Dental Care for Children

Due to COVID-19, we’ve made changes to appointments to help keep patients and staff safe. Read about to expect in English or Spanish.

Our children’s dental program provides preventive and restorative treatment services to ensure the oral health of our young clients.  The main cause of dental problems in children is tooth decay.  Even when tooth decay is in its earliest stage, it can be detected by a dental exam.  This is the best time for treatment.

Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic infectious diseases among U.S. children.  Tooth decay is preventable, so schedule your child’s first dental check-up by age 1, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Almost half of children ages 2 to 11 have decay in their baby teeth.¹

According to the latest CDC 2011-2012 percentages:²

• About 1 in 5 children (20%) aged 5 to 11 have at least one untreated decayed tooth
• 1 in 7 adolescents (13%) aged 12 to 19 have at least one untreated decayed tooth
• The percentage of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years with untreated tooth decay is twice as high for those from low-income families (25%) compared with children from higher-income families (11%)

This may result in pain, dysfunction, underweight, and poor dental appearance.  These are problems that can greatly reduce a child’s ability to succeed in school.

Things to Know

Please note: Dental Care Services are not offered at Newton County Health Center or Rockdale County Health Center

1. Children’s Dental Clinics Programs are located in Gwinnett County public health centers, providing care for children including 1–19 years old:

• Exams
• Sealants
• X-rays
• Fluoride Treatments
• Fillings
• Education on preventing dental disease
• Treatment of oral infections
• Dental screenings and oral examinations
• Teeth cleanings
• Sealants on permanent molars
• Extractions of non-restorable teeth
• Referrals for sedation dentistry and orthodontic treatment 

Schedule your child’s dental visit today.
Dental services are available at two of our five health center locations:
Lawrenceville Health Center Dental 770-339-5642
Norcross Health Center Dental 770-638-5708

2. School Dental Prevention Program for Children

• Dentists and Hygienists make visits to schools and provide screenings, sealants, fluoride treatments, and referrals as needed
• Dental Health Education Program for Schools, etc.
  • Plaque Awareness Presentations covering bacterial plaque, oral disease prevention, relationships to systemic health, proper tooth brushing and flossing skills, tooth types, anatomy and function, healthy snacking, and the consequences of tobacco usage
  • Awareness presentations covering tobacco as a “poisonous” plant; the scary ingredients in nicotine products; false advertising for cigarettes, snuff, and other tobacco products; smoking versus chewing; oral and system effects; and how to just say, “Be Smart- Don’t Start!”
  • Presentations regarding the relationship between oral health and overall health for teens including oral disease prevention, the oral effects, and consequences of using tobacco, and drugs, and having oral piercings and tattoos