Kids Dental Online - Plano & Carrollton

Pediatric Kids Dentist Plano Carrollton

Plano Office
3001 N Dallas Parkway, Suite B
Plano, TX 75093
Phone: 972-378-5437
       
Carrollton Office
1912 E Hebron Parkway, Suite 104
Carrollton, TX 75007
Phone: 972-394-2140
  • Home
  • Our Team
    • What is a Pediatric Dentist?
    • Meet Our Team of Pediatric Dentists
    • Jeffrey D. Holt, DDS, MS
    • Moisa Sapozhnikov, DDS
    • Mindy Li, DDS
    • Nathan Cotten, DDS, MS – Orthodontist
    • Dental Hygienists
  • Dental Topics
    • Toothaches in Children
    • Pulp Therapy in Children
    • Bruxism is Teeth Grinding or Jaw Clenching in Children
    • Tongue Thrusting in Children
    • Baby Dental Topics
      • Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
      • Dental Hygiene For Babies And Toddlers
      • Stages of Teething and Helpful Hints
      • Thumb Sucking and Pacifiers “Non-nutritive Sucking Habits”
    • Can Oral Piercings Affect Your Teeth?
    • Oral Hygiene
      • Dental Cavities and How to Prevent Them
      • Bad Breath in Children
      • Dental Fluoride Treatments in Children
      • Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities in Children
      • Dental Treatment for Tooth Decay
      • Oral Health and Gum Disease
      • Enamel Hypoplasia/Enamel Defect
      • Eating Healthy to Promote Strong Teeth in Children
      • Foods That Stain Teeth
      • Soda Drinking and Its Effect on Teeth
      • Sports Drinks Can Be Harmful to Teeth
      • Vaping Can Affect Oral Health
        • How Can Vaping Affect My Teen’s Oral Health?
      • Permanent Tooth Eruption In Children
    • White Dental Crowns for Kids
    • Is Teeth Whitening Safe For Children?
    • Wisdom Teeth
      • Over-Retained Primary Teeth (Baby Teeth)
        • Treating Over-Retained Primary Teeth (Baby Teeth)
    • Hyperdontia Supernumerary Teeth
    • Hypodontia (Missing Teeth)
    • Canker Sores (Aphthous Ulcers)
      • Treating Canker Sores (Aphthous Ulcers)
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      • Eating Disorders Can Affect Kid’s Teeth
      • Preventing and Treating Oral Damage from Eating Disorders
      • Xylitol Dental Benefits
      • Choosing the Best Toothpaste for Children
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      • Dental Sedation
      • Healthy Eating
      • Motivating Your Child to Brush Their Teeth
      • Mouth Guards Prevent Dental Injury in Sports
      • Pediatric Dental X-rays (Radiography) and Safety
    • Dental Emergencies
    • Orthodontics
      • Why Young Kids Need Braces
      • Types of Braces
      • Orthodontic Daily Care
        • Caring for Braces
        • How do you care for braces
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      • Jaw Surgery for Orthodontics (Maxilla and Mandible)
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Dental Fluoride Treatments in Children

Along with dental sealants, dental fluoride treatment is one of the most effective ways to prevent tooth decay and maintain excellent dental health in children. Fluoride treatments are both safe and effective in decreasing the prevalence of cavities in children, by 95% specifically, when combined with dental sealants. Making the tooth more impervious to acid attacks caused by sugars and plaque bacteria in the mouth, fluoride acts as a shield for the outer enamel layer of the teeth and actually has the ability to reverse early dental decay in some cases. Ask your pediatric dentist about professional fluoride treatment for you child.  Our dental topics page provides other information on oral hygiene during pediatric dentistry.

dental flouride treaments in children at KIdsDental
Fluoride Protection

What Exactly Is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a naturally existing mineral found in water, many foods, within the earth’s crust, and widely throughout nature. Fluoride is often added to tap water supplies for drinking and to toothpastes for children and adults.

Why Children Need Fluoride?

In the 1930s, researchers determined that people who had grow up drinking fluoridated drinking water had about 66% fewer cavities than people living in areas without fluoridated drinking water. Ever since, research has recurrently proven fluoridated drinking water to reduce levels of tooth decay within communities.

Fluoride is beneficial for all children, because it helps shield young teeth from damaging acid and can actually rescind early signs of dental decay (reverse very small cavities). Hurtful acids in the mouth form from bacteria combined with sugars. The acid damages the hard protective outer layer of the tooth called enamel. On a daily basis, minerals are being lost and added to the enamel layer of the teeth through naturally occurring processes called demineralization and remineralization. Minerals are lost (demineralization) when acid attacks the enamel, and minerals like phosphates, calcium, and fluoride (which all strengthen the teeth) are added back (remineralization) when kids drink water or eat foods that contain these minerals. Cavities form and decay occurs when too much demineralization transpires without enough remineralization to restore enamel.

