Diagnostic Care

We recommend that your child visit Upper East Side Kids Dentist once every six months for a dental cleaning and examination. Dr. Rachel evaluates your child’s teeth, gums, and jaw to look for indications of oral health problems. This is necessary to spot tooth decay as well as other oral health issues as early as possible. Treating a dental disease or condition proactively is always preferable to treating it after symptoms are causing distress.

Your child’s bi-annual check-up allows us to detect problems such as:

• Damage to bones

• Extra teeth such as wisdom teeth

• Gum disease

• Improper tooth alignment

• Jaw pain caused by temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)

• Tooth decay

What to Expect at Your Child’s Oral Examination Appointment

In addition to a thorough cleaning, your child’s bi-annual preventive care appointment typically includes screening for periodontal disease and TMJ. The first focuses on treating gum disease, which could involve periodontitis, gingivitis, or both. Untreated gum disease is a leading cause of tooth loss.

TMJ can cause significant pain and needs to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. Everyone has a temporomandibular joint located near the front of the ear. This is the intersection of the lower jaw and skull. Some symptoms of TMJ include:

• Ear pain

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Pain near the ears when your child speaks, yawns, laughs, or sneezes

• Pain in the shoulders, neck, face, or jaw joints

• Popping and clicking sounds when opening the mouth

It’s possible that another medical condition is causing your child’s symptoms, which is why a prompt evaluation is critical.

If Dr. Rachel suspects a specific dental problem, she will complete a digital dental X-ray at this appointment as well. This helps her confirm or rule out a diagnosis allowing her to create and present the most appropriate treatment option.

Benefits of Using Digital Dental X-rays

Traditional X-rays are considered safe, but some parents feel uncomfortable with their child being exposed to any unnecessary radiation. One of the greatest benefits of digital X-rays is that it reduces radiation exposure by 90 percent or more. Additionally, it provides Dr. Rachel with instant high-quality images so she can begin planning a course of treatment immediately. Yet another benefit of digital dental X-rays is that they are more environmentally friendly. They do not require film and processing chemicals and so they produce no hazardous waste.

Scheduling of Digital Dental X-rays

We only perform X-rays when the situation warrants it, such as when your child’s dentist suspects a problem and needs to evaluate it further. Your child’s age, symptoms, and disease risk are main factors in deciding when to deliver an X-ray. We typically recommend X-rays for new patients to establish a baseline for future dental care.

What to Expect When Your Child Receives a Dental X-ray

The dental assistant working with your child will place a heavy lead apron over his or her head to get ensure protection from radiation. Next, our team member places a small image receptor in your child’s mouth. He or she will want to bite down on the sterile device so we receive the clearest image from the X-ray. The process is quick and painless for your child. Getting immediate results means we can discuss findings and any proposed treatment with you during the same appointment.