Dental Health Guide

When should my child first visit the dentist?

Your child’s first “normal” dental appointment should be right after your child turns two years old. This is an opportune time to examine your child’s teeth while their early teeth are still forming, allowing our team to identify any early warning signs of oral health concerns. This first appointment will be typically very short and will not involve any actual treatments. Parents will almost always be asked to hold their child during these initial dental appointments. 

These first exams will involve a brier exam of your child’s teeth and gums. Our team will also potentially want to take x-rays to better examine your child’s jaw and bite, as well as to help reveal any signs of decay. We will also take this time to review proper oral health and brushing techniques.

These initial appointments will typically involve:

• A full tooth and gum exam,
• An exam of any oral fixations and habits, such as thumb sucking,
• Exam to see if your child can benefit from flouridation, 
• Dental and oral health education, 
• Scheduling and suggested dates for regular dental visits. 

Pediatric cleanings and hygiene:

The first years of a child’s life are vital for tooth and jaw development as well as oral health. Our team is able to provide pediatric cleanings to kids as well as dental education that can help them learn to not only love coming to the dentist, but to also learn to love taking care of their smiles. Some early age patients may require dental sealants, which help to protect the chewing surfaces of the teeth long-term. This is one example out of many different techniques our team at Las Vegas Family Dentists leverages in order to best protect the long term oral health of pediatric patients. 

Preventing oral health concerns:

One of the best ways to prevent long-term oral health concerns is to develop and maintain a strong oral health regiment starting from a young age. This also involves education on diet and which sugary foods and drinks should be avoided, as well as a high carbohydrate diet early in life. This education also helps your children avoid cavility development early in life, setting them up for a lifetime of healthy and cavity-free smiles. Adolescents should also avoid chewing their food for long periods of time as this leaves food particles on the teeth for longer periods of time, increasing the likelihood of cavity formation. 

Babies will first develop their bottom two teeth, which occurs around 6-8 months of age. The next teeth to erupt will be the upper 4 teeth followed by all remaining teeth. This growth will continue until your child is 2-3 years old, and regular dental visits will help ensure that your child’s teeth fully develop. Then, at around ages 5-6, your child’s adult teeth will begin to erupt, and baby teeth will begin to fall out. Each child’s development is different, and it’s important to note that these timelines can shift by a few months in either direction. 

Speak with our team at Las Vegas Family Dentists today to learn more about pediatric and first-time dental appointments with our family dentistry team!

Gum disease is one of the most common health conditions in America with countless thousands of American adults diagnosed with it every year. Gum disease is a preventable condition that can be avoided with strong oral health as well as specialty toothpastes and mouth rinses. Gum disease occurs when plaque begins to build up in the gum tissue of teeth as the result of decay. Below, we have outlined several of the most commonly-discussed questions and topics surrounding gum disease, as well as how it can best be prevented. 

Speak with our team at Las Vegas Family Dentists today to learn more about preventing gum disease, and what the best treatment routes maybe for you. 

Oral Hygiene 

A strong oral health regimen is absolutely the best way to prevent gum disease, tooth loss, and other oral health complications from developing. In fact, adults today will lose more teeth from gum disease than from cavities. Preventing gum disease and tooth loss comes down to proper brushing and flossing technique, as well as regular visits to your dentist. Plaque, a sticky bacteria-filled material, is always forming on your teeth. The best way to remove this plaque is to be consistently removing this plaque through brushing and flossing. When gum disease begins to develop, it can be expedited through different habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption. As plaque hardens, it eventually forms tartar, the main culprit in tooth loss and excessive tooth decay, eventually making tooth extractions necessary. 

Periodontal Disease

The more advanced form of gum disease is periodontal disease, which is the clinical/formal name given to gum disease. Bacteria in the gums and a general lack of oral health can cause acidity and plaque buildup in the teeth and gums, causing them to appear red and irritated. This also causes the gums to ever so slightly begin to separate from the teeth themselves, creating pockets where plaque and tartar can form. This also begins to affect the underlying bone material, and can weaken this bone overtime when teeth are not cared for correctly. 

Keeping Gum Disease At Bay

As stated above, a strong oral health regimen is the best line of defense against plaque buildup and tooth loss. Regular visits to your dentist can also help to spot decay and other oral health concerns early on. If and when gum disease presents itself, patients should always seek professional treatments, and our team at Las Vegas Family Dentists can best advise you on what steps should be taken to properly address any case of gum disease you may be experiencing. 

Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS)

OMS specialists, or, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, are dentists who specialize in surgical procedures of the mouth, as well as the jaw and other areas of the face. These specialists will undergo additional years of surgical training as well as medical training outside of dentistry that prep them to be able to perform a wide array of speciality procedures on the soft tissues of the mouth as well as the jaw and face. 

Periodontal Care 

Periodontists are dentists who are specialists in the gums and gum disease. These specialists require additional schooling and will spent the bulk of their clinical work focussing on the gums and the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of gum disease. 

Referrals to Periodontists

Depending on exact patient needs, our team at Las Vegas Family Dentists is able to treat gum disease in-office, but may refer you to an outside specialist depending on the details of your case. In the case of referrals, our team will best advise this specialist on your case as well as give any case details that we have collected. This specialists will then advise and treat referred patients according to their exact clinical needs. 

Endodontia And Inner-Tooth Care

Endodontics is the field of dentistry that focuses on the inner-tooth materials as well as complications that occur with the dental “pulp,” which is the material that the inside of the tooth is made of. These specialists perform tests meant to identify the health of the pulp as well as monitor any health conditions dealing with the inner-most part of the teeth. The general goal of endodontic care is to save teeth from extraction in helping to protect and heal this inner layer of teeth. 

Prosthodontics

Prosthodontists specialize in oral health conditions related to tooth loss and other tooth structures. These specialists are able to create treatment plans that help to restore the teeth after tooth loss has occurred, and help to retain the full function of teeth as well as the jaw. 

Pediatric And Children’s Dentistry 

Our team at Las Vegas Family Dentists is able to offer hygiene appointments and exams to children. Pediatric dentistry specialists are dentists who not only love working with kids, but who possess special knowledge of the early stages of tooth development and the oral health conditions that children most commonly develop in these early years. Pediatric dentistry specialists are able to identify early warning signs of oral health conditions early on, and are capable of creating treatment plans to address any existing oral health conditions or concerns. 

Orthodontics

Orthodontists specialize in tooth positioning as well as the jaw. Orthodontists leverage braces, aligners, and other appliances to help to re-arrange teeth to an optimal position, as well as care for the jaw and bite alignment. There are many different situations in which a child or even adult patient may need to see an orthodontist, such as tooth crowding, spacing, jaw misalignment, and other reasons. Your dentist may recommend orthodontic treatments after identifying potential or existing complications with the jaw or tooth positioning or straightness. 

At Las Vegas Family Dentists, our veteran team includes specialists from many different arrays of dental and oral surgical care to be able to offer our patients as many dental and surgical solutions as possible under one roof. Depending on your case, we may refer patients to specialists that best meet their treatment needs. Speak with our team today to learn about the many different dental specialties we’re able to offer at Las Vegas Family Dentists!