Dentistry for Kids Our dentistry services for kids are intended to monitor their development and resolve any issues before they advance and cause permanent damage. At New Life Dental, we provide routine cleanings as well as orthodontics, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry procedures to ensure that your child's mouth is healthy. We also provide information on nutrition and oral care at home so you can ensure your child's health in between dental appointments.CleaningYour child should receive a professional dental cleaning once every six months. During these cleanings, we will remove plaque and tartar from your child's teeth with a dental scaler. After our dental hygienist has removed the plaque and tartar from the teeth, they will polish your teeth using toothpaste and an electric toothbrush. The toothpaste has a gritty texture and helps to remove stains. The next step is flossing, using traditional dental floss. Finally, we apply fluoride if needed. This is pretty common in pediatric patients since they tend not to get enough of the mineral in their diet. OrthodonticsOrthodontics is used when your child has a misaligned jaw or teeth. These are pieces of dental equipment that work to shift the jaw and teeth into the correct position. Common orthodontic treatments include braces, wires, brackets, bands, headgear, clear aligners, and retainers. We can also offer custom mouth guards for both sports and nighttime use. These are beneficial in protecting your child from maxillofacial injuries when they play. Nightguards are useful for kids who experience teeth grinding at night, a condition called bruxism. They can also help in some cases of sleep apnea. Cosmetic DentistryCosmetic dentistry is less common among our pediatric patients, but these procedures are wonderful for boosting your child's self-esteem. Cosmetic pediatric dental procedures include no-prep veneers, teeth whitening, dental bonding, and a dental flipper. No-prep veneers are thin shells that mask damaged or discolored teeth. Teeth whitening comes in several different options, but we do also offer professional whitening treatment at our office. Dental bonding is the use of composite to repair cracks, chips, or discoloration in teeth. Dental flippers are replacement teeth that are given to children who experience dental trauma or severe tooth decay, causing the need for extraction. Restorative DentistryRestorative dentistry is used to treat dental diseases and damage. Some of these procedures include fillings, crowns, pulpotomies, extractions, and space maintainers. Fillings are materials inserted into a tooth and hardened once a cavity has been drilled. Crowns are caps for your child's damaged tooth. These act like natural teeth, though the look will depend on the specific material used. Pulpotomies involve the removal of the dental pulp, a substance inside the tooth, due to infection. Extractions can be either simple or surgical, but both involve tooth removal. Space maintainers are used to save spots for permanent teeth to come in if your child loses a tooth too early. Without these, the teeth will shift to fill in the gap, creating pain and maldevelopment later on. We use local or general anesthetic in our procedures if needed. For more information on children's dentistry, call New Life Dental at (227) 258-3188. |
 Office HoursMon-Thu: 8:00am - 5:00pm *Closed for lunch 12-1pm Mon, Tues, Thurs & 1-2pm Weds Fri: Closed |
