Protect the teeth they have. Prepare the smile they’re growing into.
A healthy smile isn’t only about treating a cavity when it appears. It is also about helping teeth develop properly, protecting them from decay, guiding them as they erupt, and stepping in early when something needs attention.
At Sunshine KiDDS Dentistry in Parkland, FL, preventive and restorative dental care work together to support your child’s smile through every stage of development.
Our approach includes everything from brushing and flossing guidance and fluoride treatments to tooth-colored fillings, pediatric crowns, baby root canals, extractions, and space maintainers when needed.
The goal is never simply to “fix a tooth.”
It is to protect your child’s oral health today while supporting the development of their permanent smile.
Call Sunshine KiDDS Dentistry at (754) 203-3003 to schedule your child’s visit.
Think of your child's dental care as having two jobs.
Preventive dentistry gives children the tools and professional support they need to keep their teeth healthy. That includes learning effective brushing and flossing habits, monitoring developing teeth, and using preventive treatments when appropriate.
When decay, injury, early tooth loss, or another dental concern occurs, restorative care helps bring the affected tooth back to a healthy and functional condition.
These two sides of pediatric dentistry are closely connected.
The better we protect developing teeth, the less likely extensive treatment may become necessary. And when treatment is needed, addressing the problem thoughtfully can help protect the rest of your child's smile.
Children are still learning how to care for their teeth.
That's why professional guidance matters.
We provide age-appropriate guidance to help children and parents understand effective brushing and flossing techniques.
Rather than simply telling your child to “brush better,” we can help make oral hygiene easier to understand and incorporate into their daily routine.
Good habits developed early can become part of a child's normal routine as they grow.
Fluoride can be an important part of cavity prevention for children when used appropriately.
A professional fluoride treatment can provide additional protection for developing teeth, particularly for children who may be at increased risk for tooth decay.
Your child's dentist can determine whether fluoride treatment is appropriate based on their individual oral health needs.
A child's mouth is constantly changing.
Baby teeth appear. Permanent teeth begin developing. Teeth erupt into the mouth.
And sometimes, the way those teeth develop can influence what happens later.
Guidance of Erupting Teeth
Monitoring tooth eruption allows a pediatric dental team to watch how the developing smile is progressing.
When necessary, guidance of erupting teeth can help direct tooth development and may improve future orthodontic outcomes.
Early attention can sometimes help reduce the likelihood of needing tooth extraction or more extensive orthodontic treatment later.
The idea is simple: watch early, identify concerns early, and intervene when appropriate.
Even children who brush regularly can develop cavities.
Decay can happen for many reasons, and when it does, delaying treatment can allow a relatively small problem to become more complicated.
That is where restorative dentistry for children comes in.
At Sunshine KiDDS Dentistry, restorative treatment is designed with the child's developing smile in mind.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Composite resins and glass ionomers can be used to restore teeth affected by cavities.
These materials can return a damaged tooth to a healthy and attractive appearance while providing an alternative to traditional silver or amalgam fillings.
For parents, tooth-colored restorations can offer a more natural-looking result. For children, they provide an opportunity to repair the tooth while preserving its function.
A cavity that progresses deeply can reach the pulp — the central part of the tooth containing nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue.
When the pulp is affected, a simple filling may no longer be enough.
Baby Root Canals / Pulpotomy
A pulpotomy may be recommended in appropriate cases to remove affected pulp tissue while helping preserve the remaining healthy portion of the tooth.
The purpose is to salvage the baby tooth when possible rather than automatically removing it.
A crown may then be placed to restore and protect the treated tooth.
Whether this treatment is appropriate depends on the condition of the tooth and your child's individual dental needs.
A common misconception is:
“It's just a baby tooth. It will fall out anyway.”
But baby teeth have important jobs while they are present.
They help children chew, contribute to speech development, and help maintain the appropriate space for permanent teeth.
That is why significant decay in a baby tooth may need treatment rather than simply waiting for the tooth to fall out naturally.
Pediatric Crowns
When a cavity is too extensive to be adequately restored with a filling, a crown may be recommended.
A crown can help:
Depending on the individual situation, pediatric crowns may be stainless steel or tooth-colored.
Sometimes extraction is the healthiest option.
A child may need a tooth removed because of extensive decay, damage, or orthodontic considerations.
Extractions are planned according to the child's age, health, dental development, and reason for removal.
Depending on the situation, an extraction may be performed with local anesthetic or in combination with an appropriate form of sedation.
But removing a tooth is not always the end of the treatment plan.
What happens after an early baby-tooth loss can matter just as much.
Imagine a baby tooth is lost earlier than expected.
The empty space may not necessarily stay empty.
Nearby teeth can gradually shift toward the vacant area, potentially reducing the space available for the permanent tooth that still needs to erupt.
A space maintainer for children is designed to help hold the appropriate space after premature loss of a baby tooth.
Its purpose is to help prevent neighboring teeth from drifting into the open area before the permanent tooth is ready to emerge.
