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  • Hilton Head (843) 671-7336
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  • Aiken (803) 641-1000
Se habla Español Book An Appointment
book an Appointment
  • Hilton Head (843) 671-7336
  • Bluffton (843) 757-7336
  • Beaufort (843) 379-5336
  • Aiken (803) 641-1000

Infant Oral Care

We encourage bringing your children in for early dental visits. In some cases, we are able to identify problems that may be starting including tongue-tied conditions which could affect suckling or even breathing. In addition, teeth grinding and sleep disorders due to narrow arch spaces are more common than we would like to think.

Dr. Hubbard of Coastal Pediatric Dentistry is one of pediatric dentistry’s leaders in early infant oral care. We are proud to be one of the few offices in the country able to provide complete analysis and identify potential sleep disorders along with an airway analysis. We are frequently called upon by other medical professionals to give input on child sleep and airway disorders. Our office is equipped to provide airway and sleep studies.

 

Another benefit of early infant care is to educate the parents about issues such as baby bottle caries and when to anticipate seeing teeth coming in. Proper oral hygiene with either a washcloth, a disposable finger brush, or a soft, small toothbrush designed for infants can help set the stage for ideal ongoing oral care.

Frequently asked Questions

When is the best age to bring a child to the dentist for their first visit?

The first visit for your child at our pediatric dental office should be within 6 months of their first tooth coming in or before they are 12 months of age. The visit is typically shorter than average, just to give your child a brief introduction to our office prior to needing any treatment. We look at the teeth, jaw, gums, airway space, tongue and lip frenum attachments, and alignment of the jaws. Generally, if they are really young, we may not even do a cleaning. If you’d like, you can even have the infant sit in your lap if it helps keep them comforted.

Even if you didn’t get a chance to bring your infant in at an early age, it’s never too young to start now! Children that are 4 years old are prime age for preventing oral habits such as thumb sucking, chewing on fingers and more. We can help you get a good handle on proper diet and nutrition as well. Finally, making sure the teeth are coming in correctly in position and timing can influence the possibility of needing more involved treatment in the future. In addition, it’s a great time to discuss diet, nutrition, and proper home care methods.

Do I need to bring my child to a pediatric specialist or can I take them to our family dentist?

We get this question frequently. While some general dentists don’t mind seeing children, we LOVE seeing them. Our office is designed to make their first visit as fun and enjoyable as possible. If your child has any issues with tooth eruption timing, thumb sucking, tongue-tie, airway blockage or disrupted breathing, we are specially trained to identify and treat those types of issues early.

Our exam rooms and waiting areas are all designed to be FUN for the children. Besides being colorful and engaging, our treatment rooms are filled with special amenities that are distracting and entertaining. Our chairs are smaller and more comfortable for their little bodies and the entire environment caters to children.

Why is it important for a baby to see a dentist since the teeth are going to fall out anyway?

From time to time we hear this comment. The “baby” teeth are not only important to chewing and speech, but they hold space in the child’s jaw for the adult teeth to come in properly. Removing a baby tooth because it needs a filling can cause other teeth to drift into that empty space. This can lead to potential crowding of the adult teeth. In addition, letting a tooth get bad and not treating a “primary” tooth could lead to gum infection which could spread into the jaws. So, please remember that these “practice teeth” are just as important as their replacement “permanent teeth”.

Do you take x-rays on their first dental visit?

Depending upon what age you bring your child in to see us if they are under 2 years old, we probably wouldn’t take any x-rays yet. We try to keep their visit non-threatening and simple. It’s not until they get to about age 4 that we consider taking x-rays unless we have any concerns about airway, jaw alignment, baby-bottle caries, or delayed eruption of teeth.

What if my child is anxious about going to the dentist?

Bringing in your child early when they are younger helps to minimize fears that may accompany going to a new place. It gives them the opportunity to get to know us in a safe setting to help reassure them without overwhelming them. Mostly, we will be just visiting or simply looking, without a lot of poking and prodding on the first visit! It’s more an opportunity for both you and your child to get to know us better.

While we try to do most care without sedation, in some cases, particularly in older children, they may have had a bad experience at their dental office, or perhaps their friends told them something that may have scared them. At our office, we CATER to scared or anxious children. We have nitrous oxide for light conscious sedation, or we can also provide IV sedation or even general anesthesia for more extensive care that might be easier done while your child is fully relaxed. At our pediatric office, we offer many levels of sedation and relaxation to make sure your child has a pleasant and safe visit.

We look forward to seeing you and your baby at our dental practice. We feel it is our job to make sure both you and your child are comfortable at their visit! We like to work closely with your pediatric physician and together will help guide you to provide the best oral health care advice for your child.

If you are looking for a great pedodontist for your child in the coastal South Carolina area, we have many convenient locations nearby to treat your children. Give us a call today and start your lifelong journey with an initial stress-free visit for your child now!

What is “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay”?

From time to time, we will identify a child who has multiple gumline cavities showing up. This preventable disease is often caused by giving your baby a bottle with either formula or sugary juices right before naptime or bedtime. Their teeth are bathed in the fluids that sit on their teeth for hours. it would be best to avoid this by feeding them, wiping off their teeth, and then offering them a pacifier or just regular water in a bottle instead. By bringing your child in early for exams, we can help identify this before damage is caused to the teeth.