What We Do
Preventative Dentistry
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”
-Benjamin Franklin
He could not have been more right! At Schwed Pediatric Dentistry, we believe that tooth decay is not an inevitable part of childhood. With proper education and a concerted effort, children can grow up with a healthy mouth and may never require surgical treatment for tooth decay.
Six-Month Checkups and Dental Cleanings
Just as you wouldn’t miss a well-child visit with your pediatrician, the twice-yearly check-up and cleaning as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry is essential to ensuring your child’s oral health and proper development.
And since it’s easier to treat a small issue than a big one, it’s essential to detect problems as soon as they arise. Often, a prescription toothpaste and some dietary changes are all that is required to stop a new cavity from developing!
Fluoride Treatments and Dental Sealants
Fluoride is a natural compound that has been proven to strengthen tooth enamel, which is the first defense against cavities. Fluoride gel, foam, or varnish is applied to the teeth for a few moments, but the benefits are long lasting.
Dental sealants are made of a clear protective coating that is painted into the grooves on the biting surface of children’s molars. Once dried, sealants act as a protective barrier between the teeth and harmful bacteria.
Digital X-rays
Sometimes dental problems begin where they cannot be seen, such as on the surfaces between two teeth. The standard of care for detecting cavities is through periodic digital X-rays. The procedure is completely safe, and because the X-rays are digital, Dr. Schwed can share the results with you immediately on the computer screen.
Sports Mouthguards
Do you have a budding athlete in the family? In that case, a sports mouthguard is a must. Made of smooth, comfortable plastic, a sports mouthguard protects teeth, lips, gums and tongue from injury. Dr. Schwed takes a mold of your child’s mouth to create a customized sports mouthguard for him or her to wear during play or practice.
Sedation
We understand that going to the dentist can cause some young patients to feel anxious. But while some children only experience a very small amount of anxiety, others have more serious needs that can only be addressed with sedation dentistry.
- Nitrous oxide, also known as ‘laughing gas,’ is a gas that is delivered along with oxygen through a nose mask during treatment and provides mild anti-anxiety benefits. The body clears it within a few moments of turning it off, with no lasting negative effects.
- Oral conscious sedation is a liquid medication that Dr. Schwed administers in the office about 1 hour prior to commencing treatment. Your child will be relaxed and even a little sleepy. Dr. Schwed reserves oral conscious sedation as a great option when nitrous oxide is not quite enough to help your child remain relaxed through treatment.
- General anesthesia, which is administered in our office by a trained anesthesiologist, is reserved for lengthy and involved appointments or for children with a medical condition that prevents them from sitting in the dentist’s chair for too long.
Restorative Dentistry
For those times when your children’s smiles need care to restore the appearance or function of a tooth, Dr. Schwed offers restorative dental services.
Fillings
If your child has a small cavity or slightly damaged tooth, we no longer have to repair it with a dark gray metal fillings. Now, we can use a composite resin material color-matched to their enamel to seamlessly restore any compromised dental structure. Tooth-colored fillings also help support the remaining tooth much better than traditional fillings, meaning you can trust a repaired tooth to last for many years to come. Plus, they only take one brief appointment to place.
Solea Laser
Dr. Schwed is proud to offer laser dentistry with Solea®, a computer-aided, CO2 laser system that is FDA-approved for both hard and soft tissue dental procedures. Because treatment with Solea is so comfortable and virtually pain-free, most patients do not require any anesthesia. That means there are no needles, no drills, and no lingering sensation of numbness after a procedure is completed.
In fact, Solea is so efficient that should we discover a cavity during one of your child’s routine dental checkups, you may not require an additional appointment. Dr. Schwed may be able to take care of the cavity right then and there, saving you time and trouble.
Resin Infiltration (ICON)
In the not too distant past, fillings and crowns were the only ways we could treat teens who had developed cavities. Now, if we’re able to catch tooth decay early enough, we have access to a third, much more conservative option. With resin infiltration, we simply apply a small amount of composite resin to the decayed area of a tooth to stop it from spreading, and that’s it! This approach is proven effective, completely painless, and doesn’t require the removal of any dental structure.
