Restorative Dentistry
Aldie, VA
 Sometimes no matter what you do, no matter how many check-ups your child has or the different preventive measures that you take, the worst still happens. Maybe your child cracked a tooth or a cavity that got bad enough that it needs to come out; whatever the case, at Smile Kids! Pediatric Dentistry we’re here for all of your restorative dentistry needs. We are committed to making sure that your child will soon smile again with confidence, just like before.
Extractions are always the last resort, in our opinion. We believe that extractions should be tabled until all other options have failed, and we have to remove the tooth. While generally done with cavities that have grown very large or infections that have spread deeply enough, it can occasionally happen if your child is experiencing overcrowding issues or will need braces. Extractions are a relatively quick procedure, usually taking about twenty minutes per tooth.
When cavities are severe enough, or a tooth gets cracked, the vital cellular material within, called dental pulp, can become exposed. The dental pulp is essential for the healthy development of their teeth, and if it becomes infected, it can cause an abscess. A pulpotomy is like a baby root canal. This is when we treat the nerve directly to take out the diseased portion, and we place a crown over the remaining tooth.
If your child has an infected baby tooth, they may need a baby root canal. This process is the best way to save their tooth and preserve it until it falls out naturally and is replaced by an adult tooth later in your child’s life.
If a tooth has to be extracted, or if a baby tooth never comes in, then the child must receive a space maintainer. One of the most important functions of baby teeth is making sure there’s plenty of room for the adult teeth below. If this space isn’t saved, it can lead to crowding and crookedness. I only wear spacers until the new teeth appear, or if the surrounding teeth become loose.
When we catch a cavity early enough, we drill out the decayed area and replace it with what’s called a filling. The two types of fillings are most common: silver, or “amalgam,” fillings, and white, or “composite,” fillings. This is a routine procedure, and even baby teeth must receive fillings from time to time. If a cavity gets worse, the tooth will have to be extracted, which can cause all kinds of problems later on - from crooked or over-crowded teeth to speech and facial development delays.
Crowns are what we use when a cavity is really bad after we remove the infected part of the tooth. They’re like a cap that goes over the rest of a severely decayed or fractured tooth to protect it. Occasionally custom-made zirconium crowns are used, but since children will naturally lose crowns as their permanent teeth come in, this option isn’t as popular. Then you have ceramic and porcelain crowns as well. Regardless of what you choose, the procedure is fast and painless.
Give Your Child Their Smile Back Today!
Here at Smile Kids! Pediatric Dentistry our priority is giving your child a healthy, long-lasting smile. So don’t wait, give your child the gift of confidence by calling us now at (276) 663-0065. |
