Does My Child Need a Filling or a Crown?
There are so many things to worry about when it comes to raising a child that sometimes can get overlooked. No one is perfect, of course, and our Hudsonville children’s dentist is the last person to judge you. What we will do is examine your child’s cavity and determine which procedure is right for them: dental filling or dental crown.
Here’s what you need to know about cavity treatment for kids.
Common Types of Fillings for Children
Typically, we recommend tooth fillings for children with small cavities. Getting a tooth filled is a safe, standard dental procedure that will restore your child’s smile and prevent further tooth decay.
Our local family dentist offers two different kinds of fillings: silver (metal amalgam) fillings and white (composite resin) fillings. Both work well to restore teeth, but you may want to opt for a white filling if your child’s cavity is in a permanent tooth or in a tooth that can be seen when they smile or laugh.
White fillings match the color of your child’s tooth enamel, so no one can tell they’ve had work done.
Do Baby Teeth Really Need Fillings?
If your child’s baby tooth will fall out eventually, why fill a cavity in a non-permanent tooth? It’s a reasonable question. However, there’s a good reason to pursue dental treatment for baby teeth that are suffering from tooth decay: The longer you put off treating childhood cavities, the more difficult they are to fix.
Untreated can result in bigger oral health problems that lead to more complicated (and more expensive) dental procedures. Pain from cavities can also affect your child’s growth and development, causing problems with eating or speaking. Additionally, the importance of baby teeth isn’t something to ignore as they hold space in your child’s jaw for adult teeth. In short, decaying primary teeth can negatively affect how your child’s permanent teeth come in.
If these teeth were to fall out prematurely, our dentist would recommend the placement of a dental space maintainer, an oral appliance designed to literally keep space in your child’s mouth and guide incoming teeth as they erupt. While space maintainers are effective and easy enough, they aren’t needed if baby teeth fall out on schedule free of decay.
Read More → Is a Space Maintainer Needed for My Child?
As you can see, fillings are necessary for childhood cavities, even when those cavities are in baby teeth. Fortunately, silver fillings for kids work just as well as white fillings, but they tend to cost less and are easier to apply. Since your child’s baby tooth isn’t permanent anyway, a silver filling is a cost-effective choice for stopping tooth decay.
Dental Crowns for Children
If your child has a large cavity or a cracked tooth, a pediatric dental crown may be the best option.
Dental crowns are tooth-shaped caps that fit on top of your child’s existing tooth to restore its strength and functionality. Typically, we place crowns to reinforce a permanent tooth, although a baby tooth may need one in certain circumstances.
We offer both stainless steel crowns and white dental crowns for kids. Just like with fillings, white crowns are a great option for permanent and/or visible teeth because they match your child’s tooth enamel.
Tips for Preventing Cavities Altogether
While fillings and crowns are incredibly helpful when it comes to dental restoration, the best solution is ultimately no procedure at all. We want your child’s teeth to remain healthy as they grow into teens and adults, so our dentist always welcomes questions and requests for advice on oral hygiene. If we can help prevent cavities for your child, ask away!
For starters, you can try:
- Only filling bedtime bottles with water, not milk or juice
- Sticking to mealtimes when it comes to milk or other sugary beverages so they’re enjoyed for a limited time instead of sipped on throughout the day
- Serving healthier foods and less treats containing sugar
- Establishing a solid oral hygiene routine that includes flossing and twice daily brushing
- Scheduling a professional teeth cleaning for your child every 6 months
- Asking about how dental sealants can positively benefit your child’s smile
Protect Your Child’s Smile
Whether your child needs a dental filling or a dental crown, our family dentist in Hudsonville, MI, is here to help. Call Hudsonville Dental Kids today at (616) 209-4039 to schedule an appointment.
This blog post has been updated.
