FAQs
Your family dentistry questions answered
General Questions
Where is your office located?
Our address is 720 US-202/206, Bridgewater Township, NJ, 08807.
When is the office open?
Our office is open Monday from 8 AM - 8 PM, and Tuesday - Thursday from 8 AM - 5 PM. If you have an emergency outside of normal business hours, please call us immediately.
Do you take insurance?
We are in network with the Horizon Traditional plan and Delta Dental Premier. In addition, our pediatric dentist participates with Cigna PPO. We also work with all of the other major insurance company traditional plans. If your dental insurance has out of network benefits, we are often still able to work with your insurance company to help cover your dental visit.
Pediatric dentistry questions
Why is it important for a child to see a dentist specializing in pediatric care?
Pediatric dentists go through specialized training to deliver certain procedures and medicine that a general dentist cannot do. They treat a broad range of diseases in infants, children and adolescents, including those with special health care needs, and are experts in providing care to make their patients feel comfortable.
When should I take my child for their first ever check-up?
As soon as the first tooth appears and no later than the age of one, regardless. Visiting Bridgewater Dental Associates from an early age gives you as a parent the chance to discuss potentially harmful habits, check you’re following the right nutritional advice for your child, and put in place practices that will prevent the formation of cavities in the future. And don’t forget, there’s no age limit at Bridgewater Dental Associates - our state-of-the-art setting is ideal for treating the whole family.
Why do we need to worry about baby teeth?
Your child’s baby teeth have some big responsibilities. Until the adolescent years, they will not only help your child to bite and chew (i.e. get proper nutrition), and speak correctly, but also help guide the permanent teeth underneath them into their proper positions. In fact, a major function of baby teeth is to hold space for the adult teeth that will eventually push them out.
If your child loses a tooth due to injury, infection or because an extraction is required, the missing space between the teeth may lead to overcrowding or crooked teeth. This is because the teeth coming in on either side of the space will begin to drift into the empty space, meaning there is insufficient space for their adult teeth.
What should I use to clean my child's teeth?
To begin with, a small, soft-bristled toothbrush is ideal for removing the plaque and bacteria that cause cavities, together with age-appropriate toothpaste – a smear for under-twos; a pea-sized amount for everyone else. It’s much easier to instill good habits in children when they are very young – so it’s never too early to start the practice of brushing for two minutes, twice a day to get your child familiar with a good tooth-brushing routine. For younger kids, parents should do the brushing themselves; for older children, parents should be on-hand to assist and check it’s being done correctly.
Should I worry about my child's pacifier, or thumb sucking?
Only if they are still in the habit past the age of three, as that is the point where sucking may impact on your child’s palate, bite and the alignment of their underlying adult teeth. At Bridgewater Dental Associates, we recommend curbing sucking habits by the age of three, and we will offer lots of advice and encouragement to help both you and your child, as well as special appliances where necessary.
What do I need to know about fluoride?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that protects teeth by making them stronger and more resistant to acid, which in turn reduces the risk of cavities. Seventy years of research has proven that fluoride prevents cavities and, at the moment, there is no other toothpaste ingredient with this kind of track record. For this reason, dentists have been recommending fluoride toothpaste and fluoride varnish to their patients for decades.
