Preventive Care

The doctors at All Kids Dental are committed to providing the most advanced and effective strategies in caries prevention to help reach our goal of your child becoming a cavity-free adult.

Sealants

More than 80% of cavities happen in the deep pits and grooves found on back teeth. These pits can be so deep and so small that even our toothbrush bristles can’t reach them, which makes it nearly impossible to prevent cavities there by good brushing alone. By placing sealants on these surfaces, we are nearly 99% effective in preventing the most common type of dental cavity: groove-type cavities. 

Sealants are applied by a simple procedure in which the tooth is cleaned and dried, then a BPA-free resin material is bonded to the surface. There is no need for anesthetic injections, and since the material is light-activated, children can eat and drink right away when done. We do sealants routinely on all permanent back teeth and selectively on certain cavity-prone baby teeth.

Fluoride Varnish

All Kids Dental utilizes the newest fluoride protocol established by the American Dental Association. Research has shown that fluoride varnish is almost 50% more effective at reducing cavities, compared to the traditional fluoride gel approach. In addition, fluoride varnish results in a significantly lower systemic fluoride uptake than previously available. Since our goal is to fluoride the teeth, not the body, this has proven to be an exciting advance.

Did you know that children who have fluoride varnish applied every six months have fewer cavities than those who do not? In combination with water fluoridation and fluoride toothpaste, fluoride varnish will reduce the incidence of childhood caries by up to 65 to 70%. This, in combination with dental sealants, proper diet, and home care (brushing and flossing), makes becoming a cavity-free adult a very realistic goal for all our patients at All Kids Dental.

Xylitol

The Role of Xylitol Gum and Mints in Reducing Cavities

Xylitol is common sugar substitute that is widely distributed throughout nature and available in fruits, berries, mushrooms, lettuce, hardwoods, and corn cobs. As an example, one cup of raspberries contains almost one gram of xylitol.

Over the past ten years, research has indicated xylitol’s effectiveness in dramatically reducing the incidence of caries, particularly in caries-prone children. Xylitol effectively alters the virulence of Mutans Streptococci (the bacteria in dental plaque responsible for forming cavities) and has a long-lasting effect. Ask the front desk about xylitol gum and mints that we have available for your child to try.