Procedures

At Smiles for Kids, we offer a full range of pediatric dental procedures designed to support healthy, happy smiles at every stage of childhood. From routine cleanings and cavity prevention to more advanced restorative and behavior management techniques, our care is always tailored to your child’s unique needs — with a gentle touch and a little fun along the way. Whether it's your baby's first visit or your teen’s routine checkup, we’re here to make every step of their dental journey positive, comfortable, and stress-free.

To help ensure your child’s procedure goes smoothly and safely, please review the important pre- and post-operative instructions below. Following these guidelines will help us provide the best care possible and reduce any risks during treatment. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our office—we’re here to help!

List of Procedures

Dental Exams and Cleanings

Routine exams and cleanings are essential for keeping your child’s teeth healthy, strong, and cavity-free. At each visit, we gently remove plaque and tartar buildup, check for signs of tooth decay or gum issues, and monitor your child’s oral development — from tooth eruption to bite alignment. These regular visits also give us a chance to reinforce good brushing and flossing habits and answer any questions you may have about your child’s dental health.

X-Rays

Dental X-rays allow us to see what’s happening beneath the surface of your child’s teeth and gums — areas that aren’t visible during a regular exam. They help us detect early signs of cavities, infections, bone issues, and extra or missing teeth. By identifying problems early, we can create a treatment plan that keeps your child’s smile healthy and avoids more serious issues down the road.

Baby Visit

We recommend a child’s first dental visit by age one or within six months of their first tooth. This gentle, fun introduction helps your child feel comfortable at the dentist and sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)

SDF is a quick, non-invasive treatment used to stop early cavities from progressing. It’s an excellent option for young children, those with special needs, or patients who may not yet be ready for traditional dental procedures. SDF helps preserve healthy tooth structure while buying time until more advanced treatment is possible — or even avoiding it altogether.

Fluoride Application

Fluoride treatments strengthen tooth enamel and help prevent cavities. We apply a quick-drying fluoride foam or flavored varnish that offers long-lasting protection between visits.

Sealants

Dental sealants are thin, protective coatings applied to the grooves of your child’s back teeth. They act as a barrier, keeping out food and bacteria that can get stuck in hard-to-clean areas — helping to reduce the risk of cavities and keep smiles healthy.

Composite Restorations
(Tooth-Colored Fillings)

When a cavity needs to be treated, we use composite fillings that blend naturally with your child’s tooth color. These durable restorations restore function while keeping your child’s smile looking great.

Stainless Steel Crowns

Stainless steel crowns are durable coverings used to protect baby teeth with large cavities or after a pulpotomy. They help maintain the tooth’s shape and function until it naturally falls out.

Zirconia Crowns

Zirconia crowns offer a natural-looking, white alternative to stainless steel crowns. They’re strong, biocompatible, and ideal for front teeth or families who prefer an aesthetic option.

Pulpotomies (Baby Root Canal)

A pulpotomy is performed when decay reaches the nerve of a baby tooth. We remove the infected portion, place a soothing medicine, and cover the tooth with a crown to preserve it.

Tooth Extractions

When a tooth is too damaged to save or is causing crowding, we may recommend a gentle extraction. We take every step to ensure your child is comfortable throughout the process.

Space Maintainers

If a baby tooth is lost early, a space maintainer keeps the area open so permanent teeth can grow in properly. These custom appliances help prevent crowding and misalignment later on.

Habit Appliances

Habit appliances help discourage thumb-sucking or tongue-thrusting, which can affect jaw and tooth development. They are gently fitted and encourage healthier oral habits over time.

Expanders

Palatal expanders are orthodontic devices that gradually widen the upper jaw to correct bite issues or create space for permanent teeth. They’re most effective during a child’s growth years.

Frenectomy

A frenectomy releases a tight or restrictive lip or tongue tie that may affect speech, feeding, or dental development. This quick procedure is often done with a laser for faster healing and minimal discomfort.

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)

Nitrous oxide helps children relax during dental treatment while remaining awake and responsive. It’s a safe, mild sedative that wears off quickly after the procedure.

