Services

Routine visits, preventive treatments, and oral health education are the best defenses against dental issues, and keep your child’s smile vibrant and healthy! CLICK HERE to learn more about the preventative services UPD has to offer. 

When a tooth cannot be saved due to severe decay, infection, abscess, or trauma, we end up needing to remove it and that is called an extraction. Sometimes a tooth can be removed early on in order to help with orthodontic purposes.

Diet & nutrition is important for children’s dental care. Stickier foods, foods that are higher in carbohydrates, and processed foods are more readily broken down by the bacteria in the mouth and can lead to the process of starting decay. Nutrition and healthy eating habits are key in maintaining overall oral health. CLICK HERE to learn some tips about healthy habits UPD recommends for your child. 

A frenectomy is a procedure used to correct a congenital condition in which the lingual (tongue) or labial (upper lip) frenulum is too tight, causing restrictions in movement and function that can cause significant difficulty with breastfeeding, and in some instances, other health problems like dental decay, tooth crowding, speech difficulties, airway issues, atypical facial growth, and digestive issues. When it affects the lingual frenulum (under the tongue), this condition is commonly called a tongue-tie (the medical term is ankyloglossia). A lactation consultant, doctor, bodyworker, speech therapist, or other whole-body health provider may feel that this minor procedure is warranted to improve symptoms. CLICK HERE to learn more.

If your child’s tooth has been damaged by decay or an oral injury, it is important to restore it as soon as possible, even if it’s a baby tooth. We offer a full suite of restorative treatments for your little one. CLICK HERE to learn more about the restorative treatments UPD can provide for your child. 

Baby teeth serve an important purpose of preserving the space for permanent teeth developing underneath them.  If a baby tooth comes out prematurely sometimes a space maintainer is utilized in order to preserve that space to allow the permanent successor space to come in.  Other times space maintainers can be utilized to preserve as much space as possible on children.

Dr. Dina is highly experienced in treating children with a wide range of behaviors. She offers many different treatment options that are suitable for children of all ages that have different oral and behavioral needs. Dr. Dina uses things like Nitrous Oxide (“laughing gas”) and language tailored to your child to manage their behavior during their appointments to ensure a positive experience. CLICK HERE to learn more about Nitrous Oxide & behavior management at UPD. 

Part of Dr. Dina’s specialized pediatric dentistry training was working extensively with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, a top 5 Children’s Hospital in the United States. The team at Urbana Pediatric Dentistry receives extensive training on how to best create a happy and successful appointment for your child. If your child has ASD or SPD, we offer a supplemental special needs form to better learn what may work best for your child. Based on this information, we can offer sensory-free “comfy” rooms, weighted blankets, fidget toys, noise-cancelling headphones, or quieter and less stimulating appointments. We also offer a “Sensory Acclimation Clinic” for children that may need more “dress-rehearsals” prior to completing any dental procedures -- we know that earning trust and coming to a familiar place with familiar faces really helps kids succeed!

Dr. Dina and her team do their best to make your child feels relaxed and at ease, but sometimes, a child may feel anxious before or during treatment. There are different sedation options Dr. Dina may suggest that are available if it appears cooperation or safety is an issue. Children who benefit from sedation dentistry may include children of a young age, children with a fear or anxiety of being at the dentist, children that have extensive dental work that needs to be completed, and children with special healthcare needs. CLICK HERE to learn more about the sedation dentistry options UPD can provide for your child.

Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is a FDA-approved material that utilizes silver as an antimicrobial agent to arrest decay and reduce sensitivity.  Treating certain decay with SDF is painless and takes a noninvasive medicinal approach of stopping the decay as opposed to the traditional surgical approach of drilling and placing a filling or crown. Case selection is important but SDF can be utilized on young and/or anxious children that have baby teeth.  This can be a great way to buy time until the child is older and more tolerant of receiving traditional treatment.

The amount and level of post-procedure care needed for your child after dental treatment depends on what kind of treatment was performed. Emphasizing good oral hygiene at home is the foundation for prevention. Parental supervision (especially at younger ages) is essential to make sure it’s being done. CLICK HERE to learn more about post-op care for a variety of procedures we offer at UPD. 

Part of Dr. Dina’s specialized pediatric dentistry training was working with children with a wide range of medical issues and special needs at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, a top 5 Children’s Hospital in the United States. Common needs include children who are undergoing or have undergone Cancer treatment, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Craniofacial Anomalies, and ADHD.  Children with special needs often have oral sensory issues and the team at Urbana Pediatric Dentistry receives extensive training on how to best create a happy and successful appointment for your child. If your child has special needs, we offer a supplemental special needs form to better learn what may work best for your child. Let us know if your child has a special need or medical issue so we can best serve them.