Technology That Improves Your Child’s Dental Visits

By Rishita Jaju, DMD

Smile Wonders

. https://www.smilewonders.com/

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Technology That Improves Your Child’s Dental Visits

Modern pediatric dental offices utilize state of the art technology to make sure children feel comfortable while receiving top quality and enjoyable dental care. This makes sure that dentist visits do not spark fear and anxiety in children who have not had the opportunity to become familiar with their dentist. Here are a few things to ask about when looking for your child’s pediatric dentist.

#1 TV/iPads

The best and most child-friendly offices have technology that kids and parents are already familiar with, such as TVs or iPads, which help children feel at ease when entering a dental setting. A play area filled with toys, books, and iPads will excite kids about visiting the office. Child-friendly games and apps can be used to keep kids having fun while they wait for their appointment. TVs at each operatory chair can be used to play popular TV shows or movies to help distract children from being nervous and bring their attention to something more exciting than a teeth cleaning or fillings.

#2 Intraoral Digital Cameras

When it comes to helping you understand your child’s dental diagnosis or treatment, intraoral digital cameras allow you to see exactly what the pediatric dentist sees. These cameras produce instant images of your little one’s teeth. The images can be saved as stills or video. The cameras are designed to be slim and small, so children can easily tolerate having pictures taken of each tooth.

#3 – Digital X-Rays

Diagnostic x-rays have long been invaluable to dentistry. The emergence of digital technology within the past decade have made dental x-rays significantly more safe and comfortable. Digital technology allows the reduction of radiation exposure to patients by as much as 90% over traditional x-rays. In fact, eating two bananas can expose a person to more radiation than what is used for one dental x-ray. In addition to how safe digital x-rays are, they eliminate the waiting time for pictures to develop. They also provide sharper images that can be enhanced instantly to show detail. Since the images are captured so quickly, tolerating the sensors often make them more comfortable to use for children rather than traditional film.

#4 – Laser Dentistry

Laser dentistry is one of the most advanced dental treatments available today. By utilizing laser energy and water, pediatric dentists are able to perform a wide range of dental treatment in a comfortable manner for kids. 

The Waterlase^® laser is very effective in desensitizing teeth during restorative treatment, reducing the need for needles and local anesthetic. It is also much more gentle than sharp instruments, such as scissors or scalpels, during soft tissue procedures. Waterlase is a gentle approach that allows for a much easier recovery. It helps eliminate the fear associated with dental treatment and foster a healthier mindset about oral care.