Q. Tell us about yourself and your practice.
A. I am married ( to Kaye-Ann) with two children (Reese age 4 and Harrison age 2). I am a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry ( 1997-to present ) -that is Board Certified and have been in Private Practice ( 1996-Present ). I was an Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, Memphis, Tennessee from 1993-1996, during which period I was involved primarily with Arlington Developmental Center. This center caters to medical and dental needs and housing for special needs, children and adults. I also had hospital privileges at St. Joseph Hospital LeBonheur Children’ s Hospital. I did my dental residence at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa and Master of Science Degree & Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry 1991-1993. My Master’ s Thesis was on " The Utilization of Special Orthodontic Strength Prevention,” Mouthrinse A Clinical and Microbiological Assessment-1993. I attended dental school at Howard University College of Dentistry, Washington D.C. - Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1991. Before residing in the United States, I gained my Bachelor of Science Degree at University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica -1987.
Q. Please explain the basic services you offer. What is the minimum age you take patients? When should parents take their children to have their first checkup?
A. As a pediatric dentist we provide comprehensive dental care for all children from ages upto 18 years of age. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that the children be seen during the year their first tooth starts to erupt. This serves to educate the parents. In my office I do see a few older individuals. Children in college get attention on their parents insurance. We perform the typical dental cleaning restorations due to dental decay, give oral hygiene instructions (teaching how to brush and take care of teeth). We monitor dental/skeletal growth and development. Our treatment options are dependent on a number of factors, the severity of dental caries/problems, age and anxiety. The options are Traditional (No sedation), Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and Outpatient Surgery (Hospital/Surgery Center).
Q. Do you have special equipment and/or environments for pediatric dentistry?
A. Always an Open House. We invite parents to meet our staff and to tour our office before their scheduled dental visit. We provide a warm friendly environment avoiding the look of a medical or dental office. As your child enters our office we want them to be at ease with the anticipation of having a good time, without any pressure or fear of what our office is about. What we would like to hear is that this is not a just a dental office, but a child care place.
Q. How can a mom prevent decay caused by nursing?
A. Nursing /bottle tooth decay may be prevented by not letting the baby sleep on the breast or with the bottle. Also, by using a damp washcloth to wipe the teeth after feeding, especially night feeding is a very good habit to develop. Eventually mother/father may progress to using a wet toothbrush. Toothpaste is not essential in the beginning. Daily cleansing to remove residual milk is all that is needed.
Q. How often does a child need to see the pediatric dentist?
A. Children without caries should see the dentist at least once per year. If they are high risk for caries, they should see a dentist at least twice per year. In some cases where there is difficulty in brushing the teeth, we do preventive care every 3 months.
Q. At what age should a parent take their child to an Orthodontist?
A. Typically it is recommended that a child see the orthodontist at age of 7 years. A Pediatric Dentist is trained to monitor and treat certain dental/skeletal developmental problems, such as crossbite and space deficiency. The pediatric dentist will then determine the appropriate time the child needs to see the orthodontist, dependent on the problem at hand and it is not just an age related consultation.
Q. When a child starts to get permanent teeth and they are found discolored what should be the cause for it and what can be done about it?
A. Discolored permanent teeth are usually described as hypoplastic enamel. The etiology is uncertain. This area is usually rough in nature and maybe soft or hard. The tooth is more prone to dental caries and should be treated by removing the diseased area and replacing it with composite (white filling).
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