RESTORATIVE TREATMENTS FOR PRIMARY AND REAL PERMANENT TEETH

IN MILK AND REAL PERMANENT TEETH
RESTORATIVE TREATMENTS

Children develop their primary or baby teeth from 6 months to three years of age. Between this time and when each is replaced by permanent teeth, a child may experience dental problems before the permanent teeth are ready to emerge. These problems include tooth decay, which can lead to tooth loss or a broken tooth, and the development of serious infection or abscess.

One of the common dental treatments to preserve primary and young permanent baby teeth is primary tooth filling. It may be surprising to think that this procedure is needed because baby teeth will eventually fall out. However, there are several reasons why this treatment is important.

First, primary teeth serve as guides or placeholders for permanent teeth. When a baby tooth is removed or lost before the permanent tooth is ready to emerge, adjacent teeth may move into the space occupied by the missing tooth. This means that when the permanent tooth needs to come out, it cannot do so because it is blocking the path of another tooth.

Secondly, primary teeth play a major role in the correct development of speech patterns. Baby teeth damaged by tooth decay can cause problems such as whistling, especially when the damage affects the front teeth.

Thirdly, primary teeth are needed for chewing and are therefore very important for proper nutrition of children.

Knowing why a baby tooth filling is important can guide parents to accept this treatment rather than deciding to have the tooth removed before it is ready to fall out or before the permanent tooth is ready to emerge.

What Results to Expect?

There is a big gap between when all the baby teeth come in and when they all start to fall out. These begin to appear as early as six months or three months and begin to fall off when the child is about five years old. The last baby teeth, molars, fall out around age 13. Therefore, children between the ages of 1 and 13 may require primary tooth fillings. During this time, there are many dental problems that the child may face to require such dental treatment.

Children with tooth decay need primary tooth fillings. Tooth decay is often the result of children eating sugary and junk food on a regular basis.

These treatments are necessary not only for those who have baby teeth, such as babies and toddlers, but also for young teenagers who still have molars at age 12 or 13. These molars are more susceptible to tooth decay because they are mostly used for chewing and are the last to erupt. Milk tooth filling is also valid for these teeth.

How is Treatment Done?

Tooth decay is often discovered by parents who closely monitor their children’s teeth during regular checkups. Once tooth decay is confirmed, treatment of a primary tooth should be considered.

In a dentist’s office, the pediatric dentist performs a quick examination of the teeth and notes any teeth that need fillings. Before the procedure, the dentist may choose to use local anesthesia depending on the severity of tooth decay. He or she may also apply numbing gel to your gums before injecting an anesthetic.

Once the anesthesia begins to take effect, the dentist will proceed by removing the decay inside the tooth. When the tooth is clean, a filling will be applied.

To make sure the filling is not too thick, the dentist asks the child to bite down and evaluate whether it feels normal. If everything is OK, rinsing is the final step and then the treatment ends.