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Preventative Care

In most circumstances in life, it’s wiser to prevent a problem before they arise—and kids dentistry is no exception. At Petite Smiles, we aim to provide services aimed at identifying and stopping early dental health issues (like cavities) before they have the chance to exacerbate.

On the contrary, if your child has ever had a dental filling, a tooth crown, or an emergency tooth extraction, they’ve gone beyond preventive dental care and required restorative dentistry procedures. Although these services can save your child’s smile, Dr. Hattie M. Robinson would instead do everything that she can not have to perform restorative care.

Consistent routine childrens dentist office visits for dental exams, cleanings, and more can ensure your child has a healthier smile now while building healthy habits that they can carry with them into adulthood.

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Petite Smiles dental office with sloth wallpaper

Routine Oral Exams and Dental Cleanings

Generally, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children under the age of 18 visit their dentist for kids at least every six months to prevent cavities and other dental problems. Here is what you can expect at a standard, comprehensive oral health visit:

X-Rays

Dental x-rays are essential preventive and diagnostic tools that provide valuable information. They can accurately detect and diagnose oral health issues that aren’t visible to the naked eye—which is especially helpful when creating an effective, targeted treatment plan.

At Petite Smiles, we employ the use of current digital x-rays because they:

  • Process images quickly with superior quality
  • Emit less radiation, and thus, considered relatively safer than the antiquated x-ray systems
  • Demand fewer resources and are generally more eco-friendly
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Comprehensive Exams

Your little one’s visit to our office is more than just a check-up. We’ll perform an in-depth head and neck examination as well as assess their nutrition intake and other risk factors. Furthermore, each component of this exam helps us determine how often we should see your child again for future visits and if any preventive or restorative treatments are necessary. Thorough, comprehensive exams ensure your child sustains a healthy smile for years to come!

Infant Exams

The Petite Smiles team is eager to meet your diaper-clad cutie! We know that it’s essential to start your little one off strong, which is why Dr. Hattie M. Robinson follows the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Book an appointment when your baby’s first tooth emerges or before they smash into their first birthday cake—whichever happens first. At your baby’s first dental appointment, our skilled team can ensure they get a proper introduction to dental care, setting them up for success as they grow and transition throughout each stage of childhood. From healthy diet advice, age-appropriate dental hygiene tips, and pacifier use recommendations. We’re here to bestow professional advice and answer questions so that parents have the confidence to support their little one’s oral health in their first year of life.

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Low Dose Radiography

At our Lorton children’s dental office, we care about the comfort and safety of your child. That’s why we use a low-dose radiography unit for capturing essential images of your child’s teeth and bones. Our low-dose radiography unit significantly reduces radiation exposure and can take pictures from outside their mouth without placing any bulky equipment in their mouth. 

Cleanings

Brushing and flossing daily is a great way to maintain oral health, but regular dental cleanings are the answer if you’re looking for something that goes even further in keeping your child’s smile sparkling! From removing plaque build-up on the teeth to breaking down any tartar formations, so they don’t become an issue, dental cleanings at least every six months are essential. Taking the time out of our hectic lives to schedule a children’s dental cleaning appointment pays off in terms of keeping those pearly whites pearly and doing everything possible to take utmost care of your child’s smile.

Fluoride Therapy

Keeping your child’s teeth strong, healthy, and cavity-free is our top priority! To ensure their smile stays beautiful between visits, we offer topical fluoride treatments. Depending on age, this powerful agent may be applied as a varnish directly onto the surface of the tooth or allowed to sit with a foam tray in place for an allotted period. Varnishes harden when exposed to saliva, creating a protective shield that should remain throughout the evening–just remember not to eat or drink anything during those first 30 minutes right after application! Our pediatric dental experts are here and happy to answer any questions about how fluoride can help keep cavities away from your kids’ stunning smiles.

Oral Hygiene Instructions

We aim to equip parents and their children with the tools to ensure that kids develop a lifetime worth of sparkling, healthy smiles. Through personalized demonstrations and carefully tailored guidance based on their age and growth level, we can help equip parents with the necessary dental skills and knowledge to promote good oral hygiene habits in children early on. Thus, setting up families for success!

Nutritional Counseling

As the adage goes, “you are what you eat,” so it might not be shocking that one of the top ways to ensure your child’s smile is as healthy as possible is to monitor their dietary habits. Our experienced staff creates personalized nutrition plans tailored for children of any age or stage. Nutritional counseling is one proactive step that parents can take to ensure that their little one is cavity-free.

Mouthguards

With contact sports growing increasingly popular among children, it’s essential to ensure they’re protected against everything from dental injuries and concussions. That’s why we offer custom athletic sports guards: designed specifically for your kid based on their specific dentition – plus, you can choose a style that suits them too! It’s time to get the protection they deserve while having fun doing what they love.

Dental Sealants

At Petite Smiles, Dr. Hattie M. Robinson wants to help keep your child’s teeth healthy and strong by offering a proven preventative service: dental sealants! This special coating is applied directly onto the surface of your little one’s back molars, forming a protective bond that resists damage from decay. By undergoing this simple procedure regularly for your child, you can enjoy more peace of mind regarding oral hygiene –don’t forget about brushing and flossing too. Please contact our Lorton dental office today so we can start protecting those pearly whites!

Space maintenance

Taking your child’s smile clean and healthy expends a lot of energy, but we know that your kid is worth it. With the assistance of our Petite Smiles team and space maintainers, your child will have a beautiful, healthy smile throughout childhood.

Childrens dentist in Lorton, VA

Tooth decay is the most common (yet preventable) childhood disease, and Petite Smiles is here to protect your child’s teeth so they can be as strong as possible.

Serving Lorton, Fort Belvoir, and Colchester, VA, dentist Dr. Hattie M. Robinson and her astute team is eager to help keep your child’s mouth healthy through preventive dental services. Investing in your child’s smile now is an act of paying it forward for their future self’s oral and overall health. Book a preventive care visit at Petite Smiles Boutique Pediatric Dentistry by calling (703)-688-2155 or messaging us online today.

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