Dr. Brian Rooney is a board-certified pediatric dentist who has been practicing in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for several years. He received his bachelors degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of California Berkeley,and his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from New York University.
After graduating from NYU, Dr. Rooney returned to southern California, where he completed a two-year pediatric dental residency at UCLA. During this specialized and intensive training, Dr. Rooney was honored to serve as chief resident.
His next adventure took him to San Diego,where he spent the first few years of his professional life developing his dental skills and serving patients at a community health center on the border of California and Mexico.
He married the love of his life, a New Jersey native, they started a family, and the rest is history. Since moving back to the east coast, he has workedas an associate dentist in several practices throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He was thrilled bythe opportunity to open a practice of his own and finally put down roots in a community he can call home.
Dr. Rooney is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, New Jersey Dental Association, New Jersey Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Mercer Dental Society, and OKU Dental Honor Society.
Dr. Rooney participates in various continuing education courses several times a year and is committed to staying current with new technologies and medical advances in order to treat his patients more effectively. Dr. Rooney is committed to providing excellent dentistry and ensuringhis patients have positive dental experiences from early childhood throughout adulthood.
Our mission is to provide an exciting and unique dental experience for children and their parents while improving the oral health of all families in and around Flemington. We will provide the highest quality of oral health care for infants, children, and teens, including anythat havespecial healthcare needs.
We will educate our patients in order to PREVENT disease. We will be patient and compassionate during the treatment of disease. We will strive to create and maintain effective and open lines of communication between the patient and the doctor.
A childs first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable. Children are not born with a natural fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. Our office makes a special effort to use pleasant, non-frightening, simple words to describe each treatment. We want you and your child to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our office.
Children should visit the dentist by their first birthday. It is important that your childs newly erupted teeth (erupting at six to 12 months of age) receive proper dental care and benefit from proper oral hygiene habits right from the beginning.
Your childs first primary, or baby, teeth will begin to erupt between the ages of six to 12 months, and will continue to erupt until about age three. During this time, your childs gums may feel tender and sore. To help alleviate this discomfort, we recommend that you soothe the gums by rubbing a clean finger or a cool, wet cloth across them. You may also choose to make use of a teething ring.
Your childs primary teeth are shed at various times throughout childhood. Permanent teeth begin erupting at age six, and continue until age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth (32, teeth including wisdom teeth).
As your childs teeth erupt, be sure to examine them every two weeks, looking for lines and discoloration that may be caused by decay. Remember that sugary foods and liquids can attack a new tooth, so take care that your child brushes his or her teeth after feeding or eating. We recommend brushing two times a day for optimal oral hygiene.
Brushing can be fun, and your child should brush as soon as the first tooth arrives. When a babys tooth erupts, parents should brush the tooth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. For children younger than two, do not use fluoride toothpaste unless advised to do so by your dentist or other healthcare professional. We suggest reviewing proper tooth brushing procedures with your child.
Flossing is also a part of good oral hygiene habits, and your dentist will discuss with you the right time to start flossing your childs teeth. If you notice signs of decay, contact your dentist immediately.
Tooth decay is caused by sugars left in your mouth that turn into an acid, which can break down your teeth. Children are at high risk for tooth decay for a simple reason: many children and adolescents do not practice regular, good oral hygiene habits. Proper brushing and flossing routines combined with regular dental visits help keep tooth decay away.
Your child should visit the dentist every six months for regular dental cleanings and checkups. We recommend fluoride treatments twice a year along with cleanings to keep teeth their strongest. Tooth sealants are also recommended because they seal the deep grooves in your childs teeth, preventing decay from forming in these hard-to-reach areas. Sealants last for several years, but will be monitored at your childs regular checkups.