Children’s Dentistry

Give Your Child a Lasting Healthy Smile

When it comes to your child, you want the best for them. At Winegar Dental, we look forward to providing the care they need to develop and maintain a healthy smile. As a children’s dentist in Harker Heights, we welcome patients of all ages. We are supported by years of experience to meet the unique set of oral health and behavioral needs of children. We provide the happy, gentle, and caring services our young patients depend on to create a lasting foundation for their dental health.

When Should My Child See a Dentist?

You know you’re supposed to visit your dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup, but what about your child? Although the primary teeth eventually fall out, they serve invaluable roles while they are in place. They allow your child to learn how to chew and speak correctly while also serving as placeholders for the adult teeth. To ensure they stay strong and healthy until it’s time for them to fall out, your child should see their dentist for the first time before their 1st birthday. They should continue to visit our office regularly every 6 months to monitor their smile as they grow.

Checkups and Cleanings

Your child’s oral hygiene habits at home are their first line of defense against preventable issues, like tooth decay. Unfortunately, child often lack the proper brushing and flossing habits or methods, allowing harmful plaque and bacteria to accumulate in their mouth. Our dental hygienist carefully removes the buildup and polishes their teeth to reduce their risk of complications. They’ll also take the time to teach your child how to best care for their smile in between appointments.

Besides a good cleaning, your child also needs a checkup every 6 months. This allows us to monitor their growing and developing smile to detect any concerning areas sooner. This lets us provide quick intervention to lessen the need for costly or invasive treatments down the road. In addition to a visual exam, we will also take an X-ray to see their oral health in their entirety to find potential issues that may be brewing beneath the surface.

Dental Sealants

Our office focuses on prevention to keep the teeth and gums healthy. Beside a cleaning and checkup, we also offer dental sealants. Applying the clear plastic coating to the surfaces of the back teeth provides a protective barrier between the enamel and cavity-causing bacteria. The quick and painless treatment significantly decreases your child’s risk of cavities.

Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is known as “nature’s cavity fighter” because it keeps the enamel strong to help protect it from erosion and tooth decay. In some cases, it can even reverse the early stages of decay to stop cavities from developing. Applying the varnish to the teeth makes them more resistant to harmful bacteria to ensure they stay healthy.

Children’s Dentistry FAQs

It’s completely natural to have some questions about how to best care for your child’s growing smile. After all, parenting doesn’t come with an instruction book! That’s why we’ve gathered some of the most common questions we get about children’s oral health care below to help you feel as prepared as possible. If you don’t see the answer you’re looking for below, feel free to give us a call and we’ll be more than happy to help!

During your son or daughter’s first dental appointment, our goal is to help them form a great first impression about oral health care. This easy visit will introduce them to all the new sights, sounds, and friendly faces they’ll meet at our office. To help their visit with their children’s dentist go as smoothly as possible, you can help prepare them by:

  • Using a positive tone when talking about dental appointments.
  • Watching videos or reading books for children about visiting the dentist.
  • Practicing their appointment by having them sit in a chair while you count their teeth out loud with a toothbrush.
  • Scheduling their appointment during a time when they’re usually in a good mood, like just after a meal or a nap.

Thumb-sucking is a natural reflex in children that usually fades away on its own over time. However, if your child is aggressively sucking their thumb or continues this habit by the time they’re six years old, their oral development may be influenced. The extra pressure can potentially lead to crooked permanent teeth and bite misalignment, which may need to be corrected with orthodontic treatment later. We’ll keep a close eye on how your little one’s habits are impacting their dental health, and we can offer advice or recommendations on how to help your child stop sucking their thumb if it becomes a problem.
Dental sealants are a quick, easy, and safe way to lower your son or daughter’s risk of cavities. We typically recommend this treatment when their permanent molars begin to come in around the age of six. As they learn to brush and floss on their own, they may have trouble cleaning hard to reach areas like the back molars. A dental sealant isn’t meant to act as a substitute for regular oral hygiene, but it can go a long way in keeping vulnerable areas of your child’s smile safe from tooth decay.
As soon as your child’s baby teeth begin to appear, you can start cleaning them with a tiny smear of fluoridated toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice. When they turn six years old, they can use a pea-sized drop of toothpaste, but be sure that they spit out the excess toothpaste after they brush! As we monitor your child’s teeth during their biannual checkups, we may recommend a fluoride treatment. This safe and comfortable application of fluoride varnish can help strengthen their teeth and fortify their enamel against decay.

Even though a baby tooth will eventually come out on its own, you should call us right away if your child suddenly knocks one out. If the knocked-out baby tooth hadn’t yet become wobbly, then we may need to place a space saver. This little device will keep the neighboring teeth from crowding into the open space and trapping the permanent tooth underneath.

Schedule an Appointment Today!

If your child needs a compassionate dentist in Harker Heights, choose the trusted choice in the community. Contact Winegar Dental today to schedule their first visit.

Meet Your Award Winning Dentist

Dr. Trevor Winegar

Dr. Austin Heiner

The Proof is in Our Patients

MOST INSURANCES WELCOME AND MAXIMIZED!

 

Contact us and schedule your visit today. 

Most Insurances Welcomed and Maximized

We’ll make the process of paying for your dental care as simple as possible! Our office accepts a wide variety of insurance plans, and we’re always happy to file your claim for you so that you can be sure to receive the maximum benefits available to you. Winegar Dental is in network with Delta Dental, Cigna, Metlife, Aetna, Guardian, Ameritas, Principal, United Healthcare, United Concordia, Assurant, GEHA, Careington, Humana, TDA, BlueCross BlueShield and more! Call us today to find out how we can maximize your insurance plan!

OUR LOCATION
Winegar Dental
OFFICE HOURS
Monday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
SaturdayCLOSED
SundayCLOSED

A Full Array of Cosmetic Dentistry, and General Dentistry Options.

Open Daily For Your Convenience!

A State-of-the-Art Dental Facility to Best Serve Our Patients in Harker Heights, TX.