Preventative Dental Care

At Orem Pediatric Dentistry, we are committed to helping our patients enjoy strong, healthy smiles for many years to come. With the right combination of dental hygiene and services, your entire family can maintain beautiful smiles. Dr. R. Bruce Howell is pleased to be your resource for preventive care in Orem, Utah.

Prevent Cavities First

At Orem Pediatric Dentistry, we prioritize preventative care. Rather than waiting until your child has deep cavities and needs painful treatment, we focus on preventing cavities in the first place. Ultimately, this leads to a much more positive dental experience and focuses on what’s best for the kids. Our state-of-the-art diagnostic tools also allow us to measure the density of dentin and enamel. This means we can detect cavities before other dentists, leading to superior preventative dental care.

Dental Sealants

New adult teeth are more vulnerable to cavities, which is why we recommend dental sealants for eligible children. Sealants cover the grooves and ridges in young teeth, preventing cavities from forming while the enamel hardens. Get the best protection: ask about sealants at your next appointment.

Preventative Mouth Rinse

We offer prescription fluoride to help protect kids’ teeth. You can pick up Colgate PhosFlur, Dr. Howell’s top choice for fluoride, at wholesale price in our office. Alternatively, if you are against administering fluoride, we also offer a specialized nanosilver mouth rinse. This mouthwash neutralizes the pH in the mouth; acidity is the primary cause of cavities. We do not make a profit from the mouth rinses we sell. Rather, we want to equip parents with the best resources for preventative dental care.

Other Services

It really is true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and many common dental issues are largely preventable by taking simple steps. Paramount among these is maintaining a good home care routine. Parents should help their children brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day, and floss as soon as two teeth touch. Use fluoride toothpaste and a brush with a small head and soft bristles. Children don’t tend to have the dexterity to brush effectively on their own until they can tie their own shoes, and even then, supervision may be needed.

Our pediatric dentist also provides a number of preventive dental treatments for your child. These include:

Dental sealants
Regular cleanings and exams
Mouth guards and night guards
Fluoride or nanosilver mouth rinse
Lip tie fix for toddlers with a significant tooth gap
Orthodontic treatment to prevent ongoing dental issues

Dental Sealants for Children with Adult Molars

Children’s developing smiles are particularly vulnerable to decay. Typically, enamel doesn’t fully harden until the adolescent years, but by then, most children have experienced some form of tooth decay.

At Orem Pediatric Dentistry, we are passionate about preventing dental issues wherever possible. That’s why Dr. R. Bruce Howell provides dental sealants to our young patients. Dental sealants help to literally seal out plaque and bacteria, preventing tooth decay from ever happening.

Dental sealants are thin layers of plastic or acrylic applied to teeth, typically the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars. Food particles often become lodged between the bumps and ridges of these teeth, which in turn leads to the formation of plaque.

Over time, the bacteria in plaque cause cavities. Sealants act as a protective barrier between your child’s tooth enamel and the harmful acids and bacteria that lead to decay.

Receiving dental sealants is quick and painless. Our pediatric dentist will prepare any surfaces so the sealant adheres properly, then apply the sealant material with a small brush. The whole process only takes a few minutes, and there are no recovery time or side effects. If properly cared for, dental sealants can last several years.

Cultivate Love of the Dentist

Open Saturdays & Weekday Evenings 5 PM- 7 PM!

Bring your child to see us to ensure the best possible experience at the dentist, on top of the best oral care in Utah Valley.

Preventative Dental Care