Dentistry for Kids Hellertown PAKids need regular professional dental care too! At DeWire Dental cleanings are performed by a hygienist or dental assistant, and are important to your child's dental health as are daily brushing and flossing. Using specialized tools and kid-friendly language, we will:
Examinations Regular examinations help detect and prevent health issues before they become serious. Twice yearly dental check-ups help catch problems when they are small and easier to treat. Left unattended, small treatable problems become worse and may require more extensive, expensive procedures to repair. Dental examinations in our office generally include the following:
We invite you to call us at (610) 838-6188 with any questions about your child's first visit! Frequently Asked QuestionsWhen Should My Child Have Their First Dental Visit? Your child should have their first dental visit by their first birthday or within six months after their first tooth appears. Early visits help establish a dental home and allow the dentist to monitor your child's oral development. How Often Should My Child See the Dentist? Children should see the dentist every six months for regular check-ups and cleanings. These visits help prevent cavities, monitor dental health, and instill good oral hygiene habits from a young age. |
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• | Local Anesthesia–local anesthetic is solution that is injected in the area being operated on such as around gums and teeth. While the injection may cause some minor discomfort, most of the pain can be relieved with local anesthesia, however, pressure and noises cannot be eliminated with just local anesthesia. For this a deeper level of anesthesia is required. |
• | Nitrous Oxide Sedation (Laughing Gas)–This is the gas that most depict in movies where a dentist gives you something to breathe and the patient passes out, however, in reality this inhalation anesthetic causes a person to just relax. They are completely aware of what is going on, and some may also laugh. The best way to view this is as if you have taken a valium or a Xanax or a glass of wine. The effects wear off the moment you stop breathing it in, so if you breathe through your mouth, then you will not get any laughing gas as it is delivered over the nose. |
• | Intravenous Sedation and General Anesthesia (asleep for surgery)–This is the most common type of anesthesia used in our office. You may be given a pre-operative valium pill which should be taken one hour prior to surgery. Once in the operating suite, an IV catheter is placed into the hand or arm after the monitors are placed. Medication is given through the IV and you will drift off to ‘twilight’ sleep. This allows us to perform surgery with basically no memory of the uncomfortable parts of the procedure. The effects of anesthesia last about 24 hours, thus you are not allowed to drive after surgery. |
• | Please do not eat or drink anything, including water, for 8 hours before your appointment at DeWire Dental.
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• | If you are a smoker, please refrain from smoking for at least 12 hours before your surgery. Alternatively, just quit smoking as soon as possible before the day of surgery. |
• | You should be accompanied by a responsible adult (older than 18 years of age) when you come to our Sacramento and Yuba–Sutter area office. That person should remain in the office during your procedure and drive you home when it is finished. |
• | For 24 hours, please do not drive a vehicle or operate complex machinery. |
• | On the day of your surgery, we ask that you wear loose-fitting clothing (with rollable sleeves) and low-heeled shoes. |
• | You will be asked to remove your contact lenses, jewelry, or dentures for the surgery. |
• | Don't wear lipstick, cosmetics or nail polish on the day of your surgery. |
• | Please remove all acrylic nails or gel nail polish. |
• | Notify us if you are ill on the day of your surgery. In these cases, we may need to reschedule for your safety. |
• | Notify us about your medications, so we can provide instructions about scheduling them around your surgery. |