IV Sedation

IV sedation is administered by a trained pediatric anesthesiologist and is recommended for children who need extensive dental work or who are especially anxious. Your child sleeps comfortably through the entire procedure.

Oral Sedation

For children who need extra help feeling calm, oral sedation provides a deeper level of relaxation while still allowing them to remain conscious. It’s commonly used for longer or more complex procedures.

Pre-Operative Procedure Instructions

  • It is important to us that your child has a positive experience in our dental office. Your child’s perception of us and the treatment to be performed is controlled to a large extent by you. We will introduce your child to dental instruments and explain the procedures to them in a simple, comfortable way. However, should you feel the need to discuss your child’s dental treatment with him or her at home, we would like to aid you in this endeavor.

    First and foremost we think that the language we use to prepare the children for their appointment is crucial to their experience. Please avoid words such as shot, hurt, drill, or pull. Instead we use terms painting sleepy juice, tooth feeling different, tooth whistle, and wiggle out the tooth.

    If your child is coming in for a cleaning, please tell them that we are going to take some pictures of his or her teeth, and then we will brush and count the teeth.

    If a filling needs to be done, please tell your child that we need to wash out the sugarbugs. We will let them wear the “funny nose” to make them feel happy. We need to let the tooth take a nap by painting sleepy juice around it. We will then use a raincoat to keep the water out and we will wash out the sugarbugs with our water whistle.

    Finally we will put a white star in the tooth and shine it up to sparkle.

    In case of an extraction, please tell your child that sleepy juice will be painted around that tooth; we will then wiggle the tooth out and place a bandaid over it.

    After dental treatment was done, please try to be positive and reinforce how great your child did. Instead of asking “Did it hurt?” or “Was it bad?” please tell them “You did great! I’m so proud of you for being such a big boy/girl!” This will make them feel successful and confident.

    Please keep in mind that following dental treatment the mouth may be a little red from the pressure of the raincoat on the soft tissue. Similarly the “funny nose” might make a temporary mark on the skin. Additionally, because of the numbness from the local anesthesia the cheek or lip may appear swollen or sagging. All these changes will subside within 1-2 hours.

    Thank you for helping your child develop a positive attitude toward Dr. Theriot, our staff, our office and the whole dental experience. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us anytime.

  • Please Review Carefully Before Your Appointment

    Eating and Drinking before treatment:

    To avoid vomiting and complications during treatment, DO NOT allow your child any food or drink (even water) after midnight prior to the day of the appointment.

    Change in Health:

    Any development of illness, especially cold or fever within 7 days prior to the treatment day should be consulted with us as soon as possible. For the child’s safety most likely an appointment will be made for another day.

    Arriving:

    You will be scheduled to arrive one hour before the treatment time. The sedation will be given in our office after careful assessment of your child. Your child will then wait 1 hour for the medications to work before treatment. If you arrive late, there might not be adequate time for the appointment and you might have to be rescheduled. A responsible adult must be present in the waiting area at all times during the sedation appointment.

    Monitoring:

    After sedation has been given, your child will wait in the waiting room until he or she is ready for treatment in one hour. At that time, a responsible adult must continuously check the child’s alertness, responsiveness, breathing, and skin color. Notify the doctor or staff member if you notice any changes.

    Medications:

    Give your child only those medications that he or she takes routinely, such as seizure medications, prophylactic antibiotic, and those prescribed by your child’s physician. DO NOT give your child any other medicines, before or after treatment, without checking with this office.

    Activities:

    DO NOT plan activities for the child after treatment. Allow the child to rest. Closely supervise any activity for the remainder of the day.

    Getting Home:

    The patient must be accompanied by a responsible adult. The child should be closely watched for signs of breathing difficulty and carefully secured in the car seat or seat belt during transportation.

    Eating and Drinking after treatment:

    After treatment, the first drink should be plain water. Sweet drinks can be given next (clear fruit juice or Gatorade). Small drinks taken repeatedly are preferable to taking large amounts. Soft food, not too hot, may be taken when desired.

