There are pediatric dentists. There are dentists who prefer to treat adults only. But if you have a family, it’s inconvenient to drive around town to different dental offices for different age groups.
If you’re like many modern families, your days are already filled to the max with school, work, sports, lessons, and other activities. So why make dental checkups more complicated than they need to be?
In Laredo, TX, you can feel confident trusting your and your kids’ oral health to Davenport Dental Group. We are just as comfortable with and capable of treating young children as we are adults. We offer a full range of family dentistry services. And your children will never age out of our practice, which promotes lasting relationships and excellent continuity of care.
We have two locations for your convenience. For Junction Drive call 956-242-6745 and for Winfield dial 956-517-2695.
Cleanings & Exams
Every member of the family, from your toddler to grandma and grandpa, needs a dental checkup every six months.
No matter how well you take care of your teeth at home, it’s important to visit us regularly to keep your teeth and gums in the best possible shape.
One of our skilled hygienists, using experience and special tools, will meticulously remove plaque and tartar that’s built up around and underneath the gumline. This stuff is virtually impossible for you to reach with your toothbrush at home, but must be cleaned away to prevent gum disease and tooth decay. She will then expertly floss and polish your teeth so they look and feel as clean as they are.
We may take X-rays. These enable us to visualize problems we can’t see with our eyes. These issues include abscesses, bone damage, impacted teeth, cysts, tumors, and hidden cavities. Our state-of-the-art digital X-rays expose you to a fraction of the radiation of the old-school film variety. Plus they are ready immediately and may be enlarged on the computer screen so you can easily see what’s going on in your mouth.
You will get a comprehensive examination from one of our doctors. He will check for gum disease, tooth decay, and oral cancer. If a problem is detected, we can recommend a treatment plan.
Nutritional Counseling
What you eat and drink has an enormous impact on the health of your teeth and gums. If you’d like some guidance on what foods and beverages your should stock in your kitchen and which are best avoided, we’d be happy to help you out.
Fluoride Treatments
You’ve probably heard of fluoride. It’s a mineral that’s essential for keeping your tooth enamel strong and able to resist damage from bacterial acids. It can even reverse early decay! In young children, adequate fluoride is critical for the development of strong permanent teeth.
But it and other important minerals, like calcium, are continuously shed from your pearly whites in a process called demineralization and must be replenished in a process called — you guessed it — remineralization.
Fluoride can come from a number of sources, including drinking water and dental products. At Davenport Dental Group, we offer special treatments and varnishes designed to give your and your kids’ teeth an extra boost of fluoride.
Dental Sealants
As their name suggests, sealants basically seal off the tooth enamel, protecting it from bacteria and the damaging acids they produce. While the procedure may be done for patients of all ages, it is especially recommended for children. The Centers for Disease Control reports that “school-age children without sealants have almost three times more cavities than children with sealants.”
A sealant is a plastic coating that’s painted over the teeth — typically, the chewing surfaces of the back molars. The process is simple and painless. After thoroughly cleaning the teeth, we will roughen up the surface by using a special gel. This step ensures that the sealant will form a good bond with your enamel. Once the gel has done its job, we will rinse it away and dry the tooth. We will carefully apply the sealant and harden it with a special light.
Once applied, sealants offer protection for several years.
Athletic Mouthguards
If you or your child participates in a sport or activity that could lead to mouth injury, an athletic mouthguard is a smart and easy way to protect that precious smile. Our custom-made guards are better fitting and more comfortable than the one-size-for-everyone type available at drugstores.
Orthodontics
If you or your teenager have crooked, crowded, gapped, or misaligned teeth you’d like to fix, we can fit you with ClearCorrect clear aligners that will give you a beautifully straight smile without having to go to an orthodontist.
This discreet and effective system corrects a wide range or orthodontic problems without metal brackets or wires. It uses a progression of custom-fitted clear plastic aligners that you wear on your teeth daily. You switch to the next aligner in the series every couple of weeks, and your teeth gradually move into the desired position. There are several reasons you may want to choose ClearCorrect over conventional braces.
- Comfort: the aligners have no metal brackets or wires to poke or irritate the soft tissues of your mouth. You don’t have to come to our office for uncomfortable tightening.
- Aesthetics: especially if you are an adult, the last thing you probably want is to go around with glaring metal “train tracks” on your teeth. ClearCorrect aligners are so clear and small, most people won’t even notice them.
- Convenience: the aligners are removable for eating and drinking. This means you don’t have the same food restrictions you would with conventional braces, and you can brush and floss as you always have. No complicated oral hygiene routine to learn.
- Speed: treatment duration will vary from patient to patient, but it’s typically much shorter than with metal braces.
- Results: ClearCorrect gives you a beautiful straight smile you’ll want to show off!
If you are looking for a new dental home for you and your family in Laredo, TX, look no further than Davenport Dental Group. We will take care of every member of the family and make kids and adults feel comfortable and at ease. You may request an appointment via our online form or call whichever one of our two offices is most convenient for you: Junction Drive at 956-242-6745 or Winfield at 956-517-2695.