Pediatric Dentistry in Brooklyn NY

Pediatric Dental Care for Brooklyn Families

From a child’s first tooth through their permanent smile, our team makes pediatric dentistry comfortable, friendly, and effective.

Taking Care of Baby Teeth: The Teething Process

Baby teeth are sometimes overlooked because they fall out, but skipping their care leads to problems with adult teeth. Your child’s first tooth typically appears between 6 and 12 months. About 6 months after teething begins, schedule your child’s first checkup with a pediatric dentist in Brooklyn NY. Starting young helps your child feel comfortable at the dentist and lets us catch teething issues early.

Until around age 3, teething can cause discomfort and irritation. To avoid added pain, focus on preventing cavities in baby teeth. The most effective steps are regular dental visits, consistent brushing and flossing, and a low-sugar diet. Remember that any sugary food or drink your child consumes attacks teeth for about 20 minutes, breaking down enamel and raising cavity risk.

Pediatric Dental Care: The Importance of Space Maintainers

Tooth decay, trauma, or natural defects can cause baby teeth to fall out too early or never appear. Your child needs baby teeth to guide adult teeth into the right positions. Around age 6, permanent teeth start coming in, and unresolved baby-teeth issues can lead to crooked or misaligned adult teeth. Other teeth may shift to fill the missing space.

This is where space maintainers come in. If a baby tooth is missing too soon, a space maintainer holds the gap until the permanent tooth is ready. Space maintainers are made of plastic or stainless steel and can be removable or cemented in place. They generally resemble a retainer with a prosthetic tooth filling the gap. Three common types include:

Band-and-Loop Maintainer

A stainless steel band-and-loop maintainer uses a crown on the adjoining tooth to hold an artificial tooth in place. A wire loop keeps the gap wide enough for the permanent tooth to grow in correctly.

Lingual Arch

A lingual arch is popular for pediatric patients who have lost a tooth near the back of the mouth.

Distal Shoe Appliance

A distal shoe appliance is a fixed space maintainer that goes beneath the gumline when a child loses a baby tooth before the 6-year molars come in. It needs frequent checkups so the wire band does not block the molar from developing.

At Willoughby Dental, Dr. Trachtenberg works closely with each patient to choose the best space maintainer for their mouth. Learn more about space maintainers for kids.

A Pediatric Dentist Brooklyn NY That Caters to Kids

Most children do not love going to the dentist. To help your child sit still and feel at ease, every pediatric chair in our office has a personal TV with a DVD player so kids can enjoy a movie while their teeth are gently treated. We send every small patient home with checkup kits and stickers so they look forward to coming back. Dr. Trachtenberg makes pediatric visits feel friendly and stress-free.