Proper dental care starts early.
Dental fillings are a common way to treat tooth decay or cavities in children resulting from bacteria-making acids that break down the minerals in tooth enamel. At Smile Cove Pediatric Dental, we provide pediatric dentistry services here in the Tampa, Florida area, ensuring your child’s teeth get the care and attention they need, including dental fillings.
There are quite a few reasons why your child might need dental fillings, including:
- Tooth Decay. Tooth decay is the main reason why children need dental fillings. If your child doesn’t brush his or her teeth well enough or eats and drinks a lot of sugary foods and drinks, germs can build up in his or her mouth. These bacteria make acids that slowly eat away at the enamel of teeth, causing cavities. By filling in cavities and stopping further decay, dental fillings help repair the structure and function of the tooth.
- Pain or Sensitivity. Cavities can cause pain, discomfort, or sensitivity, especially when hot, cold, sweet, or acidic foods or drinks are eaten or drunk. If your child says something like this, contact our team to assess their dental health.
- Preventing More Decay. Dental fillings are essential for stopping tooth decay from getting worse. If cavities aren’t fixed, they can worsen and weaken the tooth. This can lead to more severe treatments, like getting a dental crown or having a tooth pulled.
- Restoring Function. Cavities can make a tooth weaker and more likely to break or crack. Dental fillings restore the tooth’s strength and integrity, so your child can easily chew and bite without risking more damage.
- Aesthetic Concerns. Composite resin fillings are tooth-colored and can match the natural color of your child’s teeth. Most of the time, these fillings are used in areas of the mouth that people can see. This keeps your child’s smile looking nice.
- Preventing Infection. Untreated cavities cause damage that can spread to the tooth’s inner pulp, leading to an infection and an abscess. Dental fillings keep painful infections and the need for more thorough treatments from happening.
You might wonder why dental fillings are necessary for pediatric dentistry, but the fact is that even though baby teeth are only there for a short time, they are essential for speech development, chewing, and making room for adult teeth. For your child to have the best possible dental care, it’s vital to take them to the dentist regularly so that any problems can be found and fixed early on. Good oral care, like brushing and flossing their teeth daily, along with a balanced diet and limiting sugary snacks, can make it much less likely that they will get cavities and need fillings. Contact our team today to learn more.