Frequently Asked Questions
Please call us at 415-668-0600 if your child needs to be seen immediately. For after-hours emergencies, please text a photo and description of your emergency to 408-438-7332 to have Dr. Gorshteyn paged.
Emergencies
The most important thing to do is to remain calm. Find the tooth and rinse it with cool water (do not scrub or clean it). Hold it by the crown rather than the root, and try to reinsert it into the socket. If that is not possible, put the tooth in a glass of milk and take your child and the glass immediately to the pediatric dentist.
If your child’s permanent tooth is pushed out of place (inward or outward), it should be repositioned to its normal alignment with very light finger pressure. Do not force the tooth into the socket. Hold the tooth in place with a moist tissue or gauze. Contact your pediatric dentist so that your child can be treated.
Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and rinse the mouth with cool water. Contact your pediatric dentist – quick action can help reduce the chance of infection and further dental trauma.
For a cut or bitten tongue, lip, or cheek, apply ice to bruised areas. If there is bleeding, apply firm but gentle pressure with clean gauze or cloth. If bleeding does not stop after 15 minutes or is not controlled by simple pressure, take the child to a hospital emergency room.
General Dental
Pediatric dentists are the pediatricians of dentistry. A pediatric dentist has 2-3 years specialty training following dental school and limits his/her practice to treating children only. Pediatric dentists are primary and specialty oral care providers for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health needs.
In order to prevent dental problems, your child should see a pediatric dentist around his/her first birthday.
A checkup every six months is recommended in order to prevent cavities and other dental problems. However, your pediatric dentist can tell you how often your child should visit based on their personal oral health.
Primary, or “baby,” teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path that permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to come in.
Soft plastic mouth guards can be used to protect a child’s teeth, lips, cheeks, and gums from sport related injuries. A custom-fitted mouthguard developed by a pediatric dentist will protect your child from injuries to the teeth, face and even provide protection from severe injuries to the head.
There is very little risk in dental X-rays. Pediatric dentists are especially careful to limit the amount of radiation to which children are exposed. Lead aprons and high-speed film are used to ensure safety and minimize the amount of radiation.
We try to help your child feel good about visiting the dentist. From our office designs to our communication style, our main focus is on what is best for your child. If a child is especially fearful, nitrous oxide, sedation, or general anesthesia may be recommended.
Office Policies
We accept all PPOs. As a courtesy, if we are not directly in-network, we will submit the claim for you. The complexity of insurance contracts impede us from guaranteeing what your insurance can and cannot cover. However, we are able to provide an estimate, which must be paid at the time of service. Please contact us before your appointment with insurance details, and we will do our best to provide you an estimate for any out of pocket costs.
We are open on select Saturdays and until 7pm on Thursdays. Please contact us for more information.
Cancellations within 48 hours of appointment and no shows will be charged $75. We want to accommodate as many of our patients as we can, and it can be difficult to fill an appointment slot on short notice. Thank you for your understanding.