Dental Appliances for Children at Keen Dentistry
Protecting a child’s smile starts with at-home oral health and routine dental visits, but it extends further into protecting healthy alignment as adult teeth move into place. It’s also essential to shield your child’s dentition from damage caused by accident or habits, like night-time teeth grinding. The El Cajon children’s dentists at Keen Dentistry understand what it takes to keep children’s teeth healthy and strong as they grow and provides pediatric dental appliances to meet those goals.
Types of Mouth Guards and Retainers for Kids
Drs. Keen and Fletcher customize treatment to match your child’s activities and health, whether they’re involved in afterschool sports or are dealing with issues related to teeth spacing and bruxism. We provide the following dental appliances for children:
Bruxism Mouth Guards – While it’s common for adults to be notorious teeth grinders due to stress or issues with existing dental restorations, children are prone to this problem as well. In childhood, grinding teeth can be related to issues with sleep disordered breathing, which is an issue that requires care from both general medical practitioners and dentists, to protect back teeth from unnecessary wear and tear. Our bruxism mouth guards provide the necessary cushion to prevent flattening of dental enamel caused by persistent night-time teeth grinding.
Space Maintainers – As children’s’ baby teeth fall out and permanent teeth move into place, it’s important to make sure they have the space they need to do so. While correcting overcrowded adult teeth is common as children move into adolescence, creating the necessary space for changing alignment beforehand can minimize orthodontic care as kids get older. Space maintainers are metal brackets placed over permanent teeth with an attached wire that helps keep teeth in their current alignment. This prevents an adult tooth or teeth from easily moving into the open space; emerging teeth do not run into permanent teeth that have shifted into gaps caused by lost baby teeth.
Sports Guards – It’s all too easy to knock out a permanent tooth or damage teeth while playing sports. For children, losing a newly erupted adult tooth at such an early stage creates hassle for their dental health later in life; this can be avoided with a customized sports mouth guard.
Keen Dentistry works with a local dental lab to ensure that your child’s new appliance fits well and is comfortable as possible. We even custom-fit appliances and let children pick their favorite colors for sports guards and other retainers.
Custom-Made Pediatric Dental Appliances – Contact Keen Dentistry
For more information on how we protect the health and appearance of your child’s smile through dental appliances, contact our office today for your next appointment.
CALL US: (619) 442-0983 REQUEST APPOINTMENT