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Pediatric Dentistry

Pediatric Dentistry for
a Lifetime of Healthy Smiles

Few things provide more joy than your child’s smiling face. Dr. Dimitri Bizoumis and his team provide first-rate pediatric dentistry to help protect your child’s smile today and for their future. We combine skill and cutting-edge technology with a kid-friendly approach to provide a positive experience for you and your child. Whether your child has just gotten their first tooth or is gaining a grown-up smile, we’ll help those smiles last a lifetime. Contact our Huntington Beach office to schedule your first visit!

How is a Pediatric Dentist Different
from a General Dentist?

General dentists have a broad understanding of patients of all ages and can handle most standard dental care. However, many have limited experience with dental care for children, and many won’t see kids before a certain age or even at all.

Pediatric dentists have the skills, experience, and advanced training to work with children. This specialization requires an additional two to three years of education, ensuring that our dentists can identify issues unique to a child’s dental health and development and provide effective, age-appropriate solutions.

A pediatric dentist also understands how important it is for kids to have positive dental experiences. We provide a fun approach and use kid-friendly language to help them understand their care and encourage healthy habits. Fostering trust between the dentist and our young patients makes it more likely that they’ll continue to seek dental care later in life, protecting their future smiles with quality care today.

What Does Pediatric Dentistry Involve?

Pediatric dentistry involves protecting a child’s healthy dental development as they grow, from their first primary (baby) tooth to their final molar. We do this through careful monitoring, proactive treatment and prevention, and educating kids and parents. Our pediatric services include:

	Pediatric Dentistry in Huntington Beach, CA

A Child’s First Visit: What to Expect

During your first visit, our goal is to help your child feel safe, welcome, and comfortable in our office. Our friendly staff greet your child and get to know them by name. We show them around the office and explain things to them in positive, age-appropriate terms. When kids understand what’s going on, it helps to take the “scary” out of their dental care so we can focus on the fun!

Our dentists greet new patients and take the time to thank them for visiting our office. If your child is comfortable, we may perform a basic, non-invasive oral exam. However, our top priority is giving your child a chance to get to know our dentists and staff, and for us to get to know them.

You’re welcome to join your child in the exam area during their first visit to help them feel comfortable. Once they’ve adjusted, we encourage parents to let their children receive treatment on their own, which encourages bonding with our team and helps kids to feel more grown-up.

How Dental Exams &
Cleanings Benefit Your Child’s Smile

Just like your own dental care, we use exams and cleanings to help your child’s smile stay healthy and strong. Our exams let us see how the smile is developing, spot potential problems, and be proactive about treatment and prevention.

Cleanings get rid of plaque buildup, reducing the risk of cavities and helping their smile stay fresh and happy. Depending on their age and health needs, we may also apply fluoride to strengthen their smiles and protect their teeth.

What Do Dental Exams Check?

We look for many things during your child’s dental exams. These include:

  • Teeth – We examine every tooth surface for signs of damage, decay, or abnormal wear. We also check to see whether their teeth are erupting on time and developing properly.
  • Gums – While more common in adults, we always check the gums and soft tissues for any signs of infection, trauma, or other problems.
  • Bite – As their teeth emerge, we evaluate how they meet to see whether their bite is healthy, or whether orthodontics may be needed.
  • Jaw – Jaw development is crucial to your child’s smile, and we monitor it closely to see that everything’s on track.
  • Head and Neck – Finally, we examine your child’s face and neck to see whether there are any outer signs of a problem.
	Pediatric Dentistry in Huntington Beach, CA

Common Dental Problems Kids Face

Kids can face many challenges throughout their young lives, and they must be addressed with timely, appropriate treatment to guide their development. Here are some of the issues your child might face and what we can do to help.

Cavities & Tooth Decay

Children are especially prone to tooth decay because they haven’t yet mastered caring for their teeth, and they tend to have high-sugar diets. The treatment will vary depending on the size and location of decay, and whether it’s a baby or adult tooth.

Solutions: Fluoride, Sealants, and Fillings

If the cavity is in a baby tooth about to be replaced, it can be safest to wait for the tooth to come out. Our goal would be to protect the other teeth through fluoride treatment, which strengthens tooth enamel, and through sealants, which coat the teeth and provide years of protection against decay. If it’s an adult tooth or a young baby tooth, a filling may be needed. We offer composite fillings, which are tooth-colored and let us preserve more of your child’s healthy enamel.

Stubborn Baby Teeth

The transition from baby teeth can be tricky, and sometimes, a baby tooth might have a long or oddly shaped root that keeps it from coming out on time. Quick treatment is needed to ensure that the adult tooth doesn’t emerge out of place.

Solution: Extraction

We can carefully and skillfully remove the tooth to create room for the adult tooth to emerge. Our office has a board-certified anesthesiologist who can provide both nitrous and IV sedation if needed to make the treatment more comfortable for your child.

Crooked, Crowded, or Misaligned Teeth

Your child’s dental alignment isn’t just cosmetic – it affects how teeth meet when biting or chewing, how easy they are to clean, and whether they may have jaw problems in the future. Alignment issues can be hereditary or caused by behaviors such as thumb-sucking or tongue-thrusting.

Solution: Orthodontics

Orthodontics is specifically designed to help kids achieve a healthy alignment. This can be as simple as straightening crooked teeth or as complex as helping jaw growth. We provide all types of braces, including Invisalign® for responsible older teens so they can straighten their smile conveniently and discreetly.

Risk of Injury

Kids are often involved in sports and other rigorous activities. While these are great for their health and self-esteem, a sudden accident could lead to a painful dental emergency.

Solution: Mouthguards

Custom mouthguards help protect a kid’s smile and avoid damaged and knocked-out teeth. With our 3D scanner, we can take digital impressions of your child’s smile to create a mouthguard that fits safely and comfortably – no messy putty involved!

Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)

A fairly common issue in school-aged children, teeth grinding mostly happens at night. Typically, it will stop as the child grows, but if prolonged, it can cause headaches, jaw pain, and worn teeth.

Solution: Nightguards

Similar to mouthguards, these help protect the teeth at night and alleviate the pressure. Our dentists carefully evaluate the situation to determine whether a nightguard is needed, and can make a custom one for your child.

	Pediatric Dentistry in Huntington Beach, CA

7 Tips to Keep Your Kid’s Smile Healthy at Home

  1. Let them pick their own toothbrush.
  2. Brush your teeth together.
  3. Download kid-friendly dental apps.
  4. Encourage healthy snacking with fruits and veggies.
  5. Limit fruit juice and other sugary drinks.
  6. Use songs and games to make hygiene fun.
  7. Offer rewards for good dental habits like brushing well for a week.

Quality Dental Care for Your Child’s Smile

At the dental office of Dimitri Bizoumis, DDS, we love helping kids feel good about their smiles and learn about how important it is to care for their teeth. We build strong bonds with every child we see, and we’re excited to help your kid smile with confidence! If you’re looking for a great pediatric dentist in Huntington Beach, look no further than Dr. Bizoumis and his team! Contact our office to get started today!

Discuss Advanced Dental Care in Huntington Beach

We genuinely hope our website is helpful to you in learning more about our practice, dental conditions and treatments, dental recommendations, and more. Please browse through our website and be sure to give us a call if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping you and your family achieve your most authentic and beautifully healthy smiles.

Sincerely, Our Dental Team.

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