Pediatric Dentistry in Missouri City
Dr. Carlos A. Alonso, DDS
Pediatric dentistry is oral healthcare for children from infancy through adolescence. It is important to take your child for regular dental visits beginning approximately six months after the eruption of their first baby tooth. Regular dental visits starting at a young age help establish good oral hygiene habits and helps develop good dental experiences. When I speak to adults that are fearful of the dental office, most note that their fear stems from a bad experience as a child.
Children that develop good habits and have pleasant experiences at the dentist tend to grow into adults that are comfortable at the dentist and also have good oral health. If you are looking for a dentist that is truly concerned with the comfort of your child, Dr. Alonso of Alonso Family Dental will be sure your child’s experience is a pleasant one.
If you’d like Dr. Alonso to take of your child’s smile, contact us today!(281) 778-8400
A Pediatric Dentist Truly Knows How to Treat a Young Patient
It is important to take your children to a dentist that is comfortable seeing pediatric patients. There can be significant differences between adult oral health care and pediatric oral health care. Children tend to need shorter appointments as they cannot tolerate being in a dental chair as long as an adult. There is a specific way to communicate with children in order for them to understand what care they are receiving and so they have a positive experience.
We will only do treatment on children if they are going to have a positive experience. We use N.O. (“laughing gas”) to keep a child’s level of anxiety low. We also have television monitors the children can watch during treatment as well as headphones so they can focus on something other than dental treatment. After doing well during an appointment, pediatric patients are taken to a treasure box to pick a prize. We find this to be very popular with the children. Sorry, adults don’t have access to the treasure box.
Visit Expectations for Your Child
When your child visits our office for the first time, we will give you a list of dental terms to use to discuss dental care with them. We find that some of the words we use in communicating with our pediatric patients can make a difference in their overall experience. Your child will have a cleaning, any necessary x-rays, a thorough exam by Dr. Alonso, and a fluoride varnish application. Dr. Alonso will sit down with the parents and review their child’s dental health and will discuss any necessary treatment he recommends. Dr. Alonso and his hygienist will also review the best ways to maintain good oral hygiene.
We do habit counseling for habits such as thumb sucking and pacifiers and how they can affect your child’s teeth. Dr. Alonso does an orthodontic assessment to help determine the timing for an orthodontic consultation. An orthodontic assessment is an evaluation for straightening teeth and correcting an improper bite. We will discuss nutrition, diet, and foods to avoid for cavity prevention and answer any questions that you or your child may have. Our main goal is to help your child have a healthy mouth and a positive experience.
Is Your Child An Athlete? Dr. Alonso is a Certified Sports Dentist!
As a certified Sports Dentist, Dr. Alonso has extensive training in caring for dental injuries such as broken teeth, teeth that have been knocked out, and displaced teeth. Dr. Alonso commonly sees these dental traumatic injuries in children as they are usually very active. Dr. Alonso is an expert in the fabrication of athletic mouthguards to help prevent such injuries and has been certified by the Academy of Sports Dentistry as a Certified Team Dentist.