Let us be your child’s “home away from home” for trusted, non-scary smile care

Dental disease affects more children than all other chronic offenders, including asthma, childhood obesity, hay fever, and diabetes. It doesn’t have to be this way! Let Groat Pediatric Dentistry be your child’s “home away from home” for trusted, non-scary dental care services that keep damage to your child’s teeth and gums away. Many dental problems are largely preventable – and may even be reversed – with consistent, proactive, preventative visits to our comfortable, kid-friendly space in San Pedro, California. 

It is never too early to develop good dental habits.

Generally, it’s recommended that the first dental visit be scheduled no later than the baby’s first birthday or as soon as you see the first tooth peeking through. This may sound early to you, but the truth is the development of baby teeth is critical as they help to direct the permanent teeth into their proper placements. By delaying treatment, your child may lose a tooth prematurely. The secondary tooth will then grow in crooked and promote many other complications during your child’s pivotal developmental years. Not to mention, these situations often require costly, intensive, and time-consuming restorative or corrective care. Our dentist, Dr. Christopher Groat, prefers to stay ahead of problems rather than play “catch-up” and react to issues after they develop.

What to expect from early visits.

We take great pride in our infant care. These initial visits are as much about getting your child comfortable with the office as they are about getting parents and caregivers comfortable with caring for little, developing mouths. A child who is relaxed while visiting the dentist grows up to be a confident adult who is not afraid of dental appointments. Fearful patients generally have a higher incidence of disease than their relaxed counterparts. So, this fear can very much affect your child’s lifelong health and sense of well-being. 

The dental team also shares and demonstrates ways to maintain your child’s oral health and any red flags to watch for and immediately report to us. These suggestions will evolve, but in those early years, they may include tooth-friendly and age-appropriate behaviors and diets. For example, one of the biggest threats to very young children’s teeth comes from “baby bottle decay.” This condition refers to early childhood tooth decay caused by the constant contact between baby teeth and juices or other sugary beverages (even milk!) placed in bottles by well-meaning parents. Be aware of “sneaky” sources of sugars, such as fruit juices and processed snack foods.  During early visits, we take the time to provide customized guidance appropriate for your child and your family.  We’re here to support you every step of the way with compassion and understanding rather than judgment.

More on how to protect and prevent

In addition to tooth-friendly foods and suggestions on things like proper brushing and flossing techniques, we can also advise on professional preventative services. These services may be administered at the same time as your child’s regular dental check-up. They include applying dental sealants to protect decay-prone back teeth. Or, we may recommend supplementing fluoride from toothpaste with an application of fluoride varnish to maintain, build up, or repair the protective “armor” of your child’s teeth and enamel. If we catch tooth decay early, silver diamine fluoride can be an easy, safe, and affordable way to prevent further damage to the tooth and prevent pain. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all that we offer. To learn more about how our dental family can support your family’s health, call Groat Pediatric Dentistry in San Pedro, CA, today at (310) 832-5133.