Restorative

Dr. Lucia Gerstmann, Dr. Marlina Shah, DDS. Buckeye Pediatric Dentistry. Special Needs/Sensory Dentistry, General Anesthesia in a Comfortable Setting, Infant Oral Health, Smile Whitening, Extractions, Accident & Injury Services. Pediatric Dentist in Reynoldsburg, OH 43068.

RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY BRINGING LITTLE SMILES BACK TO LIFE

There is nothing worse than something happening to your child. You hate it when they have the sniffles, so how much worse is it when something happens to their wonderful, necessary smiles? We get it! We have kids of our own and understand the vital importance of getting those grins back to health as quickly and comfortably as possible.
Dr. Marlina with a family - Buckeye Pediatric Dentistry in Reynoldsburg

WHY EVEN BABY TEETH ARE IMPORTANT

While it is true that baby teeth are meant to fall out and be replaced by adult teeth, these little teeth are crucial for a number of reasons. They allow kids to chew their food properly, which is an essential part of digestion and proper nutrition. They help children speak and enunciate properly, important for both social and developmental reasons. And they are vital to guiding adult teeth into their permanent location and for the development of the jaw.

PREVENTING

DECAY AT HOME

While it is difficult to prevent trauma (We can’t really swath smiles in bubble wrap, can we?) There are specific and proven ways to help prevent the occurrence of cavities. This starts, of course, with consistent home hygiene, but there are lots of other things that we may never think of that can help as well.

Here are some things that lead to cavities. Do you do any of these?

Even things like stomach ailments that cause kids to vomit frequently, or nighttime clenching and grinding can affect the strength and quality of the enamel and make teeth vulnerable to decay.

Help When Something Goes Wrong

Little teeth are vulnerable. Decay can result from many things from carrying around a baby bottle, to hard-to-clean grooves and fissures in teeth. Teeth can become damaged from anything as simple as a bump on the mouth to a fall or car accident. That’s why we are here. If something happens to those precious smiles, give Buckeye Pediatric Dentistry a call right away.

Smile Whitening

Prom. Job interviews. College visits. A first date. These are times your teenager needs to feel his or her most confident. These milestone experiences in teenage lives set the stage for the rest of their lives! Why not offer them a little confidence-booster with tray smile whitening? We offer take-home tray whitening for young smiles because it causes less sensitivity. Our whitening trays are custom fitted for absolute safety and comfort. They begin with impressions of your child’s teeth. These impressions are then are crafted into medical-grade plastic trays at our office. These trays should perfectly fit his or her upper and lower teeth, without touching the sensitive gums. Once the trays are in, whitening is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

In a week or two, those amazing smiles will have the extra zing and confidence they need to really go places!

Tooth-Colored Fillings

No one gets excited when the cavity bugs strike. Even the idea of getting a filling can be nerve-wracking to parents and children alike. Don’t worry! We specialize in fixing kids teeth. Here at Buckeye Pediatric Dentistry, we prefer to use tooth-colored fillings for this work. These fillings blend perfectly in little smiles so your young person can continue to smile with complete confidence. To place these fillings, we:

We know how much the tongue can magnify even the smallest snag or crack, so we make sure your child will not have any irritating surface roughness. Instead, they leave with a smile that looks and feels like new!

Extractions

There can be multiple reasons why a tooth can't be saved and needs to be pulled:

We know no one wants the tooth fairy to visit at the wrong time, but if a tooth extraction is needed, isn’t it nice to know it can be done right here with Dr. Gerstmann, instead of by a stranger in a strange office? We will explain the entire process, step-by-step, to both you and your child so you know exactly what to expect before, during, and after the extraction.

Anesthesia

It is our goal to get every child to have a positive in-office experience, we use carefully tested“behavior management” techniques. Simply put, that means we help your child feel so relaxed and safe we can perform almost any dental procedure without sedation or other pharmaceutical intervention. It starts by:

In fact, Dr. Lucia Gerstmann and Dr. Marlina are well known here in the central Columbus area for their gentle and compassionate approach and their amazing way with children. But, general anesthesia is sometimes necessary for particular cases. Those with high levels of anxiety, special health requirements, or a significant amount of dental needs may require it. In these circumstances, patients are treated under the direct care of specially trained anesthesiologists at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the Dental Surgery Center.

Silver Diamine Fluoride

We also offer Silver Diamine Fluoride for special needs patients and babies. This specially formulated liquid allows us to treat active dental disease and cavities without any invasive treatments. This is not our first choice for cavity care, but we do use it in instances in which children are unable to sit with their mouths open or tolerate any drilling.

Nerve Treatment

Sometimes, the nerves within your child's tooth can become infected and cause pain, swelling, and infections. This can also lead to having the tooth completely removed. But, Dr. Lucia and Dr. Marlina can potentially save the tooth through nerve treatment, sometimes referred to as pulpotomy/pulpectomy.

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous Oxide is a safe gas that can be administered to help calm the child and keep them relaxed during the procedures. As an added bonus, this is an effective method of removing a child's gag reflex to allow treatments to proceed more smoothly.

Crowns | Caps

Sometimes, when a cavity or decay in a tooth becomes too large, a simple filling won't do the trick. If this is the case, Buckeye Pediatric Dentistry offers to place a crown or a "cap" over the tooth. This is a stainless steel cover that goes over the tooth and eliminates the effects of decay in that particular tooth.

Space Maintenance

Space maintainers may prevent more complicated dental treatments in the future. It’s not uncommon for any child to lose a baby tooth too soon. It could be a result of an accident/injury or cavities/decay. While it may not seem like a big deal because another tooth will eventually erupt in its place, missing a tooth early can actually cause problems further down the road.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHILD’S SMILE

Your Reynoldsburg pediatric dentist will be happy to show you just how important baby teeth are. They often get overlooked because they’re considered temporary and will fall out over time. But did you know that these tiny teeth are actually important in a big way? Primary teeth will help your child chew foods, develop healthy jaw and facial structure, and speak clearly.

Baby teeth have another very important job. They also act as space maintainers for permanent teeth before they’re ready to push through the gum line.

WHAT IS SPACE MAINTENANCE?

Experts from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry will tell you just how important it is to consider a space maintainer oral appliance for your child. They’re customized for your child, creating a comfortable, functional fit that no one will ever notice. Most of our patients are accustomed to their appliance within a day or two. Your Buckeye pediatric dentist will recommend a space maintainer to prevent any damage to adjacent teeth or crowding when a baby tooth falls out too soon. We never want remaining teeth to shift out of place when a tooth is lost, this can make adult teeth grow improperly – possibly leading to more costly orthodontic care down the road. The appliance keeps the space open and deters any additional movement while the permanent tooth waits to make its big debut.

HOW TO CARE FOR A SPACE MAINTAINER

The appliances are always made of metal and are glued in place. They’re durable but can be damaged or come out if not properly cared for. Things like chewing gum, caramel candies, and other gooey treats can cause not-so-sweet problems. It’s also important that your little one doesn’t poke at the space maintainer with things such as fingers, tongues, silverware, toys, etc. You can easily clean the appliance with regular brushing and flossing.  If you have any questions about space maintenance for your child’s smile, please don’t hesitate to talk to us. We’re here to keep the tiny teeth healthy and strong for a smile that lasts for years to come.

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