Infant Dentist In Manhattan Beach
What is Infant Dentistry?
Infant dentistry focuses on the oral health of babies and toddlers, starting as early as their first tooth—or by their first birthday. At Toothlings Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Melissa Grant is committed to making your baby’s first dental experiences positive, gentle, and informative. These early visits are key to preventing dental problems, identifying risk factors, monitoring development, and building healthy habits that last a lifetime. As your trusted infant dentist in Manhattan Beach, Dr. Grant helps parents feel confident about their child’s oral health from day one.
The Benefits of Infant Dentistry
Early Prevention and Education
The earlier we start, the better we can prevent and identify cavities, airway issues, and oral habits that might affect your baby’s development. We guide parents on teething, dietary choices, brushing techniques, oral trauma prevention, pacifier use, and more—setting the stage for a healthy smile. Dr. Grant always demonstrates oral hygiene techniques with parents in the office, sharing tips and tricks to help make brushing successful at home.
Gentle Cleanings and Comfortable Exams
Our infant visits are all about creating a calm and positive experience. Dr. Grant gently examines your baby’s gums, teeth, tongue, and jaw to check for any concerns and provide a light cleaning when needed. We always take a baby-led approach to help your little one feel safe and supported.
Tracking Growth and Development
By seeing your baby early and routinely, we can monitor key oral and facial milestones, from tooth eruption to bite development. This gives us a chance to catch and address any concerns before they become bigger issues.
Early Prevention and Education
The earlier we start, the better we can prevent and identify cavities, airway issues, and oral habits that might affect your baby’s development. We guide parents on teething, dietary choices, brushing techniques, oral trauma prevention, pacifier use, and more—setting the stage for a healthy smile. Dr. Grant always demonstrates oral hygiene techniques with parents in the office, sharing tips and tricks to help make brushing successful at home.
Gentle Cleanings and Comfortable Exams
Our infant visits are all about creating a calm and positive experience. Dr. Grant gently examines your baby’s gums, teeth, tongue, and jaw to check for any concerns and provide a light cleaning when needed. We always take a baby-led approach to help your little one feel safe and supported.
Tracking Growth and Development
By seeing your baby early and routinely, we can monitor key oral and facial milestones, from tooth eruption to bite development. This gives us a chance to catch and address any concerns before they become bigger issues.
Infant Dental Care: How We Can Help
You may be surprised to know that even babies need dental cleanings! Plaque and build-up can accumulate as soon as there are teeth in the mouth. At most first visits, we provide a gentle polishing and cleaning on erupted teeth to keep them healthy. We always go at the child’s pace, making sure to keep the experience positive and uplifting.
Dr. Grant performs a comprehensive infant exam to assess your baby’s mouth, teeth, tongue, and jaw. She checks for proper tooth eruption, oral habits like thumb sucking, jaw development, and signs of tongue or lip ties, providing guidance tailored to your baby’s needs.
Every visit includes one-on-one time with Dr. Grant to answer your questions and share helpful, practical tips. Dr. Grant’s approach is always family-focused and shame-free, taking every family’s individual lifestyle into account. From feeding to toothpaste and toothbrush selection, we’ll help you feel empowered to care for your child’s developing smile at home.
Comprehensive Exam
Dr. Grant will conduct a thorough examination of your child’s teeth to identify areas of decay and determine if SDF is the appropriate treatment. Not every cavity can be effectively treated this way, however this assessment ensures that we choose the best approach for your child’s specific needs.
Prepare the Tooth
The decayed teeth are gently cleaned and dried to prepare them for the SDF application. This step ensures that the solution adheres properly and can effectively address the decay.
Application of SDF
Using a small brush, Dr. Grant will carefully apply the SDF solution to the affected areas. The process is quick and painless, allowing your child to remain comfortable throughout the treatment. Depending on your child’s needs, additional applications may be required at future appointments to ensure the lasting success of the treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your first visit will be gentle yet thorough. Dr. Grant examine your baby’s mouth and airway, provide helpful education, and answer any questions—all while making your child feel comfortable and secure.
Yes! Once teeth appear, they can develop plaque and cavities just like adult teeth. Gentle cleanings help remove buildup and keep baby teeth healthy.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends your baby’s first dental visit by age 1—or within 6 months of the first tooth erupting.