Child friendly dentistry in Glen Allen, VA keeps your whole family smiling

Finding a dentist that your child feels comfortable and happy visiting can be a difficult feat, but at Richmond Family Dentistry, you will find the child friendly dental care you have been seeking. With a warm and inviting atmosphere and friendly staff, your child will feel right at home and will even enjoy visiting the dentist! Dr. Olivia Hart in Glen Allen, VA is highly skilled at catering to the special dental needs of children throughout all stages of the child’s oral development, and ensures that parents are well-informed about their child’s oral health and how to maintain it.

Why child dental visits are important

Even though a child doesn’t start growing their first few permanent teeth until the age of five or six, it is important to bring your child to the dentist for check-ups at least twice per year starting at age one, or from the time that their first baby teeth appear. That is because dental issues such as decay and gum disease can start as soon as teeth appear, and baby teeth serve many important functions in your child’s oral health and overall well-being. These include:

• A beautiful smile your child is confident in
• Properly chewing and swallowing food
• Reserving space in the mouth for the adult teeth to grow in properly
• Learning how to say certain speech sounds correctly

In addition, regularly seeing the dentist as a child provides a strong foundation for a lifetime of healthy dental habits! When they have been going to the dentist from a young age, children are more comfortable with being in the dental chair and receiving professional cleanings, exams, and treatments. At check-ups, Dr. Hart can monitor your child’s mouth for any possible issues so they can be treated as early on as possible, while they are still manageable. You are also able to talk with the dentist about any questions or concerns you have as a parent about your child’s oral development, or even simple questions such as which toothpastes are recommended.

Benefits of child-friendly care at Richmond Family Dentistry

There are many benefits of your whole family seeing the same dentist. That’s why Dr. Olivia Hart focuses on providing dental care for everyone in the family—even the youngest of patients.

If you feel like you are struggling to keep your family’s appointments organized, your children’s dental care shouldn’t be adding to the stress! At Richmond Family Dentistry, we understand how hectic the modern family’s weekly calendar is and provide streamlined scheduling options to save you precious time and gas money. Similarly, having all of your family dental records in one place makes it a snap to transfer them should you ever move to a different city or state.

In addition, some dental issues have a genetic component. If you or another person in your family has a dental issue that can be inherited and we treat that person, we are better able to watch out for it in your children and monitor them as they get older to ensure that it is identified and treated early on before it becomes more difficult and costly to treat.

When your kids see you in the dental chair, it sets a great example for them about the importance of good dental hygiene and regular check-ups when they are adults themselves.

Specialized treatment for kids

Children and adults have different dental needs, and Dr. Hart understands that their dental care should reflect those differences. Dr. Hart is pleased to offer several treatments and options catered specifically to Richmond Family Dentistry’s youngest patients.

• Myobrace: It’s a little known fact that poor oral habits related to tongue placement, swallowing, and breathing can cause children’s jaw and teeth to improperly develop, leading to the need for years of orthodontic work as they get older. With the Myobrace®, your child’s habits can be corrected before these issues develop! The Myobrace is considered a pre-orthodontic treatment and consists of a set of appliances that the child wears for only a couple of hours while they are awake and then while they sleep. It helps correct bad oral habits while at the same time exerting a gentle force on your child’s teeth and jaws to help align them for proper development.
• ALF appliance: For children who have constricted airways or a bite that is off, the ALF appliance can be a great option for optimizing the functional and aesthetic potential of their mouth. The appliance is a small wire device that fits inside the child’s teeth, where it is barely noticeable. It exerts a gentle force to encourage the teeth, bones, and muscles to reorient themselves in the proper position, as well as reshapes the palate and promotes proper tongue placement in the mouth.
• Laser therapy: Children tend to be more anxious and fearful of the dentist because they are less familiar with the dental setting and are afraid of pain during their treatment. Because of this, Dr. Hart is proud to offer comfortable dental treatments with the use of a laser instead of a dental drill. This allows her to treat cavities in children with fewer anxiety-producing sounds and sensations, and in some cases, anesthetic is not even necessary.
• Frenectomy for tongue tie or lip tie: A tongue tie occurs when the tissue, called the frenulum, between the child’s tongue and bottom of the mouth is too thick, tight, or short. Similarly, a lip tie occurs when the frenulum between the upper lip and the gums is too thick or stiff. These conditions, which some children are born with, can lead to difficulties with breastfeeding and speaking. At Richmond Family Dentistry, we can correct tongue and lip ties with a simple procedure called a frenectomy, where we snip the frenulum to release the tie. The procedure is quick and has minimal discomfort for your child because there are very few nerves in the frenulum.

Schedule an appointment for your child today!

When your child has a healthy mouth, they can feel confident in their smile and let their true personality shine. At Richmond Family Dentistry, we provide preventive care and treatment options for everyone in the family, from the youngest of patients to the older generations. Learn the difference that high-quality family dental care can make in your family’s smiles! Call our office, which is conveniently located at 4932 Dominion Blvd, Suite C in Glen Allen, VA at (804) 381-6238 to schedule your child’s dental appointment today.

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