Comprehensive Pediatric Dental Care in Oak Park, IL
Petite Smiles Pediatric Dentistry offers a multitude of specialty services as well as the routine high-quality treatments that every child needs to maintain a healthy, happy smile. Our preventive service options are designed to keep tooth decay and damage at bay, while our restorative services repair teeth quickly, comfortably, and effectively. To learn more about our treatment options or schedule your child’s next visit, please get in touch with our friendly front office team, and we’ll be glad to assist you.
Contact UsTooth-Colored Pediatric Dental Fillings
Tooth-colored dental fillings offer several benefits over amalgam (silver) dental fillings. Tooth-colored fillings require less of the natural tooth to be removed before they can be placed, which means more of the healthy tooth structure can remain. They are also designed to blend in seamlessly with the surrounding teeth and be undetectable to the untrained eye. Amalgam fillings can also contain trace amounts of mercury, while tooth-colored dental fillings are made of a durable resin material that is safer for the patient.
White Dental Crowns for Kids
Dental crowns are tooth-colored caps that are placed over teeth that have been affected by tooth decay or dental trauma. They can also be used to support teeth that have undergone root canal treatment and need extra strength and protection. Our dental crowns can be placed over adult teeth as well as baby teeth, and their durability allows them to last for many years before they need to be modified or replaced. We also carefully match the color of each dental crown to the rest of the patient’s teeth to ensure that they look as natural as possible.
Space Maintainers
Space maintainers are simple oral appliances that make a huge difference when it comes to a patient’s orthodontic development. They are typically used when a baby tooth is knocked out too early and the adult tooth is not ready to grow in, essentially holding the empty space open for several months or years. When a space maintainer is not used, nearby teeth can shift to fill in the gap and make it difficult or impossible for the adult tooth underneath to grow in properly. Space maintainers can make your child’s future orthodontic treatment easier and more efficient.
Nerve Treatments (Pulpotomies)
A pulpotomy is a vital dental procedure primarily performed on children with extensive decay or trauma that has reached the nerve chamber (pulp) of a baby tooth. It involves the partial removal of the infected or inflamed pulp tissue, typically in the crown portion of the tooth. The goal of a pulpotomy is to preserve the integrity of the baby tooth, allowing it to remain in place until it naturally falls out. After the damaged pulp is carefully removed, the remaining healthy tissue is disinfected and a filling or crown is placed.
Sedation Dentistry (Nitrous Oxide and IV Sedation)
Dental sedation can make a huge difference for patients who struggle with dental anxiety. Our office provides nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, which puts patients into a comfortable and relaxed state for the duration of their treatment. The effects of nitrous oxide wear off within a few minutes of breathing normal air, and patients can often return to their normal routines post-treatment. IV sedation puts the patient into a deeper state of relaxation, and is often used during lengthier or more advanced dental procedures. Our team would be happy to help you determine if dental sedation would be a safe and effective choice for your child.
Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies are scary and stressful situations. Luckily, our team is here for your child should they knock out an adult tooth or develop an unbearable toothache. If a dental emergency arises in your household, we recommend giving our front office a call as quickly as possible. This allows our team to offer your family some initial advice and begin preparing a treatment room so that we are ready to assist your child as soon as you get to our office. We always advise families to save our office number in their phones so that we can be reached quickly if necessary.
Special Needs Dentistry
Our office is well-equipped to work with children of all ages and dental backgrounds, including those with special needs. Pediatric dentists complete additional training post-graduation to learn how to work with patients with special needs specifically. In fact, some patients with special needs continue visiting their pediatric dentist as adults because of how knowledgeable and capable they are. If your child has any special needs that our team should know about, please let our team know before their first visit, and we will be glad to accommodate them to the best of our abilities.
