Pediatric Dentistry
We enjoy providing dental care to kids!!!
A child’s first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable and positive. The more you and your child know about the first visit, the better you will feel. Children are not born with a fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. Our office makes a practice of using pleasant, non-frightening, simple words to describe your child’s first dental visit and treatment. We want you to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our office.
Your child’s first tooth erupts between ages 6-12 months and the remainder of their 20 primary or “baby” teeth typically erupts by age 3. During this time, gums may feel tender and sore, causing your child to feel irritable. To help alleviate this discomfort, we recommend that you soothe the gums by rubbing a teething ring or a cool, wet cloth across them. Children’s Motrin can be dispensed when a slight fever arises.
Your child’s primary teeth are shed at various times throughout childhood, and their permanent teeth begin erupting at age 6 and continue until age 21. Adults have 32 permanent teeth, including wisdom teeth.
No Cavities Club
We love to reward our patients without cavities. The “No Cavities Club” was started to acknowledge those kids and to encourage them to keep up their good oral hygiene habits. We believe that by recognizing their accomplishments, kids will keep their “beautiful smiles that last a lifetime.” Their pictures are posted on the “No Cavities Club” Board in our kid’s playroom.
Give a Kid a Smile
Dr. Eco enjoys giving back to the community. “Give a Kid a Smile” is a volunteer program that educates grade school children in the St. Charles and Geneva area on the importance of good oral hygiene. Dr. Eco and her staff also provide free dental exam for schools with patient donations for homeless shelters in the Fox Valley area. If you are interested in this program, please contact our office.
Preventative Dentistry
We recommend routine dental cleanings for several reasons. When we perform a professional cleaning, we remove the buildup of plaque and tartar. We also clean the parts of your child’s teeth that are hard to reach, such as underneath the gums.
After a cleaning, we will polish your child’s teeth so that they shine! We can also apply a fluoride treatment, if necessary, to help prevent tooth decay.
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Oral Health Exams
We truly believe that regular dental examinations are important in order for your child to have good dental health and a smile of which he or she can be proud. We start by doing a professional cleaning, removing all of the bad tartar and other buildup on your child’s teeth.
We then do an examination, looking to catch and fix any problems before they become bigger ones. We examine each tooth, looking for any signs of decay, damage, or any other problems, such as signs of infection. We want to correct any problems your child may have before they get any worse.
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Sealants
Dental sealant is a plastic coating painted on your teeth. It attaches to your child’s teeth, smoothing the rough edges, depressions, and grooves that are typically found on teeth. It gives your child’s teeth a protective coating, helping to prevent tooth decay and cavities.
Sealants are usually done on the back teeth since they are hard to reach and very irregular. Even if your child brushes and flosses properly, he or she may miss some areas. For this reason, sealants are a good way to protect your child’s teeth.
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Cavities and Fillings
Dental fillings are used to treat different dental problems like cavities and broken teeth. Teeth are usually filled with a material called composite resin, which is designed to look like natural teeth. Fillings can also be done with gold, porcelain, or silver amalgam.
Composite resin takes a little longer, though most people still prefer it because it creates natural-looking teeth. It takes more than one layer, and a special light is used to harden the area around the filling.
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Emergency Dental Care
It is very important to be prepared in case your child has an emergency. Even though we wish that they wouldn’t, emergencies do happen. Being educated and knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between losing and saving a tooth. You also need to know your dentist’s phone number.
You need to contact us right away if you are having an emergency! If we are not open, go to the nearest emergency center.
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