How We Approach Cavity Treatment For Kids

Posted October 3, 2024

When children have an aching tooth, they may have a cavity that needs treatment before it becomes an infection! To help, we can place lifelike fillings or even discuss the placement of dental crowns. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist talks about how we conduct cavity treatments for kids.

The Factors Behind Cavities

What causes concerns like a cavity or an infected tooth? When the outer enamel is compromised, the protective layer of your tooth, this allows harmful bacteria to reach the inner dentin, the sensitive structure that makes up most of the tooth. At this stage, a cavity has formed. If the cavity remains untreated and expands and grows, this could reach the inner pulp, the nerve center of your child’s tooth. This causes an infection, leading to greater discomfort and the risk of premature tooth loss, itself a factor in the onset of dental misalignment.

Factors behind cavities include sports injuries, teeth grinding, and plaque buildup that weakens the enamel. Plaque can be brought on by poor brushing and flossing habits, a high-level of sugar in the diet, or napping with a bottle of milk or juice. Our team will assess the cause of the cavity or infection as part of our treatment for your child.

The Warning Signs of Tooth Decay

When you bring your little ones in for an exam every six months, then we have the chance to catch ones like tooth decay in the earliest stages, often before your little one encounters discomfort. Otherwise, the first sign of trouble could be your little one complaining about an aching tooth or pain when he or she eats. When your little one experiences persistent discomfort, then bring your child in for an exam. With digital x-rays, we can continue and quickly examine the smile and pinpoint the position of the cavity, so we can plan treatment with precision.

Dental Fillings

A dental filling can treat the cavity in only one visit. The procedure involves our team numbing the tooth with a local anesthetic. If your child has anxiety, we could discuss sedation options like nitrous oxide to help them enter a deep state of calm and relaxation. We then remove decay from the tooth and clean it thoroughly before we apply the filling material. Instead of metal, we use a composite resin that is safe for all ages, one that can better blend with the smile than a metal option. These are long-lasting and durable! We then shape the tooth as the material cures under a light, and we polish it for a brighter appearance.

Custom Crowns

If you have decay too advanced for a filling, we could again numb the tooth and administer sedation to keep your child calm. With a crown, we will remove structure from the tooth to make room for the crown. We then attach the restoration with a powerful bonding agent. For the side and rear teeth, which endure greater bite force levels, we could use stainless steel. For the more front facing and visible teeth, we could offer a more lifelike NuSmile zirconia dental crown.

A Root Canal Alternative

What if a tooth has become infected? To save the tooth, we could conduct a conservative root canal alternative known as a pulpotomy. With this procedure, we again administer local anesthesia and sedation, and we open the tooth to remove the infected portions of the interior tissues. We then add a special filling. For some, that completes the procedure, while others may need a crown to cap the tooth. This placement helps protect the tooth from further decay and infection, and offers a durable chewing surface and sometimes may blend with the smile.

Our team can also discuss care at home to limit the risk of tooth decay and infection down the road, such as better brushing and flossing habits, a diet low in sugar, and of course, visits to our office for checkups and cleanings every six months. If you have any questions about how we treat tooth decay for little smiles of all ages, or how we can help lower the risk of future cavities with cleanings, fluoride treatments, and dental sealants, then contact our team today to learn more.

Schedule a Visit for Your Child’s Restorative Appointment

If you have questions about how we repair your child’s smile, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with our team, call your Dallas, TX pediatric dentist, Dr. Marr, at (214) 321-4880. With our restorative dental procedures, we can help return little smiles to full function, health, and beauty, often in as little as one visit.