Children’s Services in Tamarac

Dr. Levine and Dr. Moffett perform a large variety of periodontal services for young patients.

Gentle and Effective Periodontics for Children and Teens

Although most periodontal treatment is given to adults, there are circumstances where children and teens need such treatment as well. Children and teens rarely have gum disease, but they will occasionally need gum or soft-tissue procedures of various kinds, and they sometimes need treatment that makes it easier to put on braces.

Dr. Levine and Dr. Moffett provide a large variety of periodontal services for young patients, including infants. He will work closely with you to ensure your child understands what is going to happen and is comfortable with their treatment.

Experienced, friendly and reassuring care

Dr. Levine is friendly and encouraging, and he is very experienced in providing periodontal care to young patients.

Dr. Levine and Dr. Moffett are very experienced at providing services for young patients. He has a friendly, reassuring and encouraging manner toward children. He knows that helping a child or teenager often requires a delicate touch, and he takes every measure to ensure our young patients are as comfortable as possible.

Procedures for Children and Teens

The following are the main procedures we offer for children and teens:

Gum grafting to correct recession

For various reasons, even children occasionally experience gum recession. Gum recession exposes their tooth roots to damage and decay, and can endanger the long-term health of their teeth. Dr. Levine can restore gum coverage for exposed roots using minimally invasive gum grafting procedures.

Treatment for a gummy smile

Before and after gummy smile correction.

Occasionally a child’s gum and bone tissue covers the crowns of their teeth more than usual, making the teeth look too short and giving too much prominence to the gums. This is known as a “gummy smile.”

A gummy smile can make a child become self-conscious and introverted about smiling. It can also make it difficult for them to clean their teeth properly. To fix a gummy smile, Dr. Levine and Dr. Moffett use a gentle laser to remove the excess bone and gum tissue. This makes the teeth look their normal size in relationship to the gums and creates a healthier, more aesthetic-looking smile.

Recontouring the gumline

Sometimes the gumline around a child’s teeth can be uneven or asymmetrical. This can be a result of genetics or a consequence of orthodontic treatment. Using a gentle, high-tech dental laser, our team can recontour a child’s gumline so that it is even, symmetrical and pleasing.

Tooth reshaping for cavity exposure

Sometimes a cavity will form below a child’s gumline where the dentist cannot access it. A gentle laser procedure, called crown lengthening, can be done to adjust the gum and expose more of the crown so that a cavity can be treated.

Removal of excess gum tissue for orthodontic treatment

Dr. Levine can remove excess gum or bone tissue which makes it difficult or impossible for the orthodontist to place a bracket on the tooth. Removing excess gum tissue can sometimes even make orthodontic treatment proceed more rapidly.

Bone adjustments for faster orthodontic treatment

In coordination with your child’s orthodontist, Dr. Levine can help speed up your child’s orthodontic correction by gently making a series of vertical grooves in the bone tissue around the teeth. These grooves lower resistance to tooth motion, enabling the orthodontist to change the position of the teeth at a much faster rate.

The body will grow new bone tissue to fill the space created by the grooves. The new bone tissue adapts to the new positioning of the teeth, providing strong support. This procedure almost completely eliminates the risk of teeth going back to their earlier positions. It can be done on both teens and adults seeking faster orthodontic treatment.

Frenectomies (Tongue- and Lip-Tie Treatment)

The frenum is a small fold of tissue that connects two parts of the mouth and limits motion. There are frena on the insides of the lips and under the center of the tongue.  Sometimes the frenum’s size or shape restricts motion excessively, and this can cause various problems.

Dr. Levine utilizes a state-of-the art dental laser to quickly and gently remove or reduce the size of a frenum and free up the motion of the affected tongue or lip. This procedure is called a frenectomy.

Treatment for tongue-tied or lip-tied babies

Babies with a tongue frenum that is abnormally short, or a lip frenum that is too tight, have restricted movement of their tongue or lips which can prevent them from being able to nurse properly. This can make breastfeeding difficult for babies and painful for moms.

Our team uses a dental laser to quickly and gently remove or reduce the size of the frenum and restore free movement of the tongue or lip for proper feeding. It is a very quick and gentle procedure which he has performed on thousands of infants. Babies as young as two days old can receive this treatment.

Learn more about laser treatment for tongue-tied or lip-tied babies here.

Frenectomies for adults

Our dentists also performs frenectomies for adults, as the problems that plague children with an overly restrictive frenum do not disappear with age. A restrictive frenum can cause numerous difficulties, including speech difficulties. For older adults who never had this corrected and are currently wearing dentures, this can also be a source of difficulty in keeping dentures stable. Dr. Levine uses a dental laser to correct the frenum comfortably and quickly.

Learn more about laser-assisted frenectomies for adults here.

To make an appointment, call 954‑722‑1100 or click here to request an appointment online.