Tongue Ties & Lip Ties

We see infants as early as a day after birth for the revision of abnormally attached frenums. Many of our older patients have also benefited from having frenum revisions performed. We use the latest laser surgery techniques. It is an easy procedure, lasting only a couple of minutes. It is safe for all children.

More information about Tongue Ties & Lip Ties >

Checkups

Primary (Baby) teeth lay the foundation for dental health in the future. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that children visit the dentist when the first tooth appears or by a child’s 1st birthday. It is recommended that your child or adolescent see the dentist for a check-up every 6 months for a cleaning, to check for tooth decay, and to monitor the development of the jaws.

Dental Sealants

Dental sealants play a key role in cavity prevention. Sealants are a protective coating applied to the groovy surfaces of your child’s molars and pre-molars. Sealants require no anesthesia or drilling of the tooth surfaces. There are also no restrictions after sealants are placed. Your child may eat, drink and brush their teeth normally. Your child should, however, avoid eating ice or chomping on hard candy as this can fracture sealants. The normal life of sealants is three years. A child who eats lots of sugary foods and/or does not demonstrate proper oral hygiene will need to have his or her sealants replaced more frequently than a child who practices good oral hygiene and nutrition. We will check your child’s sealants at each of his or her check-up visits.

Orthodontics (Braces)

Dr Matt offers Interceptive Orthodontics to help guide your child’s teeth & jaws into more ideal positions. At each visit Dr. Matt will monitor your child’s developing teeth and jaws. If the teeth are coming in crooked or overcrowded, early orthodontic intervention may have benefits. Early intervention can help provide room for your child’s permanent teeth, improve esthetics & self-confidence, and help prevent extractions of adult teeth.

Athletic Mouth Guards and Teeth Grinding Guards

A custom athletic mouth guard can offer dental protection during sporting events. It has been estimated that the cost of a single knocked out adult tooth can cost hundreds of times more than the cost of a preventative athletic mouth protector. We will customize your mouthguard for a perfect fit.

Bruxism or tooth grinding is common in children and adolescents. If your child complains of pain in their jaw, face or ear we recommend a consultation for possible Bruxism. We can discuss with you the appropriate ages for, and benefits of, wearing a night guard.

Digital X-rays

We have cutting edge technology that uses the lowest radiation possible for your children. We utilize proper shielding to assure that your child receives a minimal amount of radiation exposure. The digital x-ray provides nearly 80% less radiation than a standard x-ray.

Specialized Care

Tooth Whitening
We offer several different whitening options for patients. We will find the best whitening plan to meet your goals.

Space Maintainers
If primary molar teeth are lost early, it is very important to maintain the space to allow for adult teeth to erupt in their proper position. Taking an impression for a space maintainer is often an easy task. A dental laboratory will then create a customized spacer specific for your child. Your child can brush their teeth normally while wearing spacers.

Tooth Colored (White/Composite) Fillings or Crowns on Front Teeth
We strive to place white fillings and/or crowns on the front teeth. These are more esthetically pleasing and better for your child’s self-esteem. While composites are strong and durable, they need to be taken care of, especially when placed on a child’s front teeth. Encourage your child not to bite into hard foods with their front teeth as this may damage their fillings. Watch sticky or hard foods such as suckers, gum, Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers or Fruit Roll-Ups, etc. As always, it is important for your child to maintain good oral hygiene.

Tooth Extraction
There are times when your child may need to have teeth extracted due to cavities or for orthodontic reasons. We make every effort to provide a positive experience for your child. Following an extraction we encourage a soft diet and over the counter analgesics as needed.

Pulpotomy (baby tooth nerve treatment)
The dental pulp has nerves and blood vessels. When the pulp is injured through tooth decay or trauma, the primary tooth can become infected. A pulpotomy is a procedure used to save a tooth when the nerve of the tooth is infected by decay or exposure. If this condition is left untreated it may affect the bone around the developing tooth or result in facial swelling and loss of the tooth.

The treatment involves removing the infected portion of the dental pulp and cleaning, medicating and sealing the area. In selected cases, a pulpotomy is an excellent way to save a primary tooth. After the pulpotomy treatment, a stainless steel crown is usually placed to prevent fracture of the tooth.

Stainless Steel Crowns (Caps)
Stainless steel crowns (SSCs) are very strong and durable restorations often placed on baby molars. SSCs are placed when there are large cavities or cavities between teeth to help strengthen the tooth. We have found great success with these restorations remaining in place until the baby teeth are lost naturally.

Patients with Special Health Care Needs
Dr. Matt has a place in his heart for the extra care needed to help children with special needs. If you are a parent of a child with special needs, you can with confidence bring your child and be secure in the understanding that they are always welcome and that they will receive the highest standard of care.

Sedation Options

Nitrous Oxide “Laughing gas”
Nitrous Oxide is safe and effective to help relax your child and improve patient dental experiences. Laughing gas can reduce dental anxiety and also be beneficial for children with sensitive gag reflexes. While breathing laughing gas your child will stay awake and continue to interact with the dentist and dental team. Once your child’s dental procedure is over, they should be fine to resume their normal activities with no lingering side-effects of the Nitrous Oxide.

General Anesthesia
We have the ability to take patients to either the Southern Indiana Surgery Center (SISC) or IU Health Bloomington Hospital to perform dental treatment while patients are “sleeping”.