What to Do if You’re Worried Your Kid Has a Cavity

Posted January 9, 2020

Prevention is the most important part of dental care for children and adults. However, even an excellent hygiene routine and regular visits to the dentist might not always be enough to ease your worries when it comes to your child’s smile. At our Dallas, TX, children’s dental office, we’re dedicated to helping protect and preserve young smiles from all the concerns that could impact them. That includes helping you determine if your child might have a cavity, and what to do to safeguard their teeth from the decay that causes it.

Why cavities should be worrisome

A cavity, or hole, is the product of an infection spreading through a tooth’s structure. The cavity itself is worrisome because, as a hole in your tooth’s structure, it will only grow larger as it progresses. The tooth decay is worrisome, as well, because it will continue to infect more of the tooth structure over time. This can lead to increasingly worse discomfort in and around the tooth, causing your child to complain of toothaches and sensitivity more frequently. It can also lead to a number of other dental health concerns, including the premature loss of the tooth and compromising the permanent tooth developing underneath the primary one.

How to know if it’s a cavity

Toothaches and sensitivity are common signs of having a cavity, but not every toothache means that your child’s tooth is decaying. Other signs might also point to cavity development, such as discoloration in the tooth’s structure and the cavity becoming visibly noticeable. However, the only way to know for sure if your child has a cavity is to have your child’s dentist carefully examine the tooth and diagnose the decay, if present. Depending on the severity of your child’s cavity, we can design a custom, conservative treatment to stop the decay from growing worse and preserve the rest of the healthy, natural tooth structure from it.

How we can restore your child’s tooth

Designing the right treatment for your child’s cavity depends on several important factors. The severity and size of the cavity is one consideration, as is the state of your child’s overall oral health. For instance, in its earliest stages, a cavity mostly affects the outer layers and enamel of your tooth. Mild to moderate cavities can often be treated with a biocompatible, tooth-colored filling that’s designed to blend in with your child’s smile. After a careful examination, we’ll work closely with you and your child to determine which treatment option is most appropriate for your child’s cavity.

Find out if your child needs cavity treatment

Cavities are a common worry, and we offer a variety of preventive and restorative treatment options to protect your child’s smile from them. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX today at 214-321-4880. We proudly serve patients who live around Casa Linda and all surrounding Dallas communities.