Whether your child needs a space maintainer depends on factors such as which tooth was lost, your child's age, tooth development, and the expected timing of permanent tooth eruption.
Preventive and restorative pediatric dentistry isn't only about what is happening today.
A dental visit can also help us understand what may be coming next.
During your child's care, the dental team can monitor developing teeth, identify areas that may need additional attention, reinforce home-care habits, and recommend treatment when a problem requires intervention.
That ongoing relationship is particularly valuable during childhood because the mouth changes so quickly.
Today's small observation can sometimes prevent tomorrow's bigger dental problem.
You don't need to be a dental professional to notice that something may be wrong.
Contact your child's dental team if you notice:
A visible dark or white spot on a tooth
A chipped or damaged tooth
Sensitivity or discomfort while eating
A tooth that appears unusually loose
Swelling around a tooth or gum
Difficulty chewing
A baby tooth lost much earlier than expected
Changes in the way permanent teeth are erupting
Difficulty maintaining your child's daily brushing routine
And remember: a child doesn't always tell you when something is wrong.
Regular pediatric dental visits remain important even when your child says their teeth feel fine.
One of the biggest advantages of pediatric dentistry is timing.
A cavity caught early may require a simpler restoration.
A developing eruption concern can be monitored before it becomes more complicated.
An early baby-tooth loss can be evaluated for space maintenance.
And consistent preventive care can help reduce the risk of future dental problems.
This is why preventive pediatric dentistry and restorative treatment should not be viewed as separate services.
They are different parts of the same goal:
Helping your child grow into a healthy, confident smile.
Your child's smile is changing every day.
The teeth they're using now are helping shape the foundation for the smile they'll have as they grow. That's why preventive care matters — and why restorative treatment should be approached with the future in mind when problems occur.
At Sunshine KiDDS Dentistry, we care for infants, children, teens, and children with special healthcare needs in a welcoming pediatric dental environment in Parkland.
Whether your child needs help improving their brushing routine, preventive fluoride care, treatment for a cavity, a pediatric crown, pulp therapy, an extraction, or evaluation for a space maintainer, our team can help you understand the available options.
You don't have to wait for a dental problem to become obvious before seeking care.
Give your child's developing smile the attention it deserves.
Call Sunshine KiDDS Dentistry today at (754) 203-3003.
Dr. Sheryl George is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Her 2–3
years of additional pediatric residency training included extensive coursework and clinical rotations in treating children with special health care needs — covering behavioral guidance, adapted communication, medical complexity, and pediatric sedation.
This isn’t something she learned from a weekend seminar. It’s central to her practice and a reason many families travel from across Broward County specifically for her care.
Real words from real families who found their fit here.
What sets Sunshine KiDDS apart is the time Dr. George takes to connect with my daughter and make her feel comfortable and at ease. No matter how busy they are, she gives us her undivided attention and never rushes us.
Dr. George and her team have been an absolute blessing for our son who has autism. They take the time to explain every step, never rush him, and he actually looks forward to his appointments now. I never thought that would be possible.
If your child has been turned away or had a difficult experience at another dental office, you're not alone — and we hear that story often. Many of our most successful patient relationships started with a parent who was running out of options.
Preventive care focuses on protecting children’s teeth and reducing the risk of dental problems through oral-hygiene guidance, fluoride treatments, monitoring tooth development, and other appropriate preventive measures. Restorative care addresses teeth that have already been affected by decay, injury, or other problems.
A tooth-colored filling may be used when a child’s tooth has a cavity that can be appropriately restored with a filling. Composite resins and glass ionomers are materials that can restore the tooth while providing a more natural-looking appearance.
A pediatric crown may be recommended when decay has damaged a baby tooth too extensively for a filling to adequately restore it. A crown can help strengthen and protect the remaining tooth while helping maintain its function and space.
A baby root canal commonly refers to pulp therapy, such as a pulpotomy, performed on a baby tooth when the pulp has been affected. The objective is to preserve the tooth when possible, often followed by placement of a crown.
If a baby tooth is lost prematurely, nearby teeth may shift into the empty space. A space maintainer can help hold that space until the permanent tooth is ready to erupt, when appropriate.
Not necessarily. Fluoride recommendations depend on a child’s individual oral-health needs and risk for tooth decay. Your pediatric dentist can determine whether professional fluoride treatment is appropriate.
In some cases, monitoring and guidance of erupting teeth may help support proper dental development and potentially improve future orthodontic treatment outcomes. Your pediatric dentist can evaluate your child’s developing teeth and determine whether intervention is appropriate.
The experience varies depending on the treatment and the child. Pediatric dental teams use age-appropriate communication and appropriate comfort measures to help children through treatment. Your child’s dentist can explain what to expect before a specific procedure.
Dr. Sheryl George is a pediatric dentist in Parkland, FL. serving infants, children, teens, and children with special health care needs. The office also serves the surrounding cities of Boca Raton, Coral Springs and Coconut Creek, FL 7533 North State Road 7, Parkland, FL 33073 | Ph: 754-203-3003
© 2025 Created with Echo5Digital
