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Helping your child preserve their smile requires learning to spot the common symptoms of decay. When we help our little ones take a preventive approach toward caring for their smiles, we help set them up for a life of positive oral health. If your son or daughter has a toothache that will not go away, schedule a visit right away. We can examine their tender spot to prevent any decay from becoming worse. We could place a dental filling or perform a more involved procedure if necessary.

At your Shirley, NY, pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we help your little one relieve painful toothache symptoms at a moment’s notice. Waiting until their next scheduled appointment could allow a problem to become much worse, so please call us right away.

Spot The Signs Of A Cavity

How do you spot the common signs of tooth decay? When you bring your child to their six-month evaluation, we will clean their smile and examine it for any active concerns. This means that no problem with their oral health will go unnoticed for long. We call this a “preventive” approach to oral care, by doing everything in our power to prevent and treat decay as soon as possible. Your child may not even be aware of a cavity until it has progressed into significant damaging territory. If instead, we catch it while it feels symptomless, we will save more of its natural material. By taking digital X-rays at their checkups, we create an ongoing dental record that alerts us to any sudden changes in their oral health.

When Tooth Infections Go Untreated

A constant ache can also be a sign of an infection in your child’s pulp chamber. When this happens, failure to remove it can spread the disease to other parts of the body. If we detect infection during the examination, we will suggest a pulpotomy to remove the decay and preserve the tooth’s pulp. This is vital, even for baby teeth, because maintaining your child’s dentition is key to proper jaw development. If we pull the tooth prematurely, it can lead to real problems with their jaw in adulthood.

Preventing Decay

We can give your little one an extra boost in cavity prevention by offering fluoride treatment and dental sealant protection. Because little ones are still developing the dexterity necessary to fully brush their smiles, extra protection goes a long way in fighting decay.

Talk To Your Shirley, NY, Pediatric Dentist About Taking Steps To Fight Tooth Decay

When you bring your children in for cleanings regularly, you can help them prevent cavities. If you want to learn more about preventing and treating cases of tooth decay for kids, then contact Shirley Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Shirley, NY, by calling (631) 399-1600.