Diagnostic

• Dental Examination
  Jackson Pediatric Dentistry hopes to become your child's dental home. Serving as such allows us to implement preventive dental health habits, which keep a child free from dental/oral disease and which continually reinforce the habits at each six-month visit. The first dental exam should be scheduled after the eruption of the child's first tooth. This visit is usually around the age of six months but no later than 12 months.

Preventive

• Teeth Cleaning
• Fluoride Treatment
  Although drinking water, toothpaste, and many mouthwashes contain fluoride, regular dentist-supervised fluoride treatments are vital in strengthening your child's teeth. With one of our dentists’ supervision, a fluoride varnish or foam can be applied to your child's teeth. This fluoride inhibits the loss of minerals and helps boost the re-mineralization process (strengthening of weakened areas of the tooth), making your child's teeth strong and more resistant to decay. In some cases, it is important that your child not eat or drink for a time after receiving the treatment. We will provide specific instructions.
• Dental Sealants
  A dental sealant refers to the application of a clear/white plastic material that acts as a barrier between food and the chewing surface of your child's teeth, protecting those surfaces against decay. Children often struggle to brush effectively, especially when it comes to back teeth. Throw in the fact that many children have a diet high in sugary snacks, and it's easy to see why sealant treatment can be valuable in preserving and protecting your child's teeth.
• Space Maintainers
  Space maintainers are metal appliances custom fit for your child's mouth. When baby teeth are lost too soon due to trauma or decay, the other teeth around that area will start to move and fill in the space left by the missing tooth. This is called "space loss." If the teeth are not prevented from shifting, there will not be adequate space for the eruption of the permanent tooth. This often leads to the need for extensive orthodontic treatment. The goal of space maintenance is to hold open that space providing a path for the natural eruption of the developing permanent tooth.

Restorative

• Fillings
• Resin Composite
  When any decay is removed from your child's tooth, the natural shape of the tooth is restored, and the natural structure of the tooth is protected by the placement of a filling. In most instances, a tooth-colored resin composite will be the material used for the restoration.
• Crowns
  The lips, cheeks, tongue, and teeth will continue to be numb for one-to-three hours after the appointment, depending on the anesthetic used. Monitor your child until the effects of the anesthesia have worn off. Also, do not eat hard or sticky foods for the remainder of the day. The glue will not be fully set for hours after the placement of the crown. Hard or sticky foods may dislodge or move the crown.

Endodontics

• Pulpotomy
  The most commonly used pulp therapy is called a pulpotomy. During this treatment, the affected nerve tissue in the crown of the tooth is removed. The goal is to maintain the vitality of the baby tooth. Although used less often, a pulpectomy is done when the entire pulp of the tooth is infected. The pulp from the crown, as well as the roots, is removed. The goal of a pulpectomy is to keep the tooth in the mouth for as long as possible, avoiding or delaying extraction.
• Root Canal Treatment
  Pulp therapy (also known in pediatric dentistry as a "baby root canal") addresses issues with the internal structure of the tooth, where the pulp (made up of the nerve and blood vessels) is located. Often, these issues cause discomfort or pain when eating or trying to sleep, and pulp therapy will give your child relief and will restore his or her ability to chew without trouble.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Tooth Extractions
  Sometimes the best treatment for your child's long-term dental health involves a tooth extraction. A tooth extraction can serve many purposes, from removing the source of infection which could potentially harm the developing permanent tooth to making room for new "adult" teeth to come in properly. Under Dr. Jackson or Dr. Moore’s care, a tooth extraction is a gentle procedure. You and your child will be informed every step of the way so that there is no "fear of the unknown." Remember, your child eventually loses each primary tooth naturally, so he or she will have little trouble adjusting to the missing tooth. Every young smile is different. When it comes to a tooth extraction for your child, Dr. Jackson or Dr. Moore will explain the specific circumstances and goals for his or her smile.