A Parent's Complete Guide to Children's Dental and Orthodontic Care in Las Vegas

As a parent, you want the best for your child's health, and that includes their smile. Between baby teeth falling out at unexpected moments, thumb-sucking habits that seem impossible to break, and wondering when it's time for that first orthodontic checkup, navigating your child's dental and orthodontic care can feel overwhelming.

At The Art of Braces in Las Vegas, NV, I've worked with countless families through these exact concerns. Recently, I collaborated with my colleague Dr. Levi Sonsin from Sonsin Pediatric Dentistry to create a comprehensive resource for parents. Whether you're dealing with a knocked-out tooth, concerned about cavities, or wondering if your child needs early orthodontic intervention, this guide will help you understand what to watch for and when to take action.

When should my child stop using a pacifier or sucking their thumb?

One of the most common questions I hear from parents involves habits like thumb-sucking, finger-sucking, and pacifier use. While these habits are normal for young children, they can create significant orthodontic problems if they continue too long.

The longer these habits continue past age three, the more permanent the changes become.

Beyond pacifiers and thumb-sucking, I also see tongue thrust habits in my office. This is when a child constantly rests their tongue against their front teeth, often without even realizing they're doing it. You might notice:

• Spacing between the front teeth
• Front teeth that don't touch when your child closes their mouth
• An open bite developing

These are telltale signs that there's an underlying habit creating the spacing.

Watch for swallowing patterns

Young children naturally use what's called an infantile swallowing pattern, where they push their tongue forward to create a seal since they don't have all their teeth yet. As teeth come in, most children transition to an adult swallowing pattern, placing their tongue against the roof of their mouth when they swallow. If your child continues pushing their tongue forward while swallowing past the toddler years, this tongue thrust habit needs to be addressed.

Why are baby teeth so important?

It's easy to think, "It's just a baby tooth—they'll get another one anyway." But baby teeth serve crucial functions beyond allowing your child to chew and eat properly.

This creates a domino effect where the permanent tooth that's supposed to come in no longer has room to emerge properly.

If your child loses a baby tooth before it's supposed to fall out naturally—whether from a cavity or dental trauma—a space maintainer should be placed by a pediatric dentist. This simple appliance holds the space open until the permanent tooth is ready to come in.

At The Art of Braces, I see patients all the time who lost baby teeth early without space maintainers, and the consequences often mean more complex orthodontic treatment down the road.

What should I do if my child's tooth gets knocked out?

Dental trauma is one of the most stressful situations parents face. Whether it's from sports, roughhousing with siblings, or an accidental fall, knowing what to do in those critical first moments can make all the difference.

For a baby tooth:

Do not try to put it back in the socket. Reinserting a baby tooth can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath.

For a permanent tooth:

Time is critical. If a permanent tooth gets completely knocked out, you want to keep the tooth alive and get to a pediatric dentist or orthodontist within one hour for the best outcome.

Handle the tooth carefully by the crown (not the root), and place it in one of these solutions to keep it alive:

• Milk (best option)
• Gatorade
• Your own saliva (you can tuck it in your cheek if nothing else is available)

Prevention is key

This is exactly why I always recommend mouthguards for any child playing sports, whether they have braces or not. I've had too many parents share heartbreaking stories with me about preventable dental injuries.

One patient hit her brother with a pole and broke his front tooth in half—he'll need crown after crown for the rest of his life. Another family came in after an older sister accidentally slammed a door into her two-year-old brother's face, knocking out his front four teeth. Those teeth don't typically come in until age seven or eight, so he went six years without front teeth and developed a speech impediment because front teeth are essential for proper pronunciation.

How can I prevent cavities in my young child?

Prevention is always better than treatment when it comes to cavities. Dr. Sonsin and I both strongly believe in helping parents prevent dental problems before they start.

Baby bottle tooth decay prevention

Baby bottle tooth decay is a common issue that's entirely preventable. The key is establishing good habits early:

• After you brush your child's teeth at night, no more milk—water is fine, but nothing else
• The sugars in milk can sit on your child's teeth all night, creating the perfect environment for cavities
• Bottles and sippy cups should be discontinued after 18 months old

When to start flossing

Start flossing as soon as any two teeth touch each other. The age varies by child depending on their development, but once teeth are close together, food and bacteria can get trapped between them—and that's where cavities often start.

When should my child have their first dental and orthodontic checkups?

Type of Visit	Recommended Age	Purpose
First Dental Visit	By age 1	Get comfortable with dentist, catch early issues
First Orthodontic Visit	By age 7	Evaluate jaw and teeth development

First dental visit: By age one

This early visit helps your child get comfortable with the dentist and allows Dr. Sonsin to catch any potential issues before they become problems. Making dental visits a positive experience from the start sets up your child for a lifetime of good oral health.

First orthodontic visit: By age seven

Most children don't need braces at this age, but this checkup allows me to see how their teeth and jaws are developing. Early detection of certain issues—like crossbites or severe crowding—can make treatment much simpler and more effective. Sometimes early intervention with appliances can prevent the need for more extensive treatment later, or even the need to extract permanent teeth.

At The Art of Braces, I use advanced digital technology including 3D CBCT scans, intraoral scans, and RAYFace extraoral facial scans to get a complete picture of your child's dental and facial development. This comprehensive approach helps me create treatment plans that consider not just straight teeth, but overall facial balance and long-term smile aesthetics.

Schedule your child's consultation at The Art of Braces

Your child's smile is an investment in their confidence, health, and future. Whether you're concerned about habits, dental injuries, or simply want to make sure everything is developing normally, I'm here to help guide you through every stage of your child's dental and orthodontic journey.

At The Art of Braces in Las Vegas, NV, we offer comprehensive orthodontic care for children of all ages, from early intervention appliances to braces and clear aligners. Schedule a consultation today, and let's work together to give your child a healthy, beautiful smile that will last a lifetime.