Pediatric Dentist – Long Beach, NY

Children’s Checkups & Teeth Cleanings

Your child’s first experience at our dental office will most likely be their checkup and cleaning. That’s why our team aims to make the best possible impression during these routine appointments, encouraging your little one to get excited about coming back. We’ll examine their teeth and gums, looking for any signs of oral health problems. Then, if they feel comfortable, we’ll conduct a thorough cleaning of their teeth by scaling, flossing, and polishing them.

Dental Sealants

Some children are at a higher risk of developing cavities due to deeper grooves in their teeth or a pesky sweet tooth that can’t be tamed. In these situations, we’ll likely recommend dental sealants. These are clear shields that we can paint over their molars to prevent bacteria, plaque, and other harmful debris from building up and causing decay. The process is completely painless and fast, so your child won’t have to sit in the treatment chair for longer than necessary.

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Silver Diamine Fluoride

Cavities are one of the most common oral health problems among children, because they’re still learning how to properly care for their smiles. If your child has one, we can use our silver diamine fluoride treatment to stop the current decay from progressing as well as prevent more cavities from forming in the future. The process is completely pain-free, non-invasive, and affordable, making it a popular choice among parents.

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Athletic Mouthguards

Is your child an athlete that loves to take risks out on the field? Protective mouthguards are one of the most important pieces of safety gear for young athletes. Although many parents opt for boil-and-bite guards from the store, these often make it difficult for children to breathe while running and can be uncomfortable. Dr. Glen crafts custom-tailored children’s sportsguards from durable and cushioning materials that help avoid broken or knocked-out teeth.

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Children’s Special Needs Dentistry

At Dr. Glen’s Happy Teeth, we love that every child is different, because it makes our jobs more fun! Children who have special needs deserve great care, and we’re happy to be the team to provide it to them. If your little one has a sensory, physical, developmental, behavioral, cognitive, or emotional impairment that makes sitting in a treatment chair for long periods of time and visiting a dental office difficult, we’ve got you covered. Our team is equipped with the experience and dental technology necessary to make children with special needs’ visits to our dental office as smooth and comfortable as possible.

Frenectomies/Lip & Tongue Tie

There are small connecting tissues in your mouth that attach everyone’s lips to their gums and the tongue to the floor of their mouth. When these are overgrown, they can prevent infants from easily latching to a nipple or commonly result in baby bottle tooth decay. Dr. Shanock uses a small dental laser to quickly and precisely remove excess tissue from your child’s mouth to make it easier for them to consume and digest milk and formula.

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Non-Nutritive Habits

Habits like thumb-sucking and pacifier use are common among infants and children because they help them feel comforted. As they get older, these habits can impact the health of their smile by affecting their bite and oral health. By the age of three, it’s recommended that your child no longer rely on these actions as a source of feeling safe; however, sometimes, thumb-sucking and pacifier use can be hard habits to break. Fortunately, Dr. Shanock offers tips and advice to make this task easier to take on.

Pulp Therapy

If your child is complaining about a toothache or sensitivity that keeps them up at night, it could be an indication that they have infected pulp, which is a collection of soft tissues and nerves located in the center of their tooth. When left unchecked, this infection can spread and impact surrounding teeth. That’s why Dr. Shanock offers pulp therapy. It’s a straightforward procedure where he removes the infected portion of pulp and caps the tooth off with a crown for protection and strength. That way, your child can continue using it as they normally would.

Hospital/OR Anesthesia

For our younger patients who have special needs, extreme anxiety, or other circumstances, Dr. Shanock is able to offer treatment in a hospital or under general anesthesia. He and his team of professionals have privileges at an accredited hospital and work with board-certified pediatric anesthesiologists to provide safe dental care to your little one. Our goal is to make sure that their smile is healthy and fully functional, and for children who have extensive dental needs, we’re able to do this by offering this accommodating service.