How Our Team Repairs Teeth In Little Smiles
When a child cracks or chips a tooth, or develops toothaches due to cavities, then they need restorative treatment. Otherwise, the teeth are vulnerable to worsening cavities and even infection, which could lead to tooth loss. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist talks about how we repair little smiles with our dental restorations.
Treating Tooth Decay
Cavities are a widespread concern for kids of all ages. When they eat or drink too many items high in sugar, this leaves behind particles that can be broken down by bacteria to create plaque buildup. Lack of proper brushing and flossing each day is also a factor. The plaque then erodes the enamel to allow a cavity to form. Without treatment, your child could develop an infected tooth. But our team can help with a dental filling. Instead of metal, we create ours from composite resin, a unique blend of acrylic-like and glass-like particles. Our team will numb your little one’s tooth so ensure comfort as we remove decay and clean the tooth. We then prepare the composite resin and apply it in several layers. We then shape the tooth as the composite resin cures beneath a special light. Finally, we polish the tooth for a brighter appearance. In only one visit, we can treat tooth decay with a safe and more lifelike restoration.
Responding to Dental Emergencies
What about when a tooth is chipped or cracked in a dental emergency? When this happens, make sure your little one rinses with warm water. You can apply cloth or gauze to stem bleeding, and use a cold compress against the side of the face to fight swelling. Try to recover any pieces and bring them with you to the office. Give us a call, even outside of normal business hours, and we will contact you with a time to ring your child in, so we can administer treatment quickly. We could then repair the tooth with a crown or the same composite resin we use for our fillings.
Repairing Damaged Teeth
Our dental crowns can repair cracked, chipped, or broken teeth, and we can aid in treating decay or infection as well. Our team will numb the tooth being treated and then remove structure to make room for the restoration. Next, we attach the crown with a powerful bonding agent. We could use stainless steel for the side and rear teeth, which must endure greater bite forces, or NuSmile zirconia for the more front facing ones, since this material is more lifelike in appearance.
Treating Dental Infection
How do we help a tooth that has been infected? Treating a dental infection is essentially for avoiding the onset of serious discomfort and the risk of losing the tooth prematurely. Usually a root canal is prescribed, but we have a more conservative alternative known as a pulpotomy. The process involves numbing the tooth so we can comfortably open it and remove the infected portions of the inner tissues. We then add a medicated filling to the interior of the tooth. For some, this completes the process. For others, we may then cap the tooth with a dental crown. This stops discomfort and helps keep your child’s smile full!
Protecting Smiles
We also want to help protect little smiles. For example, if your child plays sports, then consider talking to our team about a custom mouthguard, one that is personalized for your little one’s smile. These provide a greater level of protection than standard boil-and-bite options from sporting good stores. Making time to brush and floss each day, and see us for checkups and cleanings, also helps prevent cavities that could weaken a tooth and leave it prone to injury. At home, make sure your little one is brushing and flossing daily, and try to limit their consumption of sugar.
If you have any questions about how our team will protect children with restorative treatment options, then contact our office today. There is still time to see our team before the holidays are here, and before your 2024 dental insurance benefits and health savings account funds expire at the end of the month.
Talk to Our Team About Our Restorative Treatments
If you have questions about how we restore smiles with options like fillings or crowns, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with our team, call your Dallas, TX pediatric dentist, Dr. Marr, at (214) 321-4880. We want to help your little one smile with confidence and enjoy better oral health!
filed under: Restorations for Kids