FAQ
Why does my child need dental x-rays?
X-rays, or radiographs, are a vital part of the dental diagnostic process and help Dr. Hayley detect much more than just cavities. Without them, certain dental conditions such as cavities, pathologies, or developmental abnormalities will likely be missed. If dental issues are found and treated early, dental care can be less invasive, more comfortable for your child, and more affordable for you.
The need for x-rays is based upon many factors including age, behavior, and risk for tooth decay. On average, the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry recommends x-rays be taken once a year in combination with a thorough dental exam.
I’m concerned about my child’s radiation exposure from dental x-rays. Aren’t you?
At Santa Barbara Children’s Dentistry, we are very careful to minimize exposure of our patients to radiation and will only recommend what is medically necessary to provide the highest quality care. We use the most up-to-date technology that provides the least exposure possible while also using lead aprons and shields to help protect your child.
Put simply, your child may receive more radiation exposure on a sunny afternoon at the beach than they receive while having their dental x-rays taken. While we aim to minimize the amount of exposure your child receives, x-rays are critical for proper dental diagnosis.
What are dental sealants?
Dental sealants are used to help protect the deep grooves and pits on the chewing surfaces of your child’s teeth, particularly in the back teeth or molars. Most tooth decay and cavities form in these grooves because this is one of the most difficult areas from which to remove plaque. To help reduce the risk of decay formation on the chewing surfaces of these teeth, a dental sealant is used to seal off the deep pits and provide a smoother surface that is easier to keep clean and free of dental decay.
Do dental sealants contain BPA?
Here at Santa Barbara Children’s Dentistry, we are proud to share that all of our sealants are BPA free! Some sealants contain a compound called Bisphenol-A (BPA). Bisphenols are formed in numerous consumer products including food containers and baby bottles. For your child’s protection, we make sure the sealant used in our office is BPA-free.
What does getting a dental sealant entail?
Getting dental sealants is quick and painless. First, the surface to be sealed will be cleaned and either cotton or a fancy isolation device will be placed in your child’s mouth to keep the teeth dry. Next, a “tooth shampoo” will be placed on your child’s tooth in order to prepare it to receive the sealant. This will be rinsed off after 15-30 seconds prior to sealant placement.
Finally, the fluid sealant material will be applied to the grooves and then cured with a gentle light very similar to the type you would see at a nail salon. The tooth will be rinsed to wash away any residual material, and your child will walk out of our office with more cavity-resistant teeth!
If you have any additional questions about this treatment or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us at 805-421-4469 and our team will be happy to assist you.
My child gets incredibly nervous and anxious at the dentist. How can we help her get the dental procedures she needs?
There are two great options that we provide at Santa Barbara Children’s Dentistry to help make your child’s dental procedures more enjoyable for both him/her and you.
Nitrous oxide, often called “laughing gas,” is a safe, mild sedative that will assist in relieving your child’s anxiety levels during short dental procedures. This type of treatment is recommended for children with a mild level of dental anxiety. This medication is given with the use of a nasal hood or “bubble gum nose” which carries air (oxygen) mixed with the medication. Your child will be asked to breathe through the nose and sense a faint, sweet smell. The sedation will take effect in about 5 minutes. The mask will remain in place until the procedure is done. Your child will be awake during the entire procedure and may have a “happy” feeling, feel tingling in their fingers or toes, or have the sensation of floating.
When the procedure is complete, the nitrous oxide will be turned off and your child will breathe in pure oxygen for about 5 minutes to clear out any remaining gas. Your child will walk out of our office at their baseline without any remaining laughing gas in their system. In order to enhance the effect of the medication, you should limit your child to a light meal before this procedure. Overall, this type of treatment lowers the chance of injury and provides a more enjoyable environment for the patient.
As a second option, we provide IV sedation. This is a pharmacologically-induced “sleep” state recommended for children with moderate to severe dental anxiety needing more extensive treatment. The aim of a general anesthetic is to create a lack of sensation and to ensure no memory of the procedure and no pain. We work in association with dental and/or medical anesthesiologists to provide this type of treatment in our office. This type of treatment requires home preparation prior to the appointment. You will receive a call from our office and the anesthesiologist prior to the scheduled procedure for specific recommendations for your child.
My child is getting IV Sedation for a procedure. What can I expect?