Dental Crowns
Even though your child’s primary (baby) teeth will all eventually fall out, don’t underestimate their importance. They help kids learn to speak clearly, chew nutritious food, and they are space savers for their adult teeth. Therefore, if your child has a severely decayed baby tooth, a crown may be the best solution. After removing the decayed portion of tooth, Dr. Schwed cements a prefabricated crown over the tooth to provide full coverage and protection. We offer both tooth-colored, as well as stainless steel crowns.
Emergency Dentistry
By definition, an emergency requires prompt and careful attention. If your child experiences pain or swelling, don’t wait to call our office. Dr. Schwed and his staff are ready to help immediately. If necessary, we can schedule a same-day appointment.
Oral Surgery
Extractions and Space Maintenance
In some cases, the best treatment for a severely decayed tooth or one that is causing pain is to simply remove it. If Dr. Schwed needs to extract a tooth, you can rest assured that he and his staff will be gentle and caring, taking the necessary steps to ensure a pleasant experience.
Once the tooth is removed, it is important to fill the space where the tooth once stood. If a child loses a tooth that won’t soon be replaced by a permanent tooth, Dr. Schwed will insert a space maintainer to hold the space until the permanent tooth erupts. Doing this ensures the adjacent teeth stay put and don’t shift into the empty space.
Tongue Tie and Lip Tie
Tongue and lip ties refer to an unusually short or thick band of connective tissue that tethers the tongue to the floor of the mouth, or the lip to the gums covering the jaw. This may result in an infant’s inability to nurse, speech delays, pain or discomfort, sleep apnea, and/or unwanted tooth movement, like a gap between the two front teeth.
Not long ago, the release of a tongue or lip tie required a visit to a hospital, general anesthesia, and an uncomfortable recovery. No longer! Dr. Schwed, utilizing the Solea laser, is able to release the tissue painlessly, without injections, and often without the need for even a mild sedative.
Soft Tissue Biopsies
A thorough examination of the oral structures involves the soft tissues as well as the teeth. In the event that Dr. Schwed discovers an unusual finding that does not belong, he may choose to remove all or a portion of it. Using the Solea® dental laser, Dr. Schwed will make a small, painless incision–known as a soft tissue biopsy–and send the sample to a pathologist for analysis, in order to rule out cancer or other oral disease.
Special Needs Dentistry
Pediatric dentists are uniquely qualified to cater the special needs of your child. If the child you love has special needs, Dr. Schwed is highly trained in adapting treatment to meet his/her needs while providing the dental care they require. From behavior management techniques to general anesthesia, the appropriate accommodation will be planned.
Lip-Tie / Tongue-Tie
Is your baby having trouble nursing? Is she not gaining weight or are feedings constant and taking extremely long? Does your baby seem exhausted after a nursing session or refuse to nurse? Is your baby experiencing acid reflux, projectile vomiting, colic or does he cry after nursing or bottle feeding? Is the mother experiencing pain, bleeding or cracked nipples, or seem to have a low supply of milk? Some or all of these symptoms may be due to a lip-tie, tongue-tie or buccal-ties which are preventing your baby from latching and drawing out milk properly. Dr. Schwed uses a multi-factoral and honest approach to assess whether your baby can benefit from a tongue and/or lip-tie revision also known as a frenectomy. With the Solea CO2 laser, the procedure takes only seconds and is as painless as possible. Moms can comfortably nurse their baby after the procedure in our nursing and recovery room. Parents will be taught the stretching exercises to ensure proper healing and prevent reattachment. A complimentary follow up appointment will be scheduled one week later to ensure that the baby is healing properly. Schwed Pediatric Dentistry has become one of the leading centers in DFW for laser tongue-tie and lip-tie revisions and collaborates with many lactation consultants to help mothers and babies have a successful breastfeeding or bottle feeding experience.
Orthodontics
The invisible way to straighten your teeth, without braces.
Invisalign® can give you the beautiful straight teeth you’ve always wanted through wearing a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners. Invisalign® has been proven to be effective in clinical research and in dental and orthodontic practices nationwide.
- Wear each set of aligners for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss.
- As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move – little by little, week by week – until they have straightened to the final position your dentist has prescribed.
- You’ll visit us about once every 6 weeks to ensure that your treatment is progressing as planned.
- Total treatment time averages 9-15 months
We Can't Wait to Meet You
Count on Dr. Schwed and his team to take the best care of your kids. Call our office or click the button below to request an appointment.
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Office Information
Schwed Pediatric Dentistry
2006 West Campbell Road
Suite #300
Garland, TX 75044
