Pediatric Dentistry
Providing dental care for children is about both dental health and dental education. The field of pediatric dentistry, also called pedodontics, caters to children from birth through adolescence. We generally start seeing children for routine care after age two; younger children should be evaluated at any age if there is any question regarding growth, development, or cavities. Our youngest patient was eleven days old!
Early detection is vital to caring for children, which is why it is important to establish a relationship with a dentist early on. Despite being preventable through sustained home care and professional services, tooth decay is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases among children in the U.S.
The Dental Leaders practice offers comprehensive care for children of all ages—from maintaining oral health to addressing aberrant dental behaviors. Doctor Groh did his first post-doctoral residency at Miami Children's Hospital and has helped thousands of children and special needs patients achieve their full adult dental potential. Doctor Correa has practiced in several family practices prior to joining Dental Leaders and adds to our strength in providing proper care for kids. For all child patients, the practice provides parents with a full understanding of how to care for dental issues in the home, as well as information regarding the dental growth and development of children. By providing services to people of all ages, Dental Leaders ensures that every family member is cared for in a safe, friendly, supportive environment.
Preventive Hint Number One: Begin brushing babies' teeth as soon as they erupt into the mouth, after every feeding. Including breast feeding. Use a minimal amount of toothpaste, as little ones swallow everything. LESS than the size of a baby pea.
Preventive Hint Number Two: Never send children to bed with a bottle of ANYTHING but water. Milk, sugar water, and soda are common in some South Florida cultures, and their use at nap time and bedtime usually cause terrible cavities. We have had to take children as young as eleven months old to the operating room to restore their terribly decayed mouths.
Preventive Hint Number Three: Discontinue all use of pacifiers by age one! Continued use of pacifiers commonly causes distorted growth of the front part of the mouth, creating severe orthodontic problems that sometimes even require surgery. The best way to discontinue pacifier use is "cold turkey". Yes you will have a bad weekend. But more importantly, you will have a well developed and beautiful child!
