Your trusted team at Jet Set Smiles Pediatric Dentistry is proud to offer quality preventive services for long-term healthy smiles. If, however, your child develops a cavity, we may recommend a dental filling. Some parents wonder if cavities in baby teeth really need treatment. After all, those tiny chompers will eventually fall out!

How Do Cavities Develop?

Cavities are caused by tooth decay, which results from the erosion and breakdown of the tooth’s hard, protective surface known as the enamel. It all starts with dental plaque, a clear and sticky film that coats your little one’s teeth. It forms when your sugars and starches are left sitting in your child’s mouth, which provides an abundant food source for bacteria to feast on and form plaque. The acids in plaque attack the outer enamel, eroding it and causing tiny holes, which is the first stage of cavities. Soon after, the bacteria and acids reach the next layer called the dentin, which is softer than tooth enamel and less resistant to acid attacks. If left untreated, the decay will continue to progress deep into the tooth and eventually reach the pulp containing the nerves and blood vessels. That can cause a considerable amount of pain and discomfort.

Why Are Dental Fillings Necessary?

As your child’s baby teeth grow and develop, it’s important to keep them healthy while waiting for the permanent ones to come in. Primary teeth play a significant role in speech development. They also help your child chew properly, which contributes to the healthy development of the tongue and jaw muscles.

Losing a tooth prematurely is detrimental to your child’s oral health. The surrounding teeth may start shifting into the gap, which results in crooked permanent teeth or a crowded mouth that will likely require orthodontic treatment down the road. Moreover, those pearly whites help maintain the needed space for the adult teeth that will eventually come in. Restoring a child’s decayed tooth using dental fillings prevents complications, infections, and a host of oral health problems down the road.

Does My Child Need a Tooth Filling?

Your child will need a dental filling to repair a cavity. Some cavities are visible and may cause a toothache, while others are less easily detectable. That is why we recommend visiting Jet Set Smiles Pediatric Dentistry twice a year for your child’s routine dental exams and cleanings. That allows us to diagnose tooth decay early on, where it is most easy to treat.

Types of Dental Fillings for Children

The most common types of restorations used to repair cavities are amalgam (silver) and tooth-colored fillings. Tooth-colored fillings, made of a resin material, offer an aesthetic solution when addressing cavities in the front teeth because they look natural and blend in seamlessly with your child’s smile.

What Is the Dental Filling Procedure?

The procedure involves administering a local anesthetic to numb the area and dental sedation, if needed, before removing the decayed parts of the tooth and filling the cavity with the filling material. We, at Jet Set Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, are committed to providing our young patients with a positive, stress-free experience.

Dental Fillings in Phoenix, AZ

Contact Jet Set Smiles Pediatric Dentistry to learn more about keeping your child’s teeth healthy and sound. We are proud to offer quality preventive and restorative services to prevent or promptly address tooth decay. You can always trust our team for outstanding, gentle care at our kid-friendly facility. Call us and schedule your child’s appointment today!