Thousand Oaks Children's Dentistry | Patient Education in San Antonio

Mouthguards

While you’re living your active life, be sure to protect your smile. A mouthguard is essential safety gear whenever you participate in any sport or activity that could lead to dental trauma. Oral and dental injuries are very common for athletes, and often these injuries can be prevented or reduced

Bonding

Dental bonding is a conservative cosmetic treatment that improves the appearance of chipped, discolored, or misshapen teeth using composite resin to repair and restore the tooth surface. Bonding can transform the appearance of a smile. The procedure is commonly used for: Repairing chips and minor cracks Covering

Fillings

The bacteria in plaque produce acids that erode tooth enamel, eventually creating a hole, or cavity, in the tooth surface. Left untreated, this decay can spread to the interior of the tooth, and might lead to the need for a crown, a root canal, or even extraction. When caught early, your dentist can

Tooth-Colored Fillings

Fillings can be used to restore teeth with small to mid-sized cavities as well as minor chips, fractures, and wear. Tooth-colored fillings are a popular choice for restorations because they complement the natural beauty of a smile. Unlike traditional gold or silver fillings, tooth-colored fillings blend

Tooth Decay Prevention

What is tooth decay? Tooth decay begins with the Streptococcus mutans bacteria. These bacteria join with food particles and fluids in the mouth to create plaque, a constantly forming biofilm that sticks to the surface of tooth enamel. The bacteria in plaque convert the sugars in our foods into lactic

Sealants

The most likely location for a cavity to develop in your child's mouth is on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. The deep and varied crevices in these teeth make it easy for food particles to hide, and it can be difficult to keep these teeth clean, even with regular brushing. Your child’s dentist

Extractions

Dentists prefer to preserve your natural teeth as much as possible, but sometimes that just isn’t an option. There are two ways a tooth can be removed, depending on how severe the damage is to the tooth: Simple extraction: Local anesthesia is used, which is a numbing agent either applied or injected

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom teeth are the third molars in your mouth and the last permanent teeth to erupt. They typically appear between the ages of 17 and 25. For the lucky few, some never develop wisdom teeth or they erupt normally and cause no issues. For others, they experience what is called impacted wisdom teeth,

How to Brush and Floss

It’s no secret that the best way to prevent oral decay and disease is by maintaining a strict oral hygiene routine every day. Brushing and flossing go hand in hand; you shouldn’t do one without the other. Brushing your teeth is an excellent way to remove food debris and flossing allows you to get

Fluoride and Your Child

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral essential for proper tooth development. Benefits of fluoride: Strengthens tooth enamel, by capturing minerals in saliva and forcing them into the tooth’s makeup Inhibits bacterial metabolism, slowing down the growth of bacteria and their reducing their acidic

About Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric dentistry is the study, practice, teaching, and research of oral care treatments and preventions in children. It is recommended that children visit their pediatric dentist twice a year. Parents should schedule the first visit within six months of their child’s first baby tooth coming in,

Your Child's First Teeth

Your child’s first tooth is a big developmental milestone, so it’s important for you to know what to expect and how to maintain your child’s teeth when they start coming in. It’s just as vital to take care of baby teeth as it is permanent teeth, even though the baby teeth eventually fall out.

Space Maintainers

One of the many functions of baby teeth is to hold space for the adult teeth that will eventually push them through. When baby teeth are lost prematurely, the permanent teeth that are coming in on either side can actually drift into the space that was reserved for another tooth. This can cause teeth

Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking is a common habit that babies develop before they’re born. While most children naturally stop thumb sucking between the ages of two and four, some children might struggle to break the habit. If your child is still thumb sucking around the age of four, it’s important to help them stop. Thumb

Your Child's First Dental Appointment

As soon as your child’s first tooth has erupted, which generally happens between six months and a year, you will need to schedule their first appointment with a pediatric dentist. The first visit often involves very little treatment. It is more for the child to meet their dentist, for the dentist to

Nitrous Oxide for Children

Sometimes, children are too fearful to receive necessary dental treatment. When this happens, conscious sedation with nitrous oxide may be recommended to help make your child’s experience of dental treatment stress-free. Conscious sedation involves medication to help ease tension and block pain during

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