Dr. Howson-Jones offers services in preventive and restorative dentistry, trauma and emergency care, interceptive orthodontics, child growth and development and behaviour management on a constant and continuous basis.
As a pediatric dental specialist and your child’s oral primary care provider, we will assess several areas of their growth and development at each and every recall visit and discuss ways to minimize their risk of developing cavities:
• Dental and Oral development – dental milestones, growth charts, anomalies
• Fluoride – sources of at home fluoride and professional applications
• Non-nutritive habits – thumb sucking and pacifier use at a young age, then nail biting and pen chewing as teenagers
• Injury prevention – child proofing your home in the beginning, car safety, bike safety, sports participation, trauma management and follow up
• Diet – from bottle to Sippy cup to regular cup, then pop and sports drink use as children get older
• Oral hygiene- at home practices, including tooth brushing and flossing but also need for parental assistance
Preventive treatments include fluoride application and dental sealants, along with oral hygiene instructions. Maintaining regular six monthly check ups ensure habit reinforcement and monitoring of the growing child and dentition, therefore minimizing the need for more costly interventions.
Restorative pediatric dentistry includes stainless steel crowns, baby root canal treatments, fillings, extractions and esthetic options for front teeth. Space maintenance, cross bite correction and habit appliances are integral to the growing dentition and sometimes necessary. Attention is given to growth and development milestones and monitoring need for medical referral as necessary.
All treatment rendered is performed with the aid of appropriate behaviour management techniques, tailored to the unique needs of each child. Basic techniques include verbal and nonverbal communication and use of nitrous oxide or laughing gas. Advanced behaviour management include in-office oral sedation and full mouth reconstruction under general anesthesia in a private surgical centre or hospital.
Rarely, in unique circumstances, it is necessary to perform an examination or emergency treatment to alleviate pain on a child who may be pre-cooperative due to a young age or have a mental, physical or medical condition that prevents understanding and cooperation. In this situation, the child’s welfare and safety is paramount and we give the parent a choice of using protective stabilization.