Benefits of Dental Fluoride Treatments For Children

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), professionally applied topical fluoride treatments are effective in decreasing dental decay in children as well, especially those in a high risk category for decay.  Having fluoride professionally applied during a pediatric dental visit ensures your child’s teeth have received an adequate and protective amount of fluoride to successfully obstruct acidic breakdown of the enamel layer of the teeth.

dental fluoride varnish to prevent Dental Cavities and How to Prevent Them
Dental Fluoride Varnish

Only small amounts of fluoride are required for children to receive the maximal benefits. Professional dental fluoride treatments for children are applied to the teeth in a gel, foam, or varnish form. These treatments consist of highly increased levels of fluoride as compared to what is found in water and toothpastes. Ask your pediatric dentist about professional fluoride treatments, as recommendations may vary depending on a child’s particular oral and dental situation. Overall, however, these treatments are highly promoted, and parents can be assured in the difference professional fluoride treatments make in increasing dental health and strengthening the enamel layer of young teeth. In fact, recent research indicates that dental fluoride treatments are just as beneficial in strengthening developing teeth as they are in reducing the risk of early decay.

How safe is Fluoride For Children?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), American Dental Association (ADA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) all claim fluoridated water to be safe for children and an effective agent in maintaining dental health.

In fact, fluoride exposure and intake becomes particularly important to a child’s dental development starting from the age of six months through sixteen years. This is the span of time when all of the baby and permanent teeth erupt. (Fluoride is beneficial for adults too.)

As a warning, fluoride can be dangerous in extremely high doses (toxic dose level depends on individual weight). Generally, a parent should not have to worry about toxic levels of fluoride being present in drinking water but should, however, monitor carefully their children’s use of products containing fluoride, such as toothpaste and mouthwash. Fluoridated products should be kept out of kids’ reach, especially if under six years of age. It is pretty difficult, however, to reach toxic levels of fluoride, given the small amounts typically contained in fluoridated home-based products. Also, remember to only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on a child’s toothbrush.

Prenatal Fluoride Exposure

A recent study performed in Canada and published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Pediatrics produced results showing that fluoride exposure during pregnancy may have an adverse effect on children’s intelligence. While more research is necessary to provide definitive statistics, the study has been cited as “one of the most rigorous studies” in this field. Read more about prenatal flouride exposure and affects on your child.

When Should My Child Begin Using Fluoridated Toothpaste?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends using just a “smear” of fluoridated toothpaste beginning when the first tooth appears, until a child is three years of age. At three years old, a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste can start being used. Ask the pediatric dentist about fluoride safety and precautionary measures recommended for young children, especially those under the age of six.

Please contact Kids Dental Plano Office or Kids Dental Carrollton Office to schedule a visit with one of our pediatric dentists or orthodontist.

Kids Dental Plano Carrollton Dr. Jeff Holt Pediatric Dentists and Orthodontist

Latest Addition

toothache in children

Toothaches in Children

Toothaches in children are a common occurrence from early childhood to adolescence. They can result from normal oral development or be a sign of a dental problem. Pediatric dentist Dr. Jeff Holt and his team at Kids Dental in Plano, Carrollton, and … Toothaches in Children - Kids Dental - Plano & Carrollton

Kids Dental in Plano and Carrollton, Dr. Jeffrey D. Holt, DDS, Pediatric Dentists and Orthodontist

About Our Team

About Our Team Dr. Jeff Holt and our team of pediatric dentists, orthodontists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants welcome you to Kids Dental located in Plano and Carrollton. All of our clinical staff members are registered by the Texas State Board of … Our Team

Pediatric Dental Topics

Dental Topics

Pediatric Dental Topics The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) supports the concept of a dental home for all infants, children, adolescents, and persons with special health care needs. As your dental home we include all aspects of … Dental Care

Dental braces in children at Kids Dental

Orthodontics

Orthodontics Properly aligned teeth and jaws can prevent tooth decay, gum disease and other health problems. An attractive smile is a nice side effect of orthodontic care, but there are plenty of other reasons to see an orthodontist too. Please call … Orthodontics

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Vaping Can Affect Oral Health

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dental sealants in children prevent cavities

Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities in Children

Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities in Children Dental sealants have been used largely since the 1960s as a protective tool in dentistry, due to their … Dental Sealants

Archives

Kids Dental

Plano and Carrollton, Texas

Pediatric Dentists

  • Dr. Jeffrey Holt
  • Dr. Moisa Sapozhnikov
  • Dr. Mindy Li

Orthodontist

Dr. Nathan Cotten

Plano Office

Kids Dental Plano
3001 N Dallas Parkway, Suite B
Plano, Texas 75093

Phone: 972-378-5437

Carrollton Office

Kids Dental Carrollton
1912 E Hebron Parkway, Suite 104

Carrollton, Texas 75007

Phone: 972-394-2140

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