Children’s Dentistry

Children’s Dental Checkups & Teeth Cleanings

Dr. Calderwood (as well as the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry) recommends that a child should start attending regular dental appointments as soon as their first teeth erupt. Initially, their visits will just consist of a gentle exam, and as your child grows and develops, so will their care. Along the way, our goals will be to prevent cavities, fix any issues that pop up early, and ensure your child learns the basics of home dental care so they enjoy a lifetime of healthy smiles.

Dental Sealants

Out of all the teeth, the ones in the back are the most likely to develop cavities, especially in children. Their location and deeply grooved surfaces make them an ideal place for plaque to become trapped and be missed while brushing. However, we can keep this portion of your child’s teeth safe using dental sealants. At the end of their regular checkup, we can coat these teeth with a thin layer of composite resin that will harden into an invisible barrier. This will literally keep plaque and food particles off the enamel to stop decay before it even begins.

Mouthguards / Sportsguards

It’s beautiful here in Park City, meaning many children spend a lot of time outdoors playing sports. To ensure your child’s smile stays safe from unexpected impacts, we recommend that they should always wear a protective mouthguard. Dr. Calderwood can provide your child with one custom-made just for their smile, meaning it will fit much better and provide higher-quality protection compared to anything you’ll find at the store or online.

Frenectomies/ Lip & Tongue-Tie

Lip-ties and tongue-ties are issues where a child’s oral function is limited because these parts of the mouth are being restrained by short, thick bands of tissue called frenulums. This can lead to difficulty feeding, speaking, and even breathing for some. Rather than using a scalpel or surgical scissors, Dr. Calderwood can fix these problems quickly and painlessly using a soft tissue laser. In just a few minutes with no tears shed, he can loosen or remove the tissue altogether.

Special Needs Dentistry

For children with mental, physical, and behavioral special needs, oral healthcare both at home and in the dentist’s office can be a challenge, putting their dental health at risk. At Park City Dentistry, we welcome all special smiles into our dental office, and parents can breathe easy thanks to our team’s wealth of experience. We’re willing to make any accommodations necessary to ensure a smooth and easy appointment, and we’ll also help parents put together an oral hygiene plan they can use at home to help their child between visits.

Non-Nutritive Habits (Thumb Sucking)

When your child was a baby, it was adorable whenever they sucked their thumb or finger. But now that their teeth are starting to come in, you’re a bit worried, and not without reason. Left alone, these behaviors can severely throw off the alignment of the incoming teeth and even hamper the development of the jaw. Rather than wait to fix orthodontic issues later, our team can prevent them by helping your child break this habit. Easier said than done, we know, but we have a number of proven strategies that have already worked for countless children in the past (including some of Dr. Calderwood’s own!). If you ever need any help during this process, you can always give us a call.

Pulp Therapy

Most of the time, a cavity only affects the outer layer of a tooth or enamel. However, decay can sometimes reach the interior nerve of a tooth called the dental pulp, leading to the mother of all toothaches. If your child is complaining of a hurting tooth that doesn’t seem to be getting better, we can quickly provide the relief they need with pulp therapy. For this procedure, we’ll simply remove the infected pulp while leaving any healthy portion behind to stop the discomfort and ensure the tooth functions and develops like normal moving forward.