Dr. Amanda Foust and our team at Dental Impressions place a high priority on children’s oral health. Because your child’s oral health is important, we offer preventive dental services to help prevent tooth decay. The Center for Disease Control recently published a study that shows a rise in childhood tooth decay. Cavities are considered an infectious disease and may impede your child’s ability to speak properly and chew food comfortably. Tooth decay may also present pain and discomfort. To help keep your child’s teeth in tip-top shape, we offer preventive treatments such as fluoride supplements and dental sealants.
Fluoride Treatments
Corrosive acids found in many foods and beverages can strip tooth enamel of its strength over time. Tooth enamel is composed of strong minerals and protects the soft interior structures of your teeth from cavity-causing bacteria. When tooth enamel is damaged by acid, your child’s teeth are no longer protected from bacteria that eat away at a tooth’s structure. To supplement enamel damage, Dr. Foust may administer fluoride treatments to strengthen tooth enamel. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is scientifically proven to remineralize tooth enamel by attracting minerals to the outer surfaces of teeth. If your child is in need of fluoride, Dr. Foust may apply flavored fluoride treatments to your child’s teeth in the form of a varnish, gel, or foam.
Dental Sealants
The biting surfaces of molars in the back of your child’s mouth are very susceptible to tooth decay because food collects in the deep fissures and the back teeth are difficult for children to keep clean. To help remedy this problem, Dr. Foust uses dental sealants to protect the chewing surfaces of molars from bacteria. A dental sealant is essentially a liquid plastic that is painted on molars to seal in the deep grooves and pits and then hardened with a special light. The procedure is short and non-invasive.
To learn more about children’s dental care or to schedule an appointment, contact our Ankeny dentist office at (515) 965-0230. We serve patients from Polk City, Bondurant, Elkhart, and Alleman.
