At Powell Pediatric Dentistry, we specialize in diagnosing and treating dental issues for all infants, children, teenagers, and kids with specific medical and dental needs. Restorative dentistry is a range of dental procedures designed to remove decay from a tooth and build it up back to its original strength and anatomy. You may be wondering why children with baby teeth need to have their teeth restored, even though they will eventually fall out. Please keep reading to learn more about why restoration is required, even for baby teeth, and what type of restorative procedures we offer.
Why Restore?
Patients with adult teeth need restorative dentistry so that their teeth can stay strong and last their lifetime. But with baby teeth, some may not think it is essential to have them fixed or restored. The entire purpose of having baby teeth repaired is to contain the decay and stop it from spreading to other teeth.
In the young years, children’s mouths are constantly changing and can consist of a mix of adult and baby teeth. When a baby tooth accumulates decay or a cavity, restoration is needed to prevent it from spreading.
Not only is it essential to stop decay early on for the sake of the other teeth, but having a cavity is very painful, and as it spreads, the pain grows. We don’t want our child patients to deal with the pain from their diseased teeth for too long. That’s why we suggest restoration as soon as possible.
While we do our best to encourage outpatients to prevent dental issues from occuring through preventative treatments such as professional cleanings, dental exams, dental sealants, and fluoride treatments, in our office, we stress the importance of preventive dentistry and restorative dentistry to help the child learn the importance of dental care from early on.
Restorative Treatments
When it comes to restoring your child’s teeth, we offer high-quality but affordable restorative treatments that will restore the tooth’s function and appearance. The top three restorative procedures performed at Powell Pediatric Dentistry are filings, dental crowns, and space maintainers.
- Pediatric Fillings: Cavities come from the combination of bacteria and sugar. It is no secret that children generally consume a significant amount of sugar, so they are more susceptible to decay. Children’s fillings are typically made out of silver amalgam or tooth-colored resin at our office.
Steps in a Filling
- The dentist will begin by numbing the area and then removing the decay from the tooth using high-powered dental instruments. The entire cavity will need to be removed for the filling to be sustainable.
- Next, the selected material will be used to fill the hole or missing portion of the tooth. Material is hardened with a curing light to imitate tooth enamel.
- Once the tooth is filled and hardened, the dentist will polish and ensure it fits perfectly into the mouth.
Fillings are a fantastic way to restore the tooth’s anatomy and allow your child to use their teeth properly.
- Dental Crown: Tooth decay can sometimes be too severe to be corrected with a filling, and a dental crown is required to prevent further damage or rescue the tooth from extraction. Crowns can also be used to restore a primary tooth that has been damaged by dental trauma or disease. After the decay or damage to a tooth is removed, a dental crown is a protective cap (formed like the original tooth) placed over the healthy section of the tooth.
Because a primary tooth’s enamel is thinner than permanent teeth, decay can quickly spread to other teeth. Placing a crown on a tooth might keep it from decaying or infecting other teeth.
- Space Maintainers: Children who lose baby teeth early on would benefit from a space maintainer. Molars can sometimes be lost early on due to disease or dental trauma. When a tooth is lost, a spacer can prevent the movement of adjacent teeth, which can cause crowding.
Call Powell Pediatric Dentistry
Contact our office if you are in the Fresno, CA area to learn more about restorative dentistry and why we recommend all children get their decayed or injured teeth restored. We are dedicated to serving your children and providing them with the highest quality of care.