aBOUT Children’s Dentistry

Dr. DiNapoli was the dentist for Boston Public Schools for five years and treated thousands of children at local elementary schools such as the Bates, Ohrenberger, and Sumner.   We provide pediatric general dentistry treatments such as Sealants, Preventative Resin Restorations, Fillings, Space Maintainers, Pulpotomies, Crowns and routine Check-ups and Cleanings to children of all ages. We would love to see and treat the entire family: Children and Parents.

Preventative Dental Care for Kids

Preventative Resin Restorations (PRR) are the best preventive measure to eliminate future potential or small dental decays in Molars. This patient had naturally deep grooves on her Molars and food started to accumulate in these grooves leading to early stages of a dental decay; The Grooves were cleaned out and filled up with a resin filling material. The new flatter grooves will prevent accumulation of food, hence, preventing future dental decay. Preventive Resin Restorations will last a long time.

Dental Sealants

Highly effective in preventing decay on the biting surfaces of your chewing teeth, dental sealants are a simple procedure in which a tooth-colored acrylic “coating” is painted onto the surface of the tooth.

Dental sealants effectively “seals” the deep grooves, acting as a barrier and protecting enamel from plaque and acids. Dental sealants protect the depressions and grooves of your teeth from food particles and plaque that brushing and flossing can’t reach. Easy to apply, dental sealants take only a few minutes to seal each tooth. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and can last several years before a reapplication is needed. Children and adults can benefit from dental sealants in the fight against tooth decay.

Your Child’s First Visit to the Dentist

The first “regular” dental visit should be just after your child’s second birthday. The first dental visit is usually short and involves very little treatment. We may ask you to sit in the dental chair and hold your child during the examination. We will gently examine your child’s teeth and gums. We may clean your child’s teeth and apply topical fluoride to help protect the teeth against decay. We will make sure your child is receiving adequate fluoride at home. Most important of all, we will review with you how to clean and care for your child’s teeth.

Cavity Prevention

Most of the time cavities are due to a diet high in sugary foods and a lack of brushing. Limiting sugar intake and brushing regularly, of course, can help. The longer it takes your child to chew their food and the longer the residue stays on their teeth, the greater the chances of getting cavities. Every time someone eats, an acid reaction occurs inside their mouth as the bacteria digests the sugars. This reaction lasts approximately 20 minutes. During this time the acid environment can destroy the tooth structure, eventually leading to cavities. Consistency of a person’s saliva also makes a difference; thinner saliva breaks up and washes away food more quickly. When a person eats diets high in carbohydrates and sugars they tend to have thicker saliva, which in turn allows more of the acid-producing bacteria that can cause cavities.

The first baby teeth that come into the mouth are the two bottom front teeth. You will notice this when your baby is about 6-8 months old. Next to follow will be the 4 upper front teeth and the remainder of your baby’s teeth will appear periodically. They will usually appear in pairs along the sides of the jaw until the child is about 2 1/2 years old. At around 2 1/2 years old your child should have all 20 teeth. Between the ages of 5 and 6 the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth and some don’t. Don’t worry if some teeth are a few months early or late as all children are different. Baby teeth are important as they not only hold space for permanent teeth but they are important to chewing, biting, speech and appearance. For this reason it is important to maintain a healthy diet and daily hygiene.