Family Dentistry – Plano, TX

When it comes to keeping your whole family smiling, it’s hard to find one activity that makes everyone happy. However, when it comes to keeping your family’s smiles healthy, the Parkway Vista Dental team has everything you need to achieve and maintain your healthiest smiles for a lifetime. Rather than scheduling numerous appointments in multiple dental offices, get everything your family needs at any age or stage of dental development from your caring Plano family dentistry team.

Comfort & Convenience

Pediatric dental offices can be uncomfortable for parents with child-sized seats and short tabletops, but adult dental offices are intimidating for kids. Everything is big and bright and sterile. Parkway Vista Dental offers the best of both worlds. We have comfortable amenities for both kids and adults, and our friendly dentistry team makes a patient of any age feel right at home. Best of all, we are happy to set aside a block of appointments to see your whole family on the same day. That means you don’t need to juggle multiple dental office visits or take more than one day away from work or school. Once you reach our dental office, we’ll be happy to answer your questions, help you with insurance and new patient documentation, and give you a tour of the dental office at your first appointment.

Your Child’s First Dental Appointment

When it’s time for your child to visit our team for the first time, we’ll walk you through exactly what to expect. The content of this appointment depends in large part on the age of your child. For infants or young toddlers, we complete a simple “lap exam.” Your child remains safe and comfortable in your arms as we gently examine their developing teeth. If we notice any areas of concern, we’ll review these with you. A dentist or hygienist will also walk you through best practices in at-home hygiene. When your little one is old enough to walk and talk, we’ll take them around the dental office and show them all of the cool dental tools, answer their questions, and make sure they feel right at home in our dental office. Our top priority is creating positive associations with the dental office, so your little one will look forward to visiting us year after year.

Comprehensive Care

The key to providing effective family dentistry is to include a wide range of services. No two patients are alike, and everyone we treat requires unique care at each stage of their dental development. In early childhood, dental care will focus on educating young people on at-home hygiene and providing effective services to prevent cavities. In the teen years, we’ll need to monitor the development of wisdom teeth, address the alignment of patients’ bites with orthodontics, and provide continuing education to improve oral health.

As an adult, patients are at increased risk for oral health issues like gum disease, dry mouth, and oral cancer. During regular checkups, we’ll monitor for these concerns, and offer conservative treatment to restore health right away.

Finally, senior patients will need increasing care to prevent diminished bone density that can lead to tooth loss. Older patients also begin to notice thinning tooth enamel, which leaves teeth with a yellowed appearance and may cause dental sensitivity. We can build up enamel to brighten the smile and relieve this increased sensitivity

Family Dentistry Frequently Asked Questions

Nobody gives you a handbook containing everything you need to know about how your child’s mouth will develop. The benefit of visiting a family dentist like Dr. Kamali is that she can provide you with the knowledge and techniques you need to ensure your little one’s smile stays happy and healthy into adulthood. Plus, you’ll be able to optimize your own oral health under the same roof! For your convenience, we’ve compiled some common questions we get from parents about their children’s oral health.

What should I use to clean my baby’s teeth?

As soon as your baby’s first tooth appears, you can use a finger brush or damp, clean washcloth to run across it. You can also use a moistened child’s toothbrush with a rice-grain size of fluoride toothpaste. If you’re wondering what brush to choose, don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Kamali during your child’s next routine checkup and cleaning! Also, keep in mind that you’ll want to replace their toothbrush every few months to keep bacteria from building up.

Is it possible for baby teeth to fall out too early?

Yes. Even though your child’s baby teeth will fall out anyway, it’s still important to make sure they stay healthy. They act as placeholders for their adult teeth and are crucial tools to help them learn how to speak, chew, and complete other tasks necessary for their development. If their baby teeth fall out too soon, it can result in a few different issues:

• Crowded or misaligned permanent teeth.
• The need for orthodontic treatment.
• Negatively impact their jawbone development.

Is thumb sucking harmful to my child’s teeth?

Thumb sucking is a completely natural coping mechanism that children develop to help them feel safe and secure. However, past a certain age, it can have a negative impact on their oral development. Aggressive sucking, on either a pacifier or thumb, can result in these problems:

• Development of an overbite.
• Protrusion of the front teeth.
• Changes to the shape of their jaw, resulting in conditions such as TMD.
• A sensitive mouth roof.

Most of these issues can be avoided if thumb and pacifier sucking stops before their permanent teeth begin to appear. Dr. Kamali can give you some tips and tricks to help break this habit if necessary.

What should I do if my child has a toothache?

If your child is experiencing a throbbing toothache, it could be a symptom of a variety of dental problems, including:

• Emerging teeth.
• Damaged enamel.
• Loose or missing fillings.
• Tooth infection.
• Food stuck between their teeth.

If their pain persists after brushing and flossing and if their teeth aren’t emerging, be sure to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kamali. When serious oral health problems like infections are left untreated, they can spread to other teeth and wreak havoc on your little one’s oral health.

How do I make my child’s diet safe for their teeth?

The best way to look after your child’s oral health is to be mindful of their diet. Try to substitute water for sugary and acidic drinks such as soda and fruit juice. Also, it’s best to avoid cavity-causing foods that are packed full of sugar and carbohydrates.