cavities and decay

A positive oral hygiene routine at home is the best way to help keep your child’s teeth strong. This often means supervising your little one as they brush and floss to ensure that they are using proper form and brushing for at least two minutes at a time. Typically, your child won’t be able to brush their own teeth until they have enough manual dexterity to tie their own shoes. Until then, it is important to brush your child’s teeth to prevent cavities. During preventive appointments, we will offer personalized tips to help keep your little one happy and healthy.

 This often depends on the age of your child and whether the cavity is in a primary (baby) or permanent tooth. If your child has a cavity in one of their baby teeth, we will often suggest treating it with an amalgam filling. This may discolor your child’s tooth (metal amalgam is a grayish color), but since the tooth will eventually fall out, the color of your child’s filling is often not a concern.
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However, if your little one has a cavity in one of their permanent teeth, we will repair it with a composite, tooth-colored filling. Treatment involves removing any damaged tooth material, then using a special dental resin to keep the tooth’s structure intact.