You will receive a call from our office and the anesthesiologist prior to the scheduled procedure for specific recommendations for your child. However, general recommendations are as follows:
- After midnight the night before the procedure, do not give your child any solid food or non-clear liquids. That includes milk, formula, juices with pulp, and chewing gum or candy.
- Up to 2 hours before the scheduled arrival time, give only clear liquids. Clear liquids include water and juices you can see through, such as apple juice. Milk is not a clear liquid.
You may be given the option of being present as your child falls asleep for the procedure. As a parent, watching your child undergo sedation may be a very uncomfortable experience for you. Children can sense a parent’s concern — so for your presence to be helpful to your child, you must try to be as calm and encouraging as possible.
There are certain things you should expect after an IV sedation procedure. Children coming out of sedation react in different ways. Your child might cry, be fussy or confused, feel sick to his or her stomach, or vomit. These reactions are normal and will go away as the sedation medication wears off. When your child is discharged, he or she still might be groggy, dizzy, or nauseous, and should take it easy for the rest of the day.
Your child’s mouth may remain numb for 1 to 2 hours after the procedure. For this reason, use caution when your child eats and drinks for about 2 hours after the procedure. Specific dietary recommendations will be provided for you on the day of the procedure depending on treatment completed during IV sedation. Upon returning home, your child should take it easy for the rest of the day and not return to school or daycare that day.
If you have any additional questions about our process, please call us at 805-421-4469 and our team will be happy to assist you.
Why does my child need a filling?
During the dental exam, Dr. Hayley may find decay present in your child’s tooth or teeth. The filling eliminates the active bacteria that is destroying the tooth and replaces it with tooth like structure to prevent further breakdown. As long as there isn’t a significant amount of missing tooth structure and in the absence of signs of infection, the tooth can be restored with a simple composite filling.
I have been told that my child needs a filling. What can I expect?
Before placing any fillings, your child will be made to feel comfortable in the dental setting. Sometimes this is achieved by using nitrous oxide, often referred to as “happy air” or “laughing gas.” We recommend the use of nitrous oxide on a case by case basis and will speak with you further if we feel your child will benefit from its use during their appointment.
The process of getting a filling entails:
- The tooth is anesthetized or “numbed” using a local anesthetic and then the decay is removed. Your child should not feel any pain but may experience some discomfort when first being numbed.
- A mildly acidic “tooth shampoo” is placed in the preparation, rinsed away, and then a resin bonding material is placed before the composite filling material is placed to restore the missing tooth structure. These two steps enhance the ability of the composite resin to bond to the tooth structure.
- Once the filling is in place, we then “harden” the filling to the tooth by placing a blue light on it.
- Finally, adjustments to the filling are made so your child leaves with a comfortable bite.
- It is common during the adjustments of fillings for children to have a hard time telling if their bite is normal due to the numbing effects of the local anesthetic. It becomes more apparent once the numbing medicine wares off. If your child is complaining of pain when biting or sensitivity after a filling, please contact our office immediately and we will schedule an appointment to have it further adjusted.
Does my child need a filling if they have a cavity in a baby tooth?
Yes! Although we want to remain conservative in the amount of treatment your child receives and never want to do more than is needed, it is recommended that your child receive a filling on a tooth that has decay, even if it’s a baby tooth! It is a common misconception that baby teeth with cavities are nothing to worry about because they will just “fall out.” Bacteria spreads much more rapidly in thinner and more porous baby teeth than adult teeth.
Once the decay becomes extensive, the bacteria in a cavity can cause pain and infection that can spread to and affect the developing adult tooth beneath the gum line. If you suspect your child may have a cavity on one of their baby teeth, please contact our office to schedule an exam with Dr. Hayley.
Can my child’s tooth be pulled out instead of getting a crown?
Many parents often wonder why we don’t just pull out teeth that are badly decayed instead of restoring them with a crown. For some cases, we are able to pull out the baby tooth and place a space maintainer to hold space for the incoming adult tooth. However, this isn’t the case for every child. For this reason, Dr. Hayley will do an overall assessment of the condition of the tooth in question as well as estimate the amount of time until it will be lost in order to determine the best course of action for the tooth.
Dr. Hayley has been specially trained to restore your child’s smile back to its natural beauty. Call our office today to make an appointment to determine what the best option would be for your child.
