Pediatric Dental Restorations

When a tooth has a cavity or fracture, it should be restored to its original form, function, and beauty. When damage is minimal, small cosmetic  “fillings” can solve the problem.  When the defect is more challenging, other restorations such as crowns may be necessary. Early detection and early treatment is preferable option on our NYC pediatric dentistry center on Upper East Side.

What Happens If Your Kid Has A Badly Decayed Tooth?

Tooth decay is a common problem affecting many young children, and a cavity can become extremely painful without the proper treatment. Pediatric dentists including Dr. Sara Babich always try to save baby or primary teeth because if they are lost too soon or must be extracted, it can affect the development of adult teeth.

A child’s primary teeth are essential for guiding the development of their adult teeth, ensuring the right amount of room is maintained so adult teeth are more likely to come through aligned correctly.

When baby teeth are lost too soon, it increases the risk of a child requiring orthodontic treatment when they are older because the adjacent teeth are more likely to shift position, taking some of the room meant for the adult tooth. As a result, the adult tooth is more likely to come through crooked and out of alignment.

Baby teeth aren’t permanent, they are vulnerable to tooth decay. If your child develops a cavity, pediatric dentist will need to repair it.

Materials that can be used to fill or teeth include:

• white composite resin
• silver-colored amalgam

Many dentists use amalgam fillings because they are:

• inexpensive
• hard-wearing
• take less time to place

However, they can look unsightly and nowadays it is becoming more common for pediatric dentists to use tooth-colored composite resin to repair teeth in children who feel quite self-conscious about their appearance. Often the choice of material may be dictated by the position of the tooth in the mouth.

How to Repair Back Teeth?

When a back tooth is severely decayed, your dentist may want to repair it using a ready-made stainless-steel crown. Stainless steel crowns have been used for decades and are a common choice of treatment for children, not least because they are extremely cost-effective.

Also, unlike an adult crown that frequently requires two visits to the dental office, stainless-steel crowns can usually be replaced during a single visit.

The crowns are strong and durable and are highly suitable for repairing back teeth that are not very visible but are less suitable for front teeth that are easily seen.

The preformed crowns come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are customized by the pediatric dentist to fit over the damaged tooth.

How to Repair Front Tooth?

Of course, tooth decay can easily affect front teeth as well, and when this is the case then a different type of crown is needed, and which is less visible. Options include stainless-steel crowns that have a composite resin facing which is tooth-colored. These provide reasonably aesthetic results while remaining a cost-effective solution.

Alternatively, parents can choose more expensive options such as all-ceramic crowns or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns that have a custom-made precious metal substructure covered with porcelain. These solutions are more expensive but are an option if it will be some years before the primary tooth falls out naturally.

Tooth Decay Can Reoccur

Although your pediatric dentist can treat your child’s tooth decay by removing all the damaged portion of the tooth, cavities can reoccur. Unfortunately, it is more likely that a tooth that has already had a cavity eventually develop new decay. If this is the case, your child’s pediatric dentist need to replace the filling, removing the new area of decay before refilling the tooth.

The bacteria which cause tooth decay can get into pediatric crowns and may create a new infection. Regular checkups are vital for ensuring any early signs of new sites of tooth decay are quickly detected and treated.

What If a Child Is Nervous about Treatment?

Having a stainless-steel crown fitted onto a tooth or having a filling are routine procedures and are typically carried out using a local anesthetic. Pediatric dentists are excellent at helping children who feel a bit nervous about having treatment overcome these fears.

Our children’s dental office is specifically designed to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that is non-threatening, and there is usually plenty of toys to distract anxious kids. However, when a child is particularly nervous or perhaps needs more extensive treatment, sedation dentistry is an option.

Your child’s pediatric dentist Dr. Babich offer the option of laughing gas or nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is a particularly gentle form of sedation because the gas is inhaled through a small mask that fits over the nose.

It quickly takes effect, producing a sensation of deep relaxation while reducing anxiety. Any side effects are rare, and the gas is eliminated rapidly from the body after treatment is finished.

Other options include oral sedatives, and sometimes if an extensive amount of work is required, it may be necessary for a child to have intravenous sedation or even a general anesthetic.

Sometimes Teeth Must Be Removed

While everything possible is done to preserve baby teeth, sometimes there is no other choice but to remove a badly infected tooth or a tooth that has been too extensively damaged to restore. When this is the only option available, your child’s dentist may suggest various ways of temporarily replacing the tooth until the adult tooth is ready to erupt. Sometimes they provide some form of a temporary prosthesis or use a special type of space maintainer that is fitted onto the adjacent teeth.

A space maintainer does precisely what the name suggests, helping to hold open the correct amount of space left behind by the baby tooth, preventing the adjacent teeth from drifting out of place. The space maintainer remains in position until the adult tooth is ready to come through and it’s a device that is extremely useful in helping to ensure the adult tooth erupts in the correct alignment.

If it’s been a while since your child saw a dentist or they have yet to receive their first dental visit, make sure you book an appointment for them with a good pediatric dentist such as Dr. Sara Babich, DDS.

Usually, children need to see the dentist every six months because regularly monitoring their teeth and jaws helps the dentist to detect any problems that much sooner. The more quickly a dentist can provide the appropriate treatment, the more likely a damaged baby teeth can be saved. You also find Dr. Babich offer useful information on how to look after your child’s baby teeth and their adult teeth. Preventative dentistry is always the most preferable solution!

Do you have any questions about the dental restoration options for kids and teens we offer in NYC? Would you like to schedule an appointment with the best in class New York City pediatric dentist and a top rated specialist Dr. Sara Babich? Please call our office at 212-988-4070 or visit our kids dentistry center in Manhattan on Upper East Side.

Pediatric Dentistry: Dr. Sara B. Babich, DDS
116 E 84th St
New York, NY 10028
(84th St. btw Park Ave / Lex Ave)
☎ 212-988-4070

Contact us today to learn more about our
New York City pediatric dentistry practice (212) 988-4070