Exams & Cleanings

The dental exam and cleaning represent your child’s best chance at avoiding all other dental procedures. It’s the cornerstone of oral health, and with some diligence, it could be the only thing your child ever sees us for! Smile Out Loud Pediatric Dentistry in Gramercy NYC is all about making the cleaning and exam easy and fun for your kiddo. See the Your Child’s First Visit page for details on what to expect during a cleaning and exam.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING A PEDIATRIC DENTAL CHECKUP EXAM

When you bring your child to Smile Out Loud for an exam, we’ll start with a chat to catch up and help them settle in. Once we begin their checkup appointment, we’ll do the following:

Clean their teeth
Chat about brushing and home hygiene
Examine their mouth and teeth
Capture digital x-rays, if applicable
Discuss a treatment plan, if needed
Apply a fluoride varnish
Get a prize from the Toy Cave!

WHY ARE EXAMS AND TEETH CLEANINGS IMPORTANT?

Exams and cleanings are preventive care. We’re sure you’ve heard this before, but what does that really mean? What do they prevent? Some of the primary reasons to always stay on top of your child’s cleanings and exams include:

Detecting Decay and Gum Disease

Most children are recommended to get dental check ups every six months. This allows Dr. Dikansky to identify cavities early, before small cavities become big cavities. Small cavities can be treated more conservatively than large cavities with silver diamine fluoride.

Silver Diamine Fluoride is a minimally invasive treatment option that is easier for a child to tolerate than a filling, which is easier for a child to tolerate than a root canal, which is easier for a child to tolerate than an extraction…you get the idea! Catching cavities in earlier stages allows for easier treatment procedures. Dr. Dikansky assesses the overall gum and bone health of your child at every checkup as well. The earlier the better, when it comes to detection!

Monitoring Jaw and Bite Development

With regular exams, we’ll be able to monitor your child’s growth and development. Some growth pattern problems need earlier orthodontic intervention than others, and missing the boat can mean a longer, more complicated treatment later in life, or compromised results. Dr. Dikansky will advise on whether your child needs to see an orthodontist now, later, or not at all.

Hygiene

Professional dental cleanings help to prevent bad breath or identify its cause, which we can address with cleaning or treatment. Dr. Dikansky or members of her team will make sure you and your child know how to keep your child’s mouth clean at home. The Smile Out Loud team will help your child practice brushing and flossing until they get it right! We love patient education.

Addressing Harmful Habits

Harmful pediatric oral habits include nail biting, teeth grinding, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, pacifier use, and chewing on objects, just to name a few. Regular exams help us watch for signs of these habits and provide guidance on cessation.

Fluoride Varnish

At the end of each checkup visit, we’ll brush a fluoride varnish onto your child’s teeth. This is a resin containing a high concentration of fluoride, which strengthens tooth enamel. Not only does it work to prevent cavities, it can also arrest progress of early-stage existing cavities. Applying this preventative resin every six months goes a long way towards protecting your kiddo’s chompers!