maintainers if needed to prevent other teeth from moving and to prepare for the arrival of permanent teeth.

Space Maintainers

When a child loses a tooth prematurely or has one extracted, space maintainers can be crucial to ensuring the correct development of their permanent teeth. These custom-made appliances help maintain the space left by the lost tooth, preventing other teeth from shifting into the empty space and causing alignment problems.

Space maintainers are typically passive and do not move teeth; they merely hold space until the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. Our team carefully assesses each child’s needs to determine if a space maintainer is necessary and ensures its proper fit and comfort. Maintaining proper space in a child’s mouth is a proactive step toward a healthier, well-aligned smile as they grow.