Pediatrics Dentistry FAQ

No. The offices are all owned by Dr. Nath. Who personally still treats his patients at various locations along with his associate pediatric dentists.  Dr. Nath still handles the growth of the offices, the oral care for all his little patients, and now their parents at our locations, Canton, and Alpharetta.  We try our hardest to keep 100% of our patients and parents happy and we thanks the community and dedicated patients in the area over the last 9 years in making that happen.  We realize we cannot please every one.  But we value everybody that continues to support our offices and we continue to try our hardest to resolve any issues and improvements with a  personal approach.

YES. We are accepting new patients!!! Our Goal is to keep services at an exceptionally high personal level . The appointment time is reserved specifically for your child and their individual need. If you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment, please call at least 48 hours in advance so that we may reschedule your child’s reserved time. This courtesy enables us to give your child’s appointment to another child awaiting treatment. A broken appointment fee WILL be charged if advance notice of cancellation is not given 48 hours before the appointment.

Please permit us the time to develop rapport with your child. After the first visit, we ask that you encourage your childs independence and allow us the privilege of bringing your child from the reception room to the dental chair alone.  Our experience and research shows that children do better unaccompanied with the hygienist, assistant, and pediatric dentist  than with a parent present.  Allowing the pediatric dentist and assistant to focus primarily on the child as a whole, which enables them to gain the childs trust and provide the best treatment in “kids-time” (quickest time:since kids prefer to be in and out of the dental chair) without any distractions.

Pediatric dentists are the pediatricians of dentistry. It is also a sub-specialty of Pediatric Medicine. A pediatric dentist has two to three years specialty training following dental school and limits his/her practice to treating children only. Pediatric dentists are primary and specialty oral care providers for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health needs. Please see American Academy of Pediatrics for more information.

Examination: An examination involves more than looking at teeth. The health history reviews the general health of your child and indicates whether there is any need for special dental care. The examination charts health and disease and is used to provide a diagnosis and treatment plan for your child.

Cleaning and Fluoride: Teeth are cleaned to remove plaque (bacteria) and calculus (hard plaque) that can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Topical fluoride is applied to the teeth to make them stronger and more resistant to tooth decay. A thorough cleaning and fluoride treatment every six months has been shown to be an extremely effective way to prevent dental disease.

Oral Hygiene Instructions: Prevention is the most important part of our practice. We will provide you and your child with dental hygiene instructions that will help maintain good oral health at home. Bitewing Radiographs: Bitewings are used to determine the health of the teeth and bone. Cavities and unusual tooth shape and size are apparent on the bitewings.

Panoramic Radiographs: A panoramic radiograph provides an overall view of your child’s mouth and jaws. It reveals missing permanent teeth, extra teeth, abnormal growths, and other problems. A panoramic is normally taken every 3 – 5 years in 3 stages of dental development.

Sealants: The chewing surfaces of children’s teeth are the most susceptible to cavities and least benefited by fluorides. Sealants (plastic coatings) are applied to the tops of teeth and are highly effective in preventing tooth decay.

Tooth Colored Fillings: are used to restore front teeth or where cosmetic appearance is important. Tooth colored fillings are used to repair fractured teeth and/or areas of decay. The shade of restorative material is matched as closely as possible to the color of the natural teeth. Tooth colored fillings may also be used for back teeth.

Composites requires excellent hygiene following restorations on teeth.

Stainless Steel Crowns: are used to restore back teeth that are too badly decayed to hold silver fillings.

Pulp Treatment: is necessary when decay has spread to the nerve of the tooth. The procedure consists of treating the nerve of the tooth to avoid extracting the tooth. Extractions: are done only as a last resort. If a primary molar is removed prematurely, a space maintainer will be placed. Teeth may also be extracted for orthodontic reasons.

Space Maintainers: are used when a primary tooth has been prematurely lost to hold space for the permanent tooth. If space is not maintained, teeth on either side of the extraction site can drift into the space and prevent the permanent tooth from erupting.

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas): May be required to relax very apprehensive patients and patients with gag reflexes.

General Anesthesia: Children with extensive dental needs and special medical conditions may require treatment in the hospital, under general anesthesia. Parents will be given more detailed information.

Interceptive Orthodontics: Correction of minor Orthodontics problems such as a cross bite can be done with simple appliances.

