Our goal at Frontier Kids Dentistry is for each patient to achieve optimal oral health through a structured preventive strategy. That means caring for children’s dental needs beginning with the emergence of their first tooth. Our services include comprehensive dental care for children, young adults and special needs patients of any age.
If your child experiences a dental emergency, please call: (816) 244-7962
We support the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s goal of promoting nutrient-rich, balanced diets that produce a low risk for tooth decay for infants, children, adolescents and people with special health care needs.
Using small amounts of fluoride on a routine basis can help prevent tooth decay and Frontier Kids Dentistry offers safe, professional strength fluoride application. Fluoride helps prevent mineral loss from tooth enamel and helps strengthen areas that are weakened and beginning to develop cavities. Fluoride also helps reduce acid attacks that break down the tooth.
Children who are involved in sports need a mouth guard that fits properly to provide adequate protection against trauma. Dr. Jenks fits young athletes for custom-fabricated mouth guards that provide optimum protection. If your child already has a mouth guard, we invite you to let us inspect it for proper fit. It is important to have mouth guards checked by a dentist periodically, because as your child grows, mouth guards may need to be replaced.
Dental sealants typically are applied to children’s molars as a means of protecting against tooth decay. They have been shown to be effective in preventing about 80 percent of decay commonly found in molars and can last for years. Sealants work by shielding the grooves and pits in children’s teeth from plaque, which can lead to tooth decay.
When a tooth’s structure has been compromised due to injury or severe decay, a dental crown often is necessary. Crowns protect and support the remaining tooth structure after decay has been removed or after a pulpotomy has been performed. In instances where crowns are needed for baby teeth, those teeth still will eventually fall out as normal.
Typically tooth-colored crowns on posterior teeth require removal of more tooth structure and often require removal of the nerve due to the increased loss of tooth structure. The tooth-colored posterior crowns currently available are also inflexible, can fracture more easily and may not be able to fit properly on some teeth. Due to these factors, our office recommends placement of stainless steel crowns on teeth when posterior crowns are necessary.
In isolated cases, it is best to complete extensive dental rehabilitation under sedation. When this is required for our patients, we perform these dental procedures in an in-office setting with an anesthesiologist.
A baby tooth usually remains in the mouth until a permanent tooth underneath pushes it out and takes its place. Unfortunately, some children lose a baby tooth too soon. A tooth might be knocked out accidentally or removed because of dental disease. When a tooth is lost too early, your pediatric dentist may recommend a space maintainer to prevent future space loss and dental problems for permanent teeth.
Generally referred to as “laughing gas”, nitrous oxide often is used on fearful children undergoing dental treatment. Nitrous oxide is inhaled through a mask placed on the nose that allows you to breathe in the medication and induces a state of relaxation. Although it generally helps to make a patient less sensitive to pain, administration of local anesthetic will still often be necessary to assure a pain free experience.
