When it comes to caring for your child’s smile, preventing tooth decay is the name of the game. From their first checkup, we discuss strategies to protect against cavities to preserve their healthy smiles. But what happens when we detect a carry in your little one’s mouth? While children’s teeth are not permanent, each one plays a vital role in supporting a healthy bite as their jaw and other oral structures continue to grow. That is why we remove decaying material and place restorations to protect these teeth until it is time for them to naturally fall out. Extracting a child’s tooth to treat a cavity may cause serious complications with their development. Therefore, we avoid this method unless necessary.
At your Shirley, NY pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we care for young children’s smiles with preventive and restorative services. This means teaching the skills necessary to protect teeth at home in addition to the professional care we provide in our office. By attending regular dental checkups, we can discover active threats such as cavities early in their development and provide a conservative treatment. This prevents the need for a more involved treatment while helping your child retain a smile they can be proud of!
The Common Signs Of Tooth Decay
Removing a cavity requires detecting it in the first place! How are you supposed to tell if your little one has an active tooth decay problem? Cavities can develop for months or even years before they cause a symptom that would be noticed by a child. That’s why we encourage visiting our practice semiannually for a cleaning and exam. While a cleaning provides the best protection against plaque and tartar deposits that a brush or floss cannot remove, the exam portion detects decay immediately. By taking digital X-rays of your little one’s smile, we can confirm our visual identification of a cavity and measure its size.
When Decay Leads To Tooth Infection
Any injury that breaks the protective seal of a tooth’s enamel creates the potential for a painful tooth infection. By reporting any injuries that harm your child’s smile, we can tell if a restoration is required to prevent infection. Tooth decay is one such injury. If your little one complains of a constant toothache, we can perform a therapy to preserve the healthy portion of their tooth’s pulp while preventing the risk for future reinfection.
Talk To Your Shirley, NY, Pediatric Dentist About Taking Steps To Fight Tooth Decay
Regular cleanings and checkups provide the best opportunity to help your child combat tooth decay. If you want to learn more about preventing and treating cavaties for kids, then contact Shirley Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Shirley, NY, by calling (631) 399-1600.
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