Pediatric Dentistry in Hackensack, NJ

Both tongue and lip ties can lead to your baby having a hard time latching on when breastfeeding. When an infant can’t latch on properly, they may not stimulate enough milk production, leading to poor feeding and insufficient weight gain. A poor or incomplete latch can also cause discomfort and soreness to the mother’s breasts. 

If left untreated, the discomfort for the mother can get so bad that she can no longer nurse. As they get older, children with lip or tongue ties can have:

• Difficulty chewing solid foods
• Reflux disorders
• Speech difficulties
• Increased risk for cavities due to the inability to swallow properly and pooled food
• Orthodontic problems

If your baby has a lip or tongue tie, Dr. Eddie can perform a procedure called a frenectomy to remove the extra flap of skin. Our Hackensack office proudly uses the Waterlase iPlus laser to ensure a more precise and comfortable procedure for your little one. 

During a frenectomy, Dr. Eddie will release the frenum with laser pulses without even touching the tissue, gently separating it from its attachment. The actual procedure takes 3-5 minutes, and full healing with new skin is evident within 10 days.

It’s likely your child will experience mild postoperative discomfort after a frenectomy. The surgical area will feel sore for about two to three days, but your baby will be able to nurse immediately after the procedure. We’ll provide you with personalized home-care instructions along with vitamin E capsules to aid the healing process.

Finding the right dentist in the Northern New Jersey area for your child’s lip or tongue tie procedure can be challenging— especially one that’s properly trained to use the Waterlase. It’s important to do your research and talk to friends, pediatricians, and lactation consultants. 

Consider your options and feel confident that when it comes to choosing Dr. Eddie and State Street Smiles, you’ve come to the right place. Dr. Eddie is a Laser Frenectomy specialist who can answer any questions you might have, and help your little ones latch and eat better. Once you meet our warm and friendly team, you’ll know you’ve found the right place!

There are several factors that can cause early childhood cavities. Letting your baby fall asleep with a bottle, whether with breast milk or formula, can cause decay as the liquids that contain sugar stay around the teeth. Childhood cavities can also be caused by prolonged nursing or allowing your infant to walk around carrying a bottle.

If left untreated, early childhood cavities can result in serious consequences to your child’s oral health and overall wellness. Effects of these cavities may include:

• Tooth loss
• Ear and speech problems
• Crooked permanent teeth
• Severe pain
• Poor self-image
• Tooth decay

Your child’s healthy teeth and brilliant smile depend on you! To prevent early childhood cavities, it’s important to get in the habit of putting your baby to bed without a bottle. This includes bottles filled with formula, milk, juice, sugar water, or soda pop. If your baby must have a bottle to go to sleep, fill it with water instead. Dr. Eddie recommends following these additional tips:

• Don’t let your infant walk around with a bottle
• Start teaching your infant to use a cup between 6-12 months
• Trade your baby’s bottle for a training cup by age one
• Check with your doctor or dentist to make sure your child is getting enough fluoride each day

The health of primary (baby) teeth is essential for healthy, long-lasting permanent teeth. That’s why it’s important to treat decay in them as well. Small cavities in baby teeth can be quickly restored using tooth-colored, composite filling material.

Depending on size and location, these fillings can often be performed quickly and efficiently without having to use a local anesthetic, making the experience painless and easy.

If your child’s having problems with their primary teeth, a crown may be necessary to prevent further damage and decay. A dental crown, also called a cap, is used to cover a damaged tooth to restore its strength while enhancing its appearance, shape, and alignment.

Our crowns are pre-made and don’t require multiple visits, making them a cost-effective choice for children. At State Street Smiles, we offer white crowns for baby teeth in addition to the traditional stainless steel crowns.

Deep cavities can get close to or into the pulp (nerve) of a tooth. The pulpal tissue can become irritated and inflamed, causing severe toothaches. If the inflammation and infection continue without treatment, the tooth will likely eventually abscess and your child may need an extraction. 

To save the tooth, we can perform a pulpotomy, also known as a baby tooth root canal, to ensure your child doesn’t lose any vital teeth prematurely. During pulp therapy, the infected part of the nerve is removed and a sedative medication is placed inside the tooth to prevent sensitivity and promote healing. The tooth is then capped with a protective crown following the procedure.

The loss of a single tooth can have a major impact on your child’s overall health and appearance. We’ll use every possible measure to prevent tooth loss, but a tooth may need to be extracted if the following occurs:

• Severe decay
• Infection or abscess
• Orthodontic correction
• Malpositioned teeth
• Fractured teeth or roots
• Impacted teeth

During your child’s dental visit, we’ll carefully examine their teeth and take high-quality X-rays here at our Hackensack office. This will help us better understand the tooth’s shape, position, and surrounding bone to determine if extraction is necessary. Based on the degree of difficulty, you may be referred to an oral surgeon.

It’s likely your child will experience mild pain or discomfort following an extraction, but this should subside within a few days. To help relieve the pain, Dr. Eddie recommends taking an over-the-counter painkiller and applying an ice pack to the affected area to reduce swelling.