Make Sure Your Child Takes Care of Their Filling

Posted June 10, 2020

When a cavity develops in your child’s tooth and you treat it early enough, the tooth can often be saved with the help of a biocompatible tooth filling. Once the filling is placed, however, it’s tempting to consider the problem solved, and your child’s tooth completely safe from harm. The truth, however, is that tooth damage caused by a cavity is permanent, which means the tooth will rely on the continued support of the filling. Today, we take a look at how you can help further protect your child’s oral health by helping them take proper care of their teeth and tooth filling every day.

The success of your child’s filling matters

To understand the importance of your child’s tooth filling and its continued success, it’s important to understand the progressive and highly destructive nature of the tooth decay that causes cavities. A cavity, or hole, in your child’s tooth is the result of decay eroding the tooth’s structure, and the point of a tooth filling is to stop that decay from progressing further. If the filling fails, then the tooth can be exposed to more harmful oral bacteria and become even more severely infected. Even if the tooth is a primary tooth (or baby tooth) and will eventually fall out, the presence of unchecked decay could have severe consequences for your child’s long-term oral health.

The potential risks of not caring for it properly

The discomfort that your child feels when a cavity affects their tooth is one of the more immediate consequences of tooth decay, but it can also be an important warning signal. When the toothache is diagnosed as a result of tooth decay early, the chances of preserving more of your child’s healthy, natural tooth structure are higher. However, procrastinating to seek treatment or failing care for the filling properly could allow the decay to become much more severe. If it does, then your child’s tooth might need more extensive treatment, such as pulpotomy, to carefully remove the more substantial amount of tooth infection.

When it’s time to schedule a dental appointment

The best ways to help your child care for their tooth filling is to make sure they practice good dental hygiene by brushing and flossing their teeth carefully every day. This is essential to controlling the buildup of oral bacteria that lead to tooth decay (in the form of dental plaque) and to minimizing risks to the exposed tooth and its filling. However, if your child starts to experience chronic discomfort and aching in the same tooth, then it may be time to schedule a dental appointment to determine if your child’s tooth filling is in trouble.

Learn how to care for your child’s tooth filling

After your child receives a tooth filling, the success of the restoration relies heavily on how well your child cares for it and the rest of their teeth. 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.