Restorative Dental for Kids

Although baby teeth will eventually fall out of their own accord, they still play a crucial role in your child’s dental health. Restorative dentistry for kids is aimed at preventing or treating diseases of baby teeth to return them to their best health, in order to pave the way for adult teeth. It also includes replacement or repair of damaged or defective teeth.

Baby teeth (aka primary teeth or deciduous teeth) break through the gums when a child is about six months old. By the age of three years, the entire set of 20 primary teeth should be in place, gradually making away for permanent adult teeth at around six or seven. When your child is about four years old, their facial bones, including the jaw, start to grow to create room between the primary teeth for the larger permanent teeth to emerge. From six to 12 years, your child will have a mix of primary and permanent teeth.

Baby teeth play an important part in:

  • Reserving space for adult teeth.
  • Giving the permanent teeth a healthy start – infection in primary teeth can damage the adult teeth developing beneath them.
  • Giving the face a normal appearance.
  • Helping in development of speech.
  • Enabling good nutrition – decayed or missing teeth make it difficult to eat.

The American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) advise parents to take their child for their first dental appointment when they get their first tooth or by the time they’re 12 months old.

Restorative and Preventative Treatments for Baby Teeth Problems

Baby teeth are prone to the same problems as permanent teeth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tooth decay affects one in five youngsters aged five to eleven. Gum infections are also common in children who still have primary teeth.

Types of restorative dental care available for kids include:

  • Composite or amalgam fillings.
  • Dental crowns.
  • Extractions.
  • Fluoride treatments.
  • Dental sealants.
  • Space Maintainers.

Composite or Amalgam Fillings

When baby teeth are lost too soon, the remaining primary teeth may shift, blocking the path for adult teeth to come in. Protecting a decaying baby tooth with a composite or amalgam filling can avoid the need for extraction. A composite filling is a tooth-colored combination of glass and plastic. Amalgam fillings, traditionally known as silver fillings, are a mix of copper, mercury silver and tin. These fillings stop germs getting into the tooth and spreading decay.

Dental Crowns

If a significant part of a primary tooth has decayed, the filling can be supported by a crown – a porcelain or ceramic prosthetic that fits over the existing tooth to protect it from further damage and maintain the bite function. Crowns (also known as caps) can also be used as an alternative to fillings in severe cases of tooth decay.

Extractions

Although a dentist will do everything possible to save a baby tooth, sometimes extraction is the only solution when the tooth is so badly damaged or broken that it cannot be repaired. Having a tooth taken out can be frightening for children because they don’t know what to expect.

Sedation options for children include:

Nitrous oxide. Minimal sedation in which the child breathes a combination of oxygen and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) through a mask.

Oral conscious sedation. Medication to help kids stay relaxed and calm. Ideal for youngsters with a fear of needles.

General anesthesia. Used to induce unconsciousness during the procedure. Your child may recall little or nothing about it afterward.

Fluoride Treatments

A simple but effective treatment for youngsters, fluoride helps to prevent cavities by encouraging growth of tooth enamel. Fluoride treatments by a dentist are far more potent than store-bought products – strong enough to disrupt the production of acids by bacteria.

To boost professional fluoride treatment, your child should use a fluoride toothpaste – but encourage them to spit it out rather than swallow it, as many younger children seem inclined to do! Swallowing toothpaste while teeth are developing can cause a condition known as dental fluorosis (or mottled enamel), which appears as white specks on the teeth.

Dental Sealants

Kids are particularly susceptible to cavities because they typically consume more sugary foods and drinks than adults, and don’t clean their teeth as thoroughly. But teeth can still decay even if you restrict your child’s sugar intake and show them how to brush their teeth and floss properly. Dental sealants provide an effective means of avoiding cavities. Sealants come in the form of a thin, plastic layer that coats the back teeth.

Space Maintainers

If a baby tooth is lost through disease or injury, adjacent teeth may move out of place. This shift can cause crookedness or crowding of the adult teeth. Temporary space maintainers will keep the baby teeth in proper position until the adult teeth emerge.

Gingivitis Treatment for Kids

Besides tooth decay, children can also get gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). In adults, gingivitis can lead to the more serious condition of periodontitis (gum disease) but this rarely happens with youngsters. Nevertheless, if your child’s gum infection doesn’t clear up despite a good routine of oral hygiene, treatment may be necessary, such as a professional cleaning and antibiotics. Without treatment, a persistent gum infection can loosen teeth by attacking the supporting soft tissue and bone. Signs of gingivitis include swollen or red gums that bleed during brushing and flossing. Chronic bad breath is another symptom.

Finding the Right Dentist for Your Child

If you’re considering what type of restorative dental care is available for kids, look for an experienced pediatric dental specialist like Dr. Beanca Chu. Pediatric dentists undergo extra training, with an emphasis on child psychology, so they are experts in treating anxious young patients and making them feel at ease. And a practice that has embraced cutting-edge technology will be best placed to diagnose and treat your child in the gentlest, safest way. Contact Beanca Chu, DDS, APC today to schedule an appointment with our specialized team!