    Numbness of Cheeks, Lips, and Tongue:

    Your child’s cheeks, lips, and tongue may be numb after treatment. Please watch your child carefully for several hours to make sure he or she does not bite the cheeks, lips or tongue.

    Temperature Elevation: The child’s temperature may be elevated to 101°F (38°C) for the first 24 hours after treatment. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) every 3-4 hours and fluids will help alleviate this condition. Should your child’s temperature rise above 101°F (38°C), please call our office.

    SEEK ADVICE AND CALL OUR OFFICE OR THE PEDIATRICIAN I:

    If vomiting lasts longer than 4 hours.

    If the temperature remains elevated longer than 24 hours.

    If there is any difficulty breathing.

    If any other matter causes you concern.:

    PLEASE CALL THE FOLLOWING NUMBER IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS RELATING TO YOUR CHILD’S TREATMENT: 713-461-1509.

  • Please call Dr. Theriot’s office immediately for an emergency appointment (713-461-1509). Please specify any drug allergies or medical conditions. If your call is after hours or on a weekend, Dr. Theriot will call you back as soon as possible.

    • Cold packs may comfort, but never place hot packs on areas of infection.

    • Do not let your child have sweets or gum.

    • Do not allow chewing in the painful area.

    • Feed your child soft foods only.

    • Unless there are allergies to Ibuprofen or Tylenol, give your child a normal dose of Ibuprofen and 2 hours later a normal dose of Tylenol. Alternate Ibuprofen and Tylenol every 3 hours afterwards.

    • Rinse food and debris from painful cavity in the tooth by using warm salt water rinse (1/2 teaspoon per cup). A toothpick might help remove all debris.

    Buy a “toothache medicine” over the counter at a pharmacy. Most effective medicines contain eugenol or topical anesthetic such as benzocaine.

    • Tear a tiny piece of cotton from a cotton ball and saturate it with the toothache medicine. Then place directly into the cavity in the tooth using tweezers and/or toothpick if you have difficulty reaching the area with your fingers. Leave the cotton in the cavity. Exchange the cotton for a freshly saturated piece as needed.

    These measures will only work temporarily to relieve immediate pain, so please come to the emergency appointment as soon as possible!

  • It is important to us that your child has a positive experience in our office. Your child’s perception of us and the treatment to be performed is controlled largely by parents. You have the power to make it a positive procedure. We will explain the processes to your little one in simple words. However, should you feel the need to discuss your child’s dental treatment at home, we would like to aid you in this endeavor.

    First and foremost, the language we use to prepare the children for their appointments is crucial to their experience. Please avoid words such as shot, hurt, drill, or pull. Instead, we use terms painting sleepy juice, having a tooth take a nap, making a tooth pillow, tooth whistle or toothbrush, and wiggle out the tooth.

    If your child is coming in for a cleaning, please tell him or her that we are going to take pictures of his or her teeth and then we will brush and count the teeth.

    If a filling or crown needs to be done, please tell your child that we need to wash out the sugar bugs first. We will let them wear the “funny nose” to make them feel happy. We need to let the tooth take a nap by painting sleepy juice around it. We will wash out the sugar bugs with our tiny toothbrush. Finally, we will put a white star in the tooth and shine it up to sparkle.

    In case of an extraction, please tell your child that sleepy juice will be painted around that tooth and then we will help him or her wiggle the tooth out and place a band aid over it.

Post-Operative Procedure Instructions

  • Post-Op Instructions

    Your child's lip, cheek, and tongue will be numb or "asleep" for about 2-3 hours. During this time make sure your child does not bite, scratch, or pick at these numb areas. Restrict diet to liquids (milkshake or smoothie) for the first 3 hours, and then eat soft foods for the rest of the day such as soup, yogurt, Carnation Instant Breakfast, eggs, jello etc. Child should chew on the opposite side of the filling for the first 24 hours. Gentle cleaning should be done for the first 2 days with a soft toothbrush or washcloth.