We believe that our fees are just, equitable, and comparable to the fees charged by most pediatric dentists. In order to hold down our costs and keep fees affordable, we do request payment at the time services are rendered. Our office accepts a variety of payments: cash, personal check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Please be aware that the parent bringing the child to our office is  responsible for payment of all charges. We cannot send statements to other persons. We also accept most dental insurance. Our office keeps abreast of the latest insurance trends to help you maximize your insurance benefits. We will accept assignment of benefits on most major insurance policies and will also prepare and file your claim (Standard service: Typically done out of Courtesy by practices). However, our office has no direct contract with your insurance carrier. Therefore, we ask that you pay your deductible, co-payment, and non-covered portions at the time of your visit. If your insurance company fails to pay our office, then you are responsible for the balance. Interest will be charged on balances greater than 30 days.

We accomplish this by making every effort  to have the child continuing care with the same pediatric dental specialist and his staff during each visit. Your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and their staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. The less information concerning the visit, the better, since it will only make your child anxious.

We try very hard to make your child’s treatment physically comfortable and enjoyable. All of our care is based on the behavior management technique Tell-Show-Do. This management technique prepares your child for dental treatment by telling and showing your child what we are going to do before we do it. During all visits, we believe in giving your child lots of praise. We begin the first visit by introducing the office environment and the staff. For children two and above, we recommend an oral examination, a cleaning, the application of fluoride, and any necessary radiographs  (x-rays). After a thorough study of our findings, we will prepare and discuss a treatment plan for your child’s dental needs. This plan will provide guidance on dental and oral development, fluoride status, non-nutritive oral habits, injury prevention, oral hygiene, and the effects of diet on the dentition. Although no restorative work is performed at this time, emergency needs will be assessed and treated if appropriate.

Please do not be upset if your child cries. Children are often afraid of anything new and strange, and crying is the normal reaction to that fear. Please permit us the time to develop rapport with your child. After the first visit, encourage his or her independence and allow us the privilege of bringing your child from the reception room to the dental chair alone. Most school age children do better alone with the pediatric dentist, hygienist and assistant than with a parent present.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that an initial oral evaluation visit should occur within six months of the eruption of the first primary tooth and no later than twelve months of age. During this important visit we will complete a thorough medical and dental history, complete a thorough oral examination, assess your child’s risk of developing oral and dental disease, and determine an appropriate interval for periodic reevaluation.

We encourage you to prepare your child for a visit to the pediatric dentist before the first appointment. For young children, excellent books that describe a visit to the dentist can be found at the library and in bookstores. Discuss the positive aspects of dentistry with your child. Convey good feelings about the dental visit as  being a part of growing up. Let your child know they are going to learn lots of new ways to make their teeth sparkle and enjoy a healthy smile. Do not build too much anticipation by over preparing , always make the appointment very casual. Morning appointments are recommended for little ones when they are refreshed and more accepting of new experiences. If you expect your child to react well, chances are very good your child will enjoy the first visit to our office. In addition to preparing your child for the important first visit, please provide all information pertinent to your child’s dental, medical and social situation on the health forms you will be given by our office. This will enable us to provide the best possible care for your child.

Occasionally, a child’s facial and dental growth becomes disrupted as a result of genetics or early dental habits such as thumbsucking or mouthbreathing. Pediatric dentists are specialists in the area of growth and development of the face and teeth, and are ideally suited to intervene in these situations. Many times extensive orthodontic treatment may be averted through timely pediatric orthodontic care as the face, jaws, and teeth are developing. click here to visit our Orthodontics FAQ

95 percent of kids should be every 6 months without any delays.  Some will require 3 month exam and cleanings due to high risk factors and poor hygiene.  For prevention of dental problems.  Kids develop decay sooner than adult teeth and do not give signs of discomfort when a small cavity develops.  Hence prevention visits every 3-6 months. We hope you share in our belief that regular oral health maintenance is a sound investment in your child’s overall health. To maintain optimum oral health, we recommend that your child be seen every  six months for a continuing care appointment that includes an oral examination, a cleaning, the application of fluoride, and any necessary radiographs (x-rays). Preventive care will help prevent tooth decay and periodontal disease.   At continuing care time you will be asked to update your child’s dental, medical, and social history which may have changed since the last visit. We will examine and treat your child as we did at the first visit and discuss the findings with you.

Dental X-rays are done to find problems in the mouth such as tooth decay (especially early stage decay between the teeth), damage to the boney structure of the mouth and dental injuries. The earlier a dental problem is found and treated the better it is for your child. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends X-rays every 6 to 12 months from the age of two.  Each child is unique and so the number of X-rays will vary based on age, medical/dental history and the results of the dental exam. The three most common types of X-rays: