Treatments

Webb Pediatric Dentistry is your go-to destination for top-notch pediatric dental treatment and a child-friendly environment. Parents should always keep an eye on their child’s teeth and schedule an appointment with their family dentist as soon as possible if they notice any problems. Small problems can become major issues if they go untreated for too long.

Webb Pediatric Dentistry specializes in treating children of all ages and we offer several treatments that they might need. Receiving treatment early and in a timely manner is particularly important for children because their oral development will impact their health as adults.

A dental cleaning is a routine procedure in which Dr. Webb & her team thoroughly clean every nook and cranny of your child’s teeth and gums, removing hard-to-reach plaque and bacteria that can cause cavities and gum disease.

Dr. Webb Logan will also examine your child’s teeth to check for any potential problems and to make sure teeth are growing correctly. Part of this examination may include x-rays or other imaging to get a full picture of your child’s teeth, jaws, and tissues. This is perfectly normal and will not harm your child.

When it comes to children, parents can expect sudden dental emergencies to pop up now and then. Perhaps your child fell down or took a hit during a sporting event or on the playground resulting in a knocked-out tooth. Maybe your child woke up with a painful toothache or an abscess. Regardless of the problem, if it can’t wait until normal hours, you should seek emergency dental care immediately.

For a knocked-out permanent tooth, rinse the tooth off if it is dirty and try to place it gently back into place. If this doesn’t work, place the tooth in a cup of milk to preserve it during transport to the dentist. Painful toothaches and abscesses could be signs of infection that require immediate attention. In any emergency situation, it’s crucial that parents remain calm. Panicking will only make the emergency worse.

Preventing cavities from developing in the first place should be a top priority of parents, but even the best efforts may not be enough. Cavities are holes in the teeth that form when acids wear down the enamel. Regularly cleaning your child's teeth and watching their diet by avoiding sugary foods and drinks helps prevent cavities.

If your child has a cavity, Dr. Webb may place a filling on the tooth. She will begin by numbing the area of the gums where the tooth is located. Drilling will then take place to remove any decayed part of the tooth. A metal or tooth-colored filling will plug the hole. 

It can be scary when your child chips a tooth, but no worries! Webb Pediatric Dentistry can fix it. Fixing a chipped or broken tooth is important to prevent possible infection or tooth loss. Minor chips can be repaired via filling or bonding, a procedure in which the dentist uses an adhesive to bond a resin to the tooth, which is shaped and hardened to look and feel like part of your natural tooth. More extreme breaks may require a dental crown or a veneer.

Everyone hates the thought of losing a tooth. Especially children. But it’s completely normal for children to lose their baby teeth, so extracting a baby tooth that cannot be saved is not something to worry about. The best thing to do is to keep an eye on the empty space to make sure the adult tooth under the gums erupts normally.

Needing to extract a permanent tooth, however, is a bigger deal because a new tooth won’t grow in to replace it. In this case, a dental implant may be installed that will look and feel like a natural tooth.

Dr. Webb at Webb Pediatric Dentistry will always discuss tooth extraction and other procedures with you beforehand so you know what is happening and what to expect next.

It may be necessary to place your child under anesthesia for a procedure. This is done to keep them calm and reduce their pain and anxiety. The most common form of anesthesia in dentistry is nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. Your child will likely be groggy and may say funny things, but should return to normal soon.

Research tells us anesthesia is safe for children. Webb Pediatric Dentistry has the experience and skill to safely use anesthesia when necessary. "The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recognizes nitrous oxide/oxygen inhalation as a safe and effective technique to reduce anxiety, produce analgesia, and enhance effective communication between a patient and health care provider."

If you have any questions or concerns about pediatric sedation, please contact Dr. Webb and her team by calling us at (704) 980–0545.

Pulp treatment might be necessary if the pulp of your child's tooth is infected and needs to be removed.

If pulp treatment is necessary, Dr. Webb will:

1. Make a hole in the crown of your child's affected tooth
2. Remove the infected pulp then irrigate the root canal to kill any microbes
3. Your child's tooth canal will then be filled.

In order to prevent cavities in molars, parents can opt to have their pediatric dentist apply a sealant on their child's teeth to reduce the risk of cavities. While proper oral care is the best way to prevent cavities, sealants can reduce the risk of cavities, as well.

When necessary Dr. Webb and her team may apply a thin layer of plastic or other dental material over the surface of your child's tooth. This can provide extra protection, especially if your child has yet to establish their healthy oral habits. Which is totally normal, of course!

Fluoride treatment is an effective way to strengthen your child's teeth to prevent cavities and damage. Fluoride is a safe natural mineral that has been added to drinking water for decades to improve the overall dental health of the population.

Another way to add fluoride to your child's dental routine is to obtain a mouthwash or toothpaste that contains it. This can be particularly useful if you live in an area where drinking water doesn’t already contain fluoride or if your child drinks only bottled water.

If you are considering adding fluoride to your child’s oral care routine, ask Dr. Webb and her team how much fluoride is safe for your child to use.