    Give Tylenol or Motrin in case of any discomfort. If your child complains of discomfort on biting after a few days, please come in to the office for adjustments to the height of the filling, which is a short procedure. Your child should heal normally if you follow these instructions. Please feel free to call our office if you have any questions.

  • Post Operative Bonding Instructions

    Bonding of front teeth is a fragile procedure that sometimes must be redone to repair fractures and staining. Within the first 6 months we will repair all the fracture at no charge. Permanent veneer or crown will be the final solution once the bite stabilizes in the late teenage years. We will refer you to a cosmetic dentist to perform that procedure when the time comes.

    Proper home care can help increase longevity of the restoration.

    To prevent possibility of a fracture, please avoid biting into these types of things with your bonded teeth: hard candy, apples, carrots, hard bread, ribs and other meat with bones, pizza crust, corn on the cob, ice, fingernails, hair pins etc.-the force can crack the bonding.

    To prevent staining, avoid or keep to a minimum foods and drinks such as: chocolates, coffee, tea, colas, grape juice, blueberries, cherries, tobacco, etc. Home fluoride gels have flavoring added, but do not have any coloring added and CAN be used with bonded teeth.

    Please remember to brush your teeth soon after eating or drinking anything that might stain your front teeth.

  • Post-Op Instructions For Stainless Steel and Zirconia Crowns

    Your child's lip, cheek and tongue will be numb or “asleep” for about 2-3 hours. During this time, make sure your child does not bite, scratch, or pick at these numb areas.

    Restrict diet to liquids (milkshake or smoothie) for the first 3 hours, and then eat soft foods for the rest of the day such as soup, yogurt, Carnation Instant Breakfast, eggs, jello etc. Child should chew on the opposite side of the filling for the first 24 hours. Gums may bleed for 2-3 days. Gentle cleaning should be done for the first 2 days with a soft toothbrush or washcloth. All other areas should be cleaned as usual. To speed healing, use warm saltwater rinses after meals and before bedtime, then apply Glyoxide 3-4 times daily.

    NEVER permit your child to have Now or Laters, Jolly Ranchers or fruit roll-ups and other hard or sticky candy. These can pull the crown off the tooth. Call us immediately if the crown does come off, so that Dr. Lindhorst can replace it or re-cement the old one. If you chose a white crown, sometimes the white part can come off. If so happens, the crown is still most likely intact and functional. You can come to the office to get it replaced, but if it is not in the esthetically bothersome area, you may elect to wait for the next checkup.

    Your child should heal normally if you follow these instructions. Please feel free to call our office if you have any questions.

  • Tongue Blade instructions

    If your child has what we call "single tooth crossbite" or one single top front tooth out of line behind the bottom front tooth we might have recommended the treatment with a single tongue blade. Following are the instructions of how to use it to correct the problem:

    Bite in the direction necessary. Bite for total of 1 hour each day. Bite 20 seconds, rest, bite 20 seconds, rest etc Bite for at least 5 minutes at each sitting. Bite for 2 weeks.

    Return to our office for a checkup to see if you are on the right track!!!

  • When gauze becomes soggy, replace it with another and apply pressure by biting on it for 30 minutes. Slight oozing and staining of saliva is normal and can be expected for as long as 2-3 days. Moderate bleeding may be controlled by biting tightly on a tea bag that has been wrapped in gauze and moistened slightly with water. If HEAVY bleeding continues, please call our office. Your child’s lip, cheek, and tongue will be numb or “asleep” for about 2-3 hours. During this time make sure your child does not bite, scratch, or pick at these numb areas. After 24 hours, rinse very gently with warm salt water after meals (1/2 teaspoon per cup). Brushing and flossing should be resumed within 24 hours. Restrict diet to liquids (milkshake or smoothie) for the first 3 hours, and then eat soft foods for the rest of the day such as soup, yogurt, Carnation Instant Breakfast, eggs, jello etc. Child should chew on the opposite side of the filling for the first 24 hours. Plain Tylenol or Motrin may be taken every 4 hours as needed for pain. Apply ice packs to face to reduce post operative swelling for the first 3 days. Ice packs should be placed on 15 minutes, off 15 minutes, for 1hour, 3 times a day. With proper home care, complications seldom occur. Call our office if you have any problems.

