So when we’re looking at a problem like cavities, we have to look way beyond questions like, “are they brushing twice a day and doing some flossing?” We must also be asking, “what is the child’s breathing like?” and especially, “what’s is the child’s breathing like at night?”
When you come to our practice and your child is treated for the first time, we want to give you a baseline knowledge of functional pediatric dentistry; we also want to meet you and your family where you are in the process. If this is your first ever dental visit, we want to give you the nuts and bolts of keeping your teeth healthy and clean, what healthy sleep looks like, what nasal hygiene is and the importance of nasal breathing.
We know that every child is very different. We really try to get down on our patients’ level and treat them as a friend. We have a variety of sedation options available if we decide with the family that it’s the right decision for the patient. We don’t make decisions for parents; we partner with them, educate them and figure out together what the best option is for their child.