Paediatric Dentistry in Waterfall

Where to find a Paediatric Dentistry Specialist in Waterfall?

Waterfall is a lush, green suburb located 30 kilometres outside of Durban, near the suburbs of Kloof and Hillcrest. Being on the outskirts of the city, the climate is much more forgiving than the humidity experienced more inland. The allure of Waterfall is that one can escape city life yet still be in close proximity to it. The Family Dental Care Group has a branch located at Waterfall, at the Links Hill Shopping Centre. The centre provides free parking to visitors and has 24 hour security monitoring services. The Family Dental Care practice in Waterfall has a child friendly dentist and is open from

• Monday to Friday: 8:30 – 17:30
• Saturday: 8:00 – 13:00

What is Paediatric Dentistry?

Paediatric dentistry is a sect of dentistry where dentists are trained to meet the specific needs of the oral health in children. The different stages of childhood provides various challenges in dental care. Paediatric dentistry in Waterfall with Family Dental Care will provide care for your child’s mouth, teeth and gums right from the moment the first tooth erupts until adolescence. It is important for parents to start taking their children to the dentist from as early an age as possible so that there is comfortability and familiarity with a family dentist from early on. This will put kids at ease for all future visits to the dentist. Dental visits should be done twice yearly so that tooth decay can be prevented. During these check-ups, the paediatric dentist will assess the mouth to see that all is in order and pick up on any abnormalities before they get a chance to further cause major problems. The Family Dental Care Group has a television and other equipment to make paediatric dentistry in Waterfall easier and fun for kids. 

Paediatric Dentistry Treatments in Waterfall

• Dental cleaning- Paediatric dentistry in Waterfall with the Family Dental Care Group offers dental cleaning at check-ups. Dental cleaning is important, to remove dental plaque from teeth that may not be removed during daily brushing and flossing. A twice yearly dentist visit is recommended to supplement your child’s dental routine at home. Plaque left on the tooth for too long will lead to cavities, gingivitis and periodontal disease. 
• Fluoride treatments- Paediatric dentistry in Waterfall with the Family Dental Care Group offers fluoride treatments as part of their services, to both their children and adult patients. A fluoride treatment is applied to all of the teeth during your child’s dentist visit. The purpose of the treatment is to protect teeth from forming cavities. Since protection is the core factor with a fluoride treatment then the earlier kids have it done, the better their chances of not developing cavities and negating the need for fillings later on.
• Tooth extractions- Paediatric Dentistry in Waterfall with the Family Dental Care Group also provides tooth extraction services for kids. The child friendly dentist will provide gentle means of removing children’s teeth. If your child is brave and not very nervous about tooth removal then it can be done directly by our paediatric dentist without having to involve an anaesthetist. Our paediatric dentist will use a local anaesthetic to numb the area, so there will be no pain felt by your child, before extracting the tooth
• Fissure sealants- Paediatric dentistry in Waterfall with the Family Dental Care Group offers fissure sealants/dental sealants as an added avenue to protect teeth. Fissure sealants are a plastic coating that is applied to the back teeth, because they contain tiny grooves in which food particles can easily stick onto especially during chewing, and which then becomes very difficult to clean out fully. A fissure sealant is applied to these grooves to smooth them out allowing for easier home cleaning. They are a preventative measure against decay and preferably applied to the teeth of children who have higher risk of forming cavities. Our paediatric dentist should be seen for this treatment as soon as the adult molars come through.
• Fillings- Paediatric dentistry in Waterfall with the Family Dental Care Group provides restorative services to their little patient’s teeth. This is in the form of white composite fillings. This technique can be used to restore a decayed tooth or to cover up a chipped tooth. The major advantage of the composite filling used by the paediatric dentist in Waterfall is that it is made out of materials that blend in fully with the naturalness of the tooth. For this reason they can be used on the front and back teeth. Composite fillings are safe and have no harmful after effects on your child’s tooth. They are preferred by paediatric dentists, over amalgam fillings, because they can fill easily into smaller holes meaning minimal removal of the decayed tooth area.
• Space maintainers- Paediatric Dentistry in Waterfall with the Family Dental Care Group offers a space maintainer to their patients who have lost their baby teeth prematurely. It is a small metal device which is attached to the teeth to fill the space until the permanent tooth comes in. Paediatric dentists will go this route so that the space does not close up which could leave the child with crowded teeth that will require orthodontic intervention later on.

Sedation Options for Paediatric Dentistry

Conscious sedation- Paediatric dentistry in Waterfall with the Family Dental Care Group offers conscious sedation as its first option for sedating extremely nervous children. With this method the dentist will call in a qualified anaesthetist who will administer a series of medicines to block the pain of the surgery and to put the child into a state of deep relaxation. The patient will still be awake but will not feel or care about any of the procedures or treatments being done in their mouth. The dentist can then carry out any dental procedure without a squirming, restless patient. Conscious sedation will be done at the dentists rooms.

General anaesthetic- Paediatric dentistry in Waterfall with the Family Dental Care Group also offers general anaesthesia to patients. In cases where treatments will take a bit of time, your dentist can arrange for an appointment to be made at a theatre at a nearby hospital. The patient will be put to sleep and thereafter all dental work will be done. This option is preferred when there are many treatments to be done such as multiple tooth extractions or fillings on multiple teeth.