Does Your Child Need a Filling?

If your child is complaining about a toothache or you notice they’re not eating well, they could have a cavity. Tooth decay affects children of all ages, including from older infants and toddlers. Cavities aren’t always visible. In fact, an X-ray may be the only way to tell if there’s a cavity at all.

Believe it or not, cavities are the most common childhood disease. They’re caused by acidic byproducts of bacterial plaque which can spread from tooth to tooth throughout their mouth.

Primary (baby) teeth decay very quickly, because they’re not as dense as adult teeth are. At Studfield Dental Group, our Wantrina South family dentists aim to diagnose cavities in baby teeth as early as possible, so that you can prevent additional areas of decay from affecting your child’s smile.

Only One Way to Stop Cavities

The only way to stop cavities from spreading tooth to tooth in your child’s mouth is to remove the active decay and fill the area in. We use white composite fillings at our Wantrina South office, because they’re less invasive to your child’s smile (allowing us to preserve as much healthy tooth structure as possible.)

From there, we’ll talk about a plan to lower your child’s cavity risk through modified dietary habits, flossing techniques, and possibly supplemental fluoride.

Won’t the Tooth Just Fall Out?

Yes; every baby tooth is meant to fall out eventually. But having an active cavity in a primary tooth allows active infection to stay inside of your child’s mouth and spread to other teeth (including the adult ones underneath.) So, leaving a cavity untreated on a baby tooth is never a good idea, unless the tooth is just weeks from coming out on its own.

For more tips on keeping your child’s smile healthy, call our Wantrina South family dentists today!