Services We Provide!
Dental Procedures
Preventive dental exams, teeth cleaning, and topical fluoride treatment are important tools used to maintain good dental health. A thorough cleaning every 6 months to remove plaque and calculus that can cause gum disease and tooth decay is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Also, topical fluoride applied to the teeth help make them stronger and more resistant to tooth decay. These procedures have been proven extremely effective against dental disease.
In general, children need X-rays more often than adults. Their mouths grow and change rapidly. They are more susceptible than adults to tooth decay. For children with a high risk of tooth decay, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends X-ray examinations every six months to detect cavities developing between the teeth. Children with a low risk of tooth decay require X-rays less frequently.
Sealants work by filling in the crevasses on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. This shuts out food particles that could get caught in the teeth, causing cavities. The application is fast and comfortable and can effectively protect teeth for many years.
It’s never too early to keep an eye on your child’s oral development. Dr. Grimball can identify malocclusion – crowded or crooked teeth or bite problems – and actively intervene to guide the teeth as they emerge in the mouth. Orthodontic treatment early can prevent more extensive treatment later.
When your child needs urgent dental treatment, we are ready to help. Contact us as soon as possible so we may best assist you with your child’s circumstance.
Children smile when they are proud of their teeth. At school and at play, they feel more confident. Sometimes children’s teeth can become discolored and there are many causes, such as, trauma to the tooth, severe illness during tooth development, exposure to certain medicines or even poor oral hygiene. Ask us about esthetic dentistry to restore or enhance your child’s smile.
A tongue tie (ankyloglossia) occurs when the tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth (the lingual frenulum) is too short or tight, restricting the tongue’s movement. Similarly, a lip tie happens when the tissue connecting the upper lip to the gum (the labial frenulum) is unusually tight or thick, limiting lip movement. These conditions can lead to difficulties with breastfeeding, speech, and even dental health as your child grows. It’s important to note that not all tongue and lip ties require treatment, but understanding their impact can help you make informed decisions.
One of the most effective treatments for tongue and lip ties is a frenectomy, a simple and quick procedure that involves releasing the frenulum to free up movement. Dr Grimball uses a Lightscalpel CO2 laser to perform frenectomies, which results in the fastest, most predictable healing, with little post op pain. With the right care and attention, your child can quickly return to normal activities and experience significant improvements in feeding, speech, and dental health. Parents often report immediate positive changes in their child’s ability to nurse or articulate words after the procedure.
Dr Grimball believes in a multidisciplinary approach to treating symptoms of tongue and lip ties leads to the best results. We work closely with many other professionals, including lactation consultants, myofunctional therapists, and speech pathologists. We may request (or require) that your child seeks additional therapy before or after providing the release.
There are times when it is necessary to remove a tooth. Infection, orthodontic correction, or problems with a wisdom tooth are some of the many reasons that a tooth may have to be extracted. Dr. Grimball may recommend that a space maintainer be put in place of the extracted tooth in order to avoid shifting of the teeth.
If your child loses a primary tooth before the permanent tooth is ready to come in, or if it has to be extracted prematurely, Dr. Grimball may decide to use a space maintainer. The maintainer keeps the space open until the permanent tooth comes in, so that neighboring teeth can’t move or tilt into the space.
When the nerve or pulp tissue of a primary or permanent tooth is infected, it needs to be treated to prevent a dental abscess and loss of the tooth. Pulp therapy is used to treat the infected nerve and preserve the tooth. There are several types of pulp treatment offered and Dr Grimball will discuss your options. Once the pulp has been treated, a restoration is needed to protect the tooth. The most common restoration after pulp therapy is a crown.
Stainless steel crowns are used to restore teeth that are too badly decayed to hold fillings. These are typically used in primary (baby) teeth and will fall out naturally when the tooth does. Dr Grimball can also place white crowns if a more cosmetic appearance is desired.
Tooth colored fillings are used to restore teeth where cosmetic appearance is important. They can be used to repair fractured teeth or areas of decay. The shade of restorative material is matched as closely as possible to the color of the natural teeth. These require excellent hygiene and a careful diet following placement on teeth.
Treatment Options
At Dr. Grimball’s office, there are several options when it comes to treating your child. With our soothing atmosphere and specialized staff, most children feel calm and comfortable with conventional treatment. Sometimes, however, a child feels anxious and needs more support than just a gentle, caring manner in order to feel comfortable. We offer many treatment options to ensure that every child has a positive experience and looks forward to their next visit.
From our imaginative boat cinema and video games in the waiting room, to our kid-friendly team, we make your child feel at home immediately. Our fun and caring staff obtains the cooperation of our patients by using several behavior management techniques. The best and most often used are positive reinforcement, tell-show-do, modeling from other patients, and voice tone control. Our goal is to make your child’s trip to the dentist a wonderful experience!
Pediatric dentists have special training in helping anxious children feel secure during dental treatment, so most children are calm, comfortable and confident in a pediatric dental office. For those children who have a harder time than most, there are several tools that we use to help. The most common is Nitrous Oxide or Laughing Gas. Often additional medications are needed to help kids to be comfortable. This is a safe, effective way to calm a child’s fear of the dental visit.
Dr. Grimball and his staff spend one day each week at Cal-Cam Hospital in Sulphur and Moss Regional Hospital in Lake Charles, performing outpatient pediatric dental treatment. This allows young, anxious, or even special needs children to have full mouth dental treatment completed in the operating room under general anesthesia in one visit.
There are many treatment options available to children with special needs, and a pediatric dentists’ education as a specialist focuses on care for those children. In addition, pediatric dental offices are designed to be physically accessible for special patients. Some children need more support than others to feel comfortable during dental treatment. Mild sedation may benefit your special child, or if a child needs extensive treatment, Dr. Grimball may provide care at a local hospital. Dr. Grimball has a comprehensive education in behavior management, sedation and anesthesia techniques. He will select a technique based on the specific health needs of your child, and then discuss the benefits, limits and risks of that technique with you.
