Pediatric dentistry is a specialty within dentistry tailored to ensure young children receive quality dental care. Pediatric dentists help parents set up their kids for a lifetime of good oral health. Parents are usually devastated to hear their child has a cavity in one of their teeth.
Many parents think baby teeth fall off by six or seven. Therefore the need to treat cavities on baby teeth is not necessary. Unfortunately, if holes are left untreated, they can lead to adverse consequences for the child and the parent. Thankfully the pediatric dentist in Lincoln helps keep your kid’s teeth healthy with dental fillings.
Dental Fillings for Children: Are They Essential?
All kids are at risk of developing tooth decay because of the bacteria in their mouths. However, some factors can increase a child’s risk for tooth decay. The factors contributing to tooth decay include:
Poor oral hygiene.
- A diet rich in starches and sugar.
- Higher levels of harmful bacteria in the mouth causing cavities.
Factors like the lack of saliva and water supply with minimal or no fluoride are also responsible.
When your child has a cavity, it indicates the tooth is permanently damaged. The optimal way of preserving the tooth is to have dental fillings placed. Without dental fillings, the cavity progresses until it reaches the dental pulp causing pain and sensitivity. When the bacteria infect the dental pulp, there are only two options available for treating it. Your kid can either undergo root canal treatment or have the tooth extracted and replaced with space maintainers. Ignore all recommendations of the pediatric dentist for fillings for your child, and you must soon increase your visits to the emergency dentist in Lincoln with your child for treatments at odd hours of the day or night.
Pediatric Dental Fillings Are Not Scary
It is for you to understand that even though primary teeth are lost by six or seven, they are the only teeth your child has until the permanent teeth emerge. Dentistry for children helps to preserve your child’s primary teeth by placing dental fillings or crowns.
The pediatric dentist near you is fully aware of why detected cavities need sealing immediately. A dental filling prevents the hole from spreading to the neighboring teeth and below the gum line. Fillers are usually essential for cavities and valuable for other reasons like tooth discoloration, tooth trauma, and poor dental development.
What Kind of Fillings Are Suitable for Children?
Cosmetic resin fillings from the dental offices in Lincoln, NE, bio compatible and free from toxic ingredients, are optimal for children with cavities. Composite resin fillings do not contain any metal and offer many benefits.
If your child needs a filling on the front teeth, the filling material helps them retain their aesthetic appearance by looking natural—resin fillings bond directly to the tooth preventing the likelihood of fractures. Composite resin is not sensitive to hot and cold temperatures like silver amalgam fillings responding to hot and cold foods. It means there are fewer chances your child will suffer tooth pain. Composite resin fillings do not require extensive tooth structure removal to accommodate the filling, ensuring the procedure is accomplished by the dentist comfortably on your child.
How Is the Dental Filling Procedure Performed?
Placing dental fillings in children is no different than placing fillings in adults. Pediatric dentists are trained and qualified to provide anesthesia to children helping them relax while performing the filling procedure.
After your child receives anesthesia, the dentist desensitizes the area and drills the tooth to remove the decay within. After tooth decay removal, the hollow space is cleaned, disinfected, and prepared for the dental filling. Application of the composite resin material in your child’s cavity proceeds in layers and hardens quickly to seal out bacteria and tooth decay.
The primary cause of tooth decay resulting in cavities and requiring dental fillings is the lack of proper oral hygiene. As a parent, you must help your child brush and floss by supervising them until seven or eight. Children must be refrained from snacking frequently and limited from enjoying themselves on sugary snacks and beverages. Incorporating changes in the child’s diet by including fruits, vegetables, healthy meat, and other foods is essential.
If your child needs fluoride treatments or dental sealants, do not hesitate to provide these affordable treatments that help strengthen enamel and prevent cavities. However, if the pediatric dentist near you detects cavities in your child’s tooth, get it filled promptly if you wish to avoid visiting an emergency pediatric dentist for treatments.
