CareCredit Financial Services

Here at Kidz Connextion, we are pleased to offer our patients CareCredit, America’s leader in patient payment plans. CareCredit covers a variety of treatment options and lets you begin treatment immediately – then pay for it over time with low monthly payments that fit easily into your monthly budget.

CareCredit is the credit card exclusively used for healthcare services. With no up-front costs and no pre-payment penalties, CareCredit lets you pay-over-time and frees up cash and credit cards for other things you want or need. CareCredit offers low monthly payment plans for healthcare procedures not commonly covered by insurance, including dental treatments. Plus, you can use your card, again and again, to pay for additional treatment for yourself or family members in any CareCredit practice.

With the CareCredit healthcare credit card, you can benefit from preventive dentistry financing and procedures such as 6-month checkups, endodontics, periodontics, teeth cleaning, ceramic fillings, etc. as well as restorative and cosmetic dentistry financing procedures like lumineers, dental implants, tooth repair, dentures, and more.

To learn more about CareCredit please give us a call. To learn more about our pediatric services here at the office visit www.kidzconnextion.com for more information. To schedule an appointment in Phoenix AZ, call 623-223-1001.

Rotary Endodontics

Root canals are sometimes necessary to save a tooth and restore oral health. In the past, root canals were deemed “painful” or “scary”. But due to the technological advances of rotary endodontics, root canals are now usually nothing more than minor discomfort. This is why our doctors at Kidz Connextion have chosen to use rotary endodontics here in our Colorado Springs, CO dental practice.

There are several advantages to using rotary endodontics instead of the traditional manual file. The electric-powered tools are made of nickel titanium alloy, which is more flexible than the stainless steel used in manual files. This helps preserve the tooth root by going deep into the canal without stretching it. This means there is less discomfort to the patient during and after the procedure.

The rotary endodontic tools are also much quieter, so patients who in the past were concerned about the loud grinding noises or patients who have dental anxiety are put at ease with the quieter noise. It also allows for a faster process, which is another huge benefit to patients who do not enjoy being in the dental chair.

If you have questions about rotary endodontics, please give us a call. To learn more about our pediatric services here at the office visit www.kidzconnextion.com for more information. To schedule an appointment in Phoenix AZ, call 623-223-1001.

Crowns

Crowns are not as common in pediatric dentistry as with adult patients, but they are safe to use on children and can be a solution for patients of all ages.  Dental crowns protect teeth that are cracked, chipped, stained or so decayed that a simple filling will not restore the tooth enough to prevent future damage.  Crowns fit over the top of a tooth to protect it while blending in with the surrounding teeth. Crowns can also be used as a part of a dental bridge, which can replace a lost or missing tooth with an artificial one that is anchored on either side by crowns.

When a crown is needed, your dentist may need to recontour the existing tooth to ensure the crown will fit perfectly over it.  Crowns can be stainless steel or ceramic, and depending on the location of the tooth, your dentist may recommend one over the other. Once the crown is placed it should be cared for like your own tooth.

If you think anyone in your family would benefit from a dental crown, our dentists can determine if you are eligible candidates. Kidz Connextion Dental Care maintains offices around Phoenix.  To find out more, visit our website at Kidzconnextion.com.

Sealants

Dental sealants are a preventative measure used to preserve the teeth and tooth enamel. Almost half of all children and adolescents in the United States have had cavities in their permanent teeth, and Kidz Connextion Dental Care can help you protect your child’s teeth with a sealant.

Most tooth decay in children and teenagers occurs on the chewing surfaces of molars, where the pits and grooves tend to trap food and bacteria.  Molars first come in at around 5-7 years of age, with a second set coming in between the ages of 11-14. It is best to have a sealant placed when the molars first come in to ensure they are protected early.

Dental sealants are applied to surfaces of these molars much like paint. The plastic resin fills any pits and grooves on the surface and hardens. Now the surface is protected from bits of food being stuck, so bacteria cannot multiply and cause decay, and tooth enamel is protected from plaque and acids.  Sealants can effectively prevent cavities for up to ten years and can be reapplied of necessary

If you think anyone in your family would benefit from a dental sealant, our dentists can determine if you are eligible candidates and start preserving your teeth. Kidz Connextion Dental Care maintains offices around Phoenix.  To find out more, visit our website at Kidzconnextion.com.

Effects of Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking is a common habit in children under three, but it can have serious consequences as the child’s mouth continues to develop. At Kidz Connextion Dental Care, we advise that children should learn to stop sucking their thumbs before their permanent teeth start coming in, as malocclusions, jaw misalignment, and changes to the shape of the roof of the mouth could all occur if they continue.

There is a difference between thumb sucking and simply holding the thumb in the mouth; while the latter may not be good for a child’s social life, it isn’t nearly as damaging to their health. Using a pacifier, however, will cause the same changes in skull shape, and even after the child stops sucking on something, they may continue to thrust their tongue forward, which can also cause misalignment.

Often, thumb sucking is motivated by anxiety, and offering a child some kind of reassurance or alternative means of gaining comfort may be necessary. There are also devices which can be used to discourage thumb sucking if it is becoming a serious problem. If your child is old enough to understand why their dentist is concerned, they may be able to actively participate in finding a solution.

Kidz Connextion Dental Care maintains offices around Phoenix. To find out more, visit our website at KidzConnextion.com.

 

Panorex

At Kidz Connextion DentalCare, our patients’ youth is no reason to skimp on the latest technology. Our equipment not only improves our ability to monitor our patients’ health, it is also designed with the patient’s comfort in mind. One of the primary examples of this is our Panorex digital x-ray machine.

Traditional photographic x-rays required patients to hold film inside their mouths while a series of photographs was taken. This was uncomfortable, time-consuming, and produced images which needed to be scanned before we could use our dental imaging software. The Panorex eliminates these problems. Patients simply have to bite with their front teeth on a bite blocker while resting their chin on a ledge, and the machine’s panels will rotate around their head. The process takes less than twenty seconds but produces a 360⁰ view of their mouth.

Patients will still need to remove any metal objects from their person and wear a protective covering, but Panorex machines produce far less radiation than photographic x-rays. The images allow us to better monitor the eruption of children’s wisdom and canine teeth so we’ll know if orthodontics or extractions will be necessary.

Kidz Connextion Dental Care maintains offices around Phoenix. To find out more, visit our website at KidzConnextion.com.

Fluoride and Tooth Decay

Fluoride is a natural mineral found throughout the earth’s crust and widely distributed in nature and is often added to water to help reduce tooth decay. Research has shown that fluoride not only reduces cavities in children and adults, but it also helps repair the early stages of tooth decay, even before the decay is visible. Here at Kidz Connextion, our doctors can discuss professional fluoride treatments with you to see if your child is an eligible candidate.

When fluoride reaches the teeth, it is absorbed into the enamel. Fluoride helps to repair the enamel by replenishing the lost calcium and phosphorus to keep your teeth hard through a process called remineralization. When fluoride is present during this process, the minerals deposited into the tooth enamel help strengthen teeth and prevent dissolution during the next demineralization phase. The results are stronger tooth enamel and a cavity-free grin.

If you have questions about fluoride treatment, don’t hesitate to give us a call. To learn more about our pediatric services here at the office visit www.kidzconnextion.com for more information. To schedule an appointment in Phoenix AZ, call 623-223-1001.