Children's Dentistry

At Mangrove Bay Dentistry in Tampa, we provide gentle and compassionate oral health care for children of all ages, not just adults!

Dr. Toan Tran and his team thoroughly enjoy working with children and will take the time to make sure your child feels welcome and comfortable every time they visit us. We recommend that your child's first dental visit be six months after the appearance of their first tooth. For most babies, this is around age one.

Children's Dental Care You Can Trust

At Mangrove Bay Dentistry, we take special care to establish a relationship of trust with the patients we see. We are experienced with oral health care for children from infancy through their teenage years, so we'll be able to take care of your child's dental needs at every stage of their growth.

Our skilled dentist and dental hygienists will gently perform needed dental procedures while keeping your child comfortable and relaxed. We always spend time with you, updating you about your child's oral health, answering your questions and helping you and your children establish good habits to preserve their healthy smiles for life.

Everything You Need in One Office

At Mangrove Bay Dentistry, we understand how hectic life gets and we never want your family's oral health care to suffer because of it. We offer dental services for patients of all ages, so you, your spouse, your parents, and your children won't have to travel to various locations to get the dental care you need. It is particularly valuable for your children to visit the same dentist as you so they can feel at ease going to the dentist by watching their parents have a great experience.

Our Children's Dental Services

At Mangrove Bay Dentistry we offer a full range of kids dental services including:

  • Diagnostic and preventative dentistry - cleanings and oral exams, fluoride treatments
  • Fillings and other dental restorations
  • Protective sealants, if needed after the permanent teeth erupt
  • Sports mouth guards
  • Early orthodontic evaluation

Children's Dental Procedures

There are a variety of dental treatments offered to prevent tooth decay in children, or to save or repair teeth when necessary. They include:

Topical Fluoride Varnish -

Although there is a small amount of fluoride in toothpastes and in some drinking water supplies, a higher concentration can be applied safely to your child's teeth for maximum protection. The applied fluoride will incorporate into the enamel of the teeth, making them harder and more resistant to decay.

Dental Sealants -

A special coating can be applied at the dental office to prevent cavities by sealing the little grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth known as "pits and fissures." It's in these little crevices that oral bacteria commonly collect and cause decay.

Tooth-Colored Fillings

Tooth-colored resin fillings are applied to dental cavities after the decayed tooth structure is gently removed. These fillings are color matched to the surrounding tooth enamel and blend in completely with your child's smile.

Bonding

Chips in dental enamel and minor fractures can be repaired with tooth-colored bonding materials. This natural-looking resin can be used on baby teeth as well as permanent teeth.

Crowns

If substantial tooth structure is damaged, a filling or bonding may not provide a strong and long-lasting restoration. In these cases, a stainless crown (silver) that covers the entire tooth may be used to save the tooth. If a crown is needed on a primary tooth, less expensive materials will be used than would be for an adult tooth after facial growth is completed.

Root Canal Treatment

Sometimes a tooth becomes so decayed that it needs root canal therapy to gently remove infected pulp prior to the placement of a crown.

Dental Extraction

If a tooth is abscessed and your child is in acute pain, the infection may need to be treated with a dental extraction. Sometimes primary teeth do not fall out easily or before permanent teeth are erupting. Dr. Tran may recommend a tooth extraction if it will make your child more comfortable or be of value for your child's developing tooth alignment. If needed, he will provide a space maintainer to keep adequate space for eruption of the permanent tooth or teeth after a tooth removal.

Local Anesthetic

When a local anesthetic will block discomfort and help your child relax, Dr. Tran will numb your child's gums with topical anesthetic before gently injecting the anesthetic. Dr. Tran is known for his painless injections. In addition, we also have nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to help patients reduce anxiety.

Orthodontic Evaluation

There are many orthodontic problems that can be detected early. By around age 7, Dr. Tran will be able to determine if early orthodontics will be needed to help direct proper tooth positioning and/or jaw growth that will eliminate or simplify the need for later orthodontic treatment.

Custom Sports Mouthguards

If your child is active in sports, a custom-made mouthguard is highly recommended by Dr. Tran. According to the American Dental Association and Academy of Sports Dentistry, an athlete is 60 times more likely to suffer dental harm when not wearing one of these protective devices. A custom mouthguard is made specifically for your child using a model of their teeth so they will offer greater protection than an off-the-shelf model.

We Look Forward to Being Your Child's Dentist

Whether your child needs regular dental care or urgent treatment, we welcome you to schedule an initial visit. Call us today at (813) 544-6778, we can't wait to meet you and your child!

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