What Are Dental Space Maintainers?
A space maintainer is an appliance that is made out of metal and placed into a child’s mouth to replace a lost, missing, or extracted tooth to maintain the space what was held by the lost tooth and allow for proper dental development.
When a baby tooth or teeth is/are lost prematurely due to dental trauma or dental caries, the empty spaces in your child’s smile can create serious dental and orthodontic issues because the rest of the teeth often drift and shift to fill the gap. This can lead to permanent teeth coming in crooked or not coming in at all (a condition referred to as tooth impaction). This can lead to crowding, difficulty maintaining proper dental hygiene and/or even difficulties with proper oral function (eating, speaking, talking). Dental space maintainers are a great way to keep that space open, so that permanent teeth are more likely to come in correctly aligned.
Losing a baby tooth early doesn’t always mean that your child will need a dental space maintainer. During your appointment, Dr. Hayley will examine your child’s case to determine what is needed.
My child needs a space maintainer. What can I expect?
Space maintainers can either be fabricated in the office as a single visit or fabricated by a laboratory as a two-part visit using a dental impression or mold depending on number and location of teeth lost. It may take a few days for your child to get used to wearing their space maintainer. Help your child avoid sticky foods like gum, caramel, and candy.
Additionally, discourage them from pushing the space maintainers with their tongue or fingers as this can loosen the appliance. Dr. Hayley will review how to properly clean and care for the space maintainer with you and your child.
Please don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions about an existing space maintainer or think your child may need one.
What should I do if my child has a dental emergency?
If your child faces a dental emergency, please call us immediately at (805) 421-4469. We are here for you! If you need urgent treatment after hours, you can call our emergency number listed on our answering machine or visit your local hospital. Below are tips on dealing with urgent dental situations.
Broken, Chipped, or Fractured Tooth
If your child has chipped or broken a piece off of a tooth, particularly in adult teeth, first attempt to locate and save the tooth fragment if possible. Rinse his or her mouth with warm water and use a cold compress to reduce swelling. Call us for further assistance.
Knocked-Out Tooth
If your child knocks out an adult front tooth, immediately find the tooth, GENTLY rinse the tooth with a light stream of water without scrubbing off any dirt or debris that may be present, have your child use his or her own saliva to coat the tooth, and then, ideally, place the tooth back in place. Next, have your child bite down on a clean cloth.
If there is too much trauma in the area or you cannot put the tooth back in place, place the tooth in a cup with the child’s own saliva or a clean container with milk (if saliva is not possible). Call us immediately and/or head to the nearest emergency room. If you act quickly, it is possible to save the tooth depending on the severity of the trauma to the tooth and gum tissue.
Toothache
If your child complains of a toothache, inspect the teeth in the area they indicated hurts to be sure there is nothing caught between them. If pain continues, it is best to call us right away so that Dr. Hayley can examine your child’s teeth, especially if swelling or fever is associated with the pain.
Facial swelling associated with a dental lesion can be potentially life-threatening and must be managed immediately. Over-the-counter Tylenol or Motrin may be taken orally at the instructed children’s dose for dental pain alone without associated swelling or fever. Please contact our office for proper pain and treatment management.
Bitten Lip or Tongue
If your child has bitten their lip or tongue severely enough to cause bleeding, clean the bite gently with water and use a cold compress to reduce or avoid swelling. Please feel free to give us a call to help determine further management.
Object Caught In Teeth
If your child has something caught between his or her teeth, use dental floss to gently remove it. Never use a metal, plastic, or sharp tool to remove a stuck object. If you are unable to remove the item with dental floss, please call us.
Broken Jaw
If you know or suspect your child has sustained a broken jaw, call our emergency number and/or head to the hospital immediately. In many cases, trauma to the head and jaw can be dangerous and even life-threatening and must be managed appropriately.
Avoiding Injury
We know that not all injuries are avoidable with children but here are some tips to help!
- Don’t let your child chew on ice, popcorn kernels, or other hard foods.
- If your child plays contact sports, have him or her wear a properly-fitting mouthguard. Please contact our office for age-appropriate guidelines on mouthguard use or to inquire about our custom-fit mouthguards!
- Help prevent toothaches with regular brushing, flossing, and visits to our office.