Frequently Asked Questions
Our society has an abundant supply of sugar. Please avoid sugary drinks. Water, milk and sugar-free drinks are your teeth’s best friends. Crackers, chips, nuts, cheese, yogurt and veggies are the best snacks. If your child can eat fresh broccoli, cauliflower, or a carrot, it is as good as brushing! Try and avoid candy and sugary cereals as much as you can, too….sorry. Cavities form when a weakened speck on the tooth colonizes more and more bacteria which love sugar. These bacteria release acidic by-products from their metabolism that weakens and makes that spot on the tooth become rotten and decayed. Good brushing and flossing get rid of the bacteria and a healthy diet limits the bacteria’s energy supply. This keeps the enamel strong and much more resistant to decay.
The best thing you can do for your child is knowing how different foods affect their teeth and how to prevent diet from leading to cavities. We all know that sugar is bad for our teeth as well as our health, but what most people don’t realize is how damaging “sticky carbs” and certain “sugar free” beverages can also be. Many of the snacks that our kids love to eat just stick to their teeth for hours providing a habitat for cavities to form. Foods that you notice stick to your own teeth when you chew (Goldfish, crackers, chips, sticky foods like fruit snacks) stay on your teeth until you clean it off with proper brushing. Milk is also a popular culprit as many kids love to drink their milk before bed and while we consider milk “healthy” it is full of sugars that like to damage our teeth. The acid in sodas and lemons (with or without sugar) also can harm our teeth. The most important thing you can do is make sure teeth are brushed after “sticky” foods and right before bed with NO food or beverages (except water) consumed after brushing at bedtime.
A very young child is most-likely going to not be able to endure dental procedures. A fearful, nervous patient likewise will struggle. If your child is especially young or nervous, we can handle that. First, painless injections and excellent pain control is a must, and we are great at that. We use the smallest needles, the kindest touch, and the strongest local anesthetics. For a really young or anxious child we can use conscious sedation with nitrous oxide, or a stronger sedation with an oral medication. We have an effective and safe routine. For extreme cases we can do the dental work under general anesthesia in the surgical center. Each child is unique. One main goal is to help your child to be at ease in going to the dentist.
One emergency that can happen is if a baby or permanent front tooth is knocked completely out. You must rinse it off with milk and place it back just how it was in the mouth. Gently push it in and keep gentle pressure on it for 2 hours. And, gentle pressure at intervals to keep it in the tooth socket. If you are close to a dentist that can see him or her immediately, place the tooth in a cup of milk and head to the dentist. For dental swellings of the face, use ice and never heat and call us quickly. Chipped teeth also need to be promptly seen at our clinic. If any head trauma or other severe injuries have occurred, go to the ER immediately. Call us at the office or cell to be seen immediately, or to receive a prescription and advice.
Yes, though often the child will do better if the parent is not present.
Yes, Dr. Lamb holds a specialty certificate in Pediatric Dentistry. And he has a lot of clinical experience. He uses wise and accurate judgment. We see children from the age of birth to 18-years old.
No, not usually, unless a papoose or safety blanket is required to keep them safe during treatment.
We provide conscious sedation. This almost knocks your child out, but it is not a general anesthetic. It allows us to do your child’s dentistry gently, safely, and successfully. Nitrous oxide is available too.
Si, hablamos espanol. We speak Spanish.