Paediatric Dentist in Durban North

Caring for your child’s teeth – here’s why it’s critical 

Paediatric dentistry is a primary focus at our practice. While optimum oral health is important for the whole family, caring for your child’s teeth comes with a particular degree of specialisation that we’re proud of offer as a top paediatric dentist in Durban North. As a parent, you probably wouldn’t dream of not taking your little one to the paediatrican for check-ups. It should be no different when it comes to your paediatric dentist.

 

Why visit a paediatric dentist in Durban North? Surely a general dentist can treat my child?

It is true that all dentists are trained to treat tooth and oral health issues across the general age spectrum. But it is also equally accurate to say that not all dentists are as skilled, qualified or adept at:

• handling the particular issues in dentistry pertaining specifically to kids, such as baby bottle caries or frenectomy
• making kids feel comfortable with treatment and instilling the confidence required in both them and the parents in going through with required procedures.

Our paediatric dentist in Durban North not only has an advanced degree of specialisation and experience in treating children’s teeth, but is also acutely adept at winning the hearts – and trust – of young ones in the dental chair.

 

Here’s what makes our paediatric dentist in Durban North the natural choice for your child

A kid-first and kid-friendly approach

Getting into the dentist’s chair is daunting, and our highly trained paepediatric dentist in Durban North has great empathy with your child or little one. The psychology of making your child feel at ease comes first. While what you as the parent have to say is always important, we know from professional experience that it is just as vital to establish a repertoire with our young patients. The more that they can tell us around any issues they may have, the easier and less invasive exams and procedures may be.

If patience is a virtue, our paediatric dentist in Durban North could be the patron saint of kids coming to the dentist

We need your young child’s trust if things are to go smoothly. Restlessness and panic can easily set in once in the dentist’s chair, so we’ll use tricks and techniques to allay these understandable behaviours. We are mindful of being fun, upbeat, welcoming, patient and caring when interacting with your child.

This also means that our paediatric dentist in Durban North takes being thorough very seriously. We will not rush through any fears you or your child may have, and will answer your questions as best we can.

 

A high degree of kid-freindly specialisation

In addition to being kid-centric, our paediatric dentist in Durban North stays on top of advances in child dentistry. This is both a calling and a passion, so we’re never satisfied with the already deep knowledge and vast experience we have in the field. Ongoing learning is a priority for us.

Dental problems faced by children

Young patients face their own dental challenges. Here are some of them that we deal with.

Frenectomy

In some patients, there is a piece of tissue that connects the lips or tongue to your child’s jawbone which has to be removed. Sometimes a gap between the two upper front teeth occurs when this tissue is connected to the gums in a position that is too high up. In later years, this can lead to a gap-toothed smile which often affects self-confidence. Although it isn’t clear if this also affects speech delay, it does seem to affect word articulation in the very young. It can also affect breastfeeding.

A frenectomy is the surgical corrective procedure that is performed. The sooner it is done, the better. At out practice though, we assess each instance on a case-by-case basis, and would not proceed with any unwarranted interference.

Extracting baby teeth

For a number of reasons, it may be necessary to remove one or two baby teeth. This is done under aneasthesia and using child-tailored surgical extraction equipment so that pain is not a problem.

Dental trauma

Along with infections, this is one of the issues our paediatric dentist in Durban North attends to most often. As young children learn to walk and ride trainer bikes and become more mobile, they also become more adventurous. Unfortunately, accidents are more common than parents would hope due to your young child’s unsteady coordination. The teeth, jaw and gums could all be affected.

Baby bottle caries or cavities

Cavities can form in the mouths of babies or young children due to bacterial infections stemming from bottle feeding, amongst others. It is important to treat this when it arises so the impact is immediately minimised, and the damage reversed.

This often also goes hand-in-hand with teething problems. Those cries and tantrums may be the result of more than just the inherent irritability that comes with teething. If you’re in doubt, consult our paediatric dentist.

Infections

Although rare, there are a number of infections that could arise – a dental abscess could not only occur in an adult mouth, for example. After a thorough examination, a small incision into the area affected is made and the fluid is removed.

Tips for keeping your child’s teeth in tip-top shape

Good oral hygiene is as important for your child – if not more so – as it is for the whole family.

• Change your child’s toothbrush regularly. If the same toothbrush is used for the whole year, the bristles won’t eradicate as much plaque.
• Get your toddler into the habit of a twice-daily tooth-cleaning regime. A good incentive may be to tell your kids that on certain days of each week they are allowed to enjoy some sweets, as long as they brush their teeth diligently and thoroughly twice a day, every
• Use the best quality fluoride toothpaste you can afford.
• Explain the harmful effects of sugar to your children. Emphasis should not only be placed on why it’s bad for overall health, but particularly on the corrosive effects sugar can have on teeth. Encourage them to swap out fizzy drinks or healthier options. Also, try to steer away from a household culture in which chewing on sweets and candy as default snacks are the norm.
• Get your child into the habit of flossing his or her teeth from a young age.
• Bring your child in for a routine checkup under the age of three, and for regular teeth cleaning after that.