    How To Care For A Chewed Lip, Cheek Or Tongue

    Apply ice packs for first 3 days. Ice packs should be placed for 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off, for 1 our, 3 times a day. Clean the wound are with a product such as Glyoxide or Peroxyl 4-5 minutes a day for 3 days. After cleaning the area apply Orabase with benzocaine ointment. Give your child Tylenol or Motrin for pain. All of these products are available over the counter at your drug store. Call us in if the would is not healing in 5-7 days or if it seems infected.

  • Frenectomy Home Care

    When gauze becomes soggy, replace it with another and apply pressure by biting on it for 30 minutes. Slight oozing and staining of saliva is normal and can be expected for as long as 2-3 days. Moderate bleeding may be controlled by biting tightly on a tea bag that has been wrapped in a gauze and moistened slightly with water. If HEAVY bleeding continues, call my office.

    Your child’s lip and cheek will be “asleep” or “numb” for about 2-3 hours. During this time, make sure your child does not bite or irritate these areas by pinching, poking, or scratching.

    Vigorous rinsing of the mouth should be avoided. After 48 hours, rinse very gently with warm salt water after meals (1/2 teaspoon per cup). Brushing and flossing should be resumed after 24 hours. Gly-oxide may be applied to sutured area after meals and at bedtime.

    Restrict diet to fluids (milkshake) for the first 4 hours, then soft foods may be eaten during the rest of the day such as soups, yogurt, Carnation Instant Breakfast, eggs, jello etc. Avoid carbonated drinks and drinking through a straw for 72 hours./p>

    Apply ice packs to lip area for first 24 hours to reduce any possible swelling. Apply 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off for 1 hour, 3 times a day.

    Plain Tylenol or Motrin may be taken every 4-6 hours as needed for pain. If these medications do not alleviate patient’s discomfort, please call our office and I will prescribe a stronger pain medication.

    With proper home care, complications seldom occur. I would like to see the patient in one week for an exam to check for any possible problems and to make sure that healing is occurring properly.

  • NO-NO LIST FOR SPACE MAINTAINERS AND APPLIANCES, CROWNS AND SEALANTS

    Things you cannot eat or chew!!!

    ICE: It will break your space maintainer or appliance.

    HARD PIZZA CRUST: It may bend the wire of your appliance.

    HARD PRETZELS: It may bend wires or loosen bands.

    HARD CHIPS: May form a hard ball and break the appliance.

    GUM (ANY KIND): It will loosen bands and pull off the cement.

    STICKY CANDY: It will loosen bands and pull off the cement. (for ex: Carmel, Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls)

    HARD CANDY: It will break wires and bands and pull of appliance. (for ex: Peppermints, Jolly Ranchers, Suckers)

    BEEF JERKY, SLIM JIMS: These are touch and can damage the appliance.

    PENS AND PENCILS: Not good to chew any time!

    RAW CARROTS: These are hard and can bend wires.

    Eating these foods will loosen and possibly break bands of appliances, but you many not discover the problem until hours or days later. At this point the appliance might have already stopped working and bands and wires might have been in vulnerable position to get bent or broken.

    Please share this information with other relatives and caregivers to ensure the patient follows these guidelines.

How To Care For A Chewed Lip, Cheek Or Tongue

Apply ice packs during the first 24 to 72 hours to reduce swelling and discomfort. Clean the wound area gently 4–5 times a day for 3 days using an antiseptic rinse such as Gly-Oxide or Peroxyl. Avoid vigorous rinsing to prevent irritation. After cleaning, apply a protective ointment like Orabase with benzocaine to soothe the area and provide mild pain relief. For pain management, give your child acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin) as directed on the package or by your pediatrician. All these products are typically available over-the-counter at your local pharmacy.

Call us if the wound is not healing within 5 to 7 days, if the area appears increasingly red, swollen, or produces pus (signs of infection) or if your child develops a fever or shows signs of increased pain.