Tooth Colored Fillings
Traditional dental restorations, or fillings, are most often made of silver amalgam. The strength and durability of this traditional dental material makes it useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing, often in the back of the mouth.
Tooth colored fillings are the material of choice in our office. We use a resin based composite material that mimics the appearance and in some cases the strength of natural teeth. This material is usually used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important, but they can also be used on the back teeth depending on the location and extent of the tooth decay. Direct fillings are fillings placed into a prepared cavity in a single visit. They include silver amalgam, glass ionomers, resin ionomers, and composite (resin) fillings.
Bioflex Resin, Zirconia or Stainless Steel Pediatric Crowns
As a parent, you do all you can to make sure your child grows up with the best oral health and the happiest possible smile. Even with good home hygiene, decay and traumatic injuries can happen and affect the integrity of a primary tooth. We try to keep your child’s primary teeth intact whenever possible until the permanent teeth erupt, which is when restoring your child’s tooth with a pediatric dental crown become a good option.
Crowns are a restorative procedure used to improve a tooth’s shape or to reinforce a tooth. Crowns are most often used if your child has a tooth that is broken, worn, or damaged by tooth decay, and too damaged to hold a filling.
Bioflex Resin Crowns
A crown is a “cap” cemented onto an existing tooth that usually covers the portion of the tooth above the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes the tooth’s new outer surface. Our white crowns are made of high impact, biocompatible, hybrid resin polymer. They are Bis-GMA free. Due to their esthetic nature, these crowns are an option for patients that need a cap on their back teeth. If a patient has a history or grinding their teeth, loss of space in between their teeth or a space maintainer needs to be anchored onto the tooth with the crown, this type of crown is contraindicated.
Zirconia Crowns
Our zirconia crowns for pediatric patients are an excellent option for those patients that require a more esthetic option for the front teeth. If trauma or decay has effected a child's smile, there might be a need for a long term, full coverage restoration. This material mimics the strength and durability of natural enamel and helps restore confidence in their smiles.
Stainless Steel Crowns
Stainless steel dental crowns are considered a good temporary restoration to save a primary tooth until the permanent tooth can erupt and take its place. Keeping the primary tooth if at all possible is very important. A primary tooth can be restored with a stainless steel crown during one appointment. This form of restoration is a ideal option for those patients that tend to grind their teeth or have narrow teeth.
Pulpotomy
If a primary tooth has extensive decay, or has been damaged by trauma, action may be needed to restore the integrity of the tooth and prevent infection from spreading to surrounding teeth. After a set of X-rays are taken, your doctor will be able to assess the extent of the infection and recommend your treatment options. The less serious of these options is vital pulp therapy, also known as a pulpotomy.
If the decay or trauma is confined to the crown of the tooth, and does not affect the root, a pulpotomy may be recommended. When a cavity gets really deep, close to the pulp of a tooth, or even into the pulp, the pulpal tissue becomes irritated and inflamed. A pulpotomy is when the inflamed pulp chamber, usually on a baby molar, is removed. Your doctor will remove all the infected material in the pulp of the crown only, leaving the living tooth root intact. After a pulpotomy on a baby molar, the empty space will be filled with dental cement and a stainless steel or bioflex resin crown will be placed to restore the tooth.
Extractions
There are times when it is necessary to remove a tooth. Sometimes a baby tooth has misshapen or long roots that prevent it from falling out as it should, and the tooth must be removed to make way for the permanent tooth to erupt. At other times, a tooth may have so much decay that it puts the surrounding teeth at risk of decay, so your doctor may recommend removal and placement of a space maintainer. Infection, orthodontic correction, or problems with a wisdom tooth can also require removal of a tooth.
When it is determined that a tooth needs to be removed, your dentist may extract the tooth during a regular checkup or may request another visit for this procedure. The root of each tooth is encased within your jawbone in a “tooth socket,” and your tooth is held in that socket by a ligament. In order to extract a tooth, your dentist must expand the socket and separate the tooth from the ligament holding it in place. While this procedure is typically very quick, it is important to share with your doctor any concerns or preferences for sedation.
Space Maintainers
If your child’s tooth has come out too soon because of decay or an accident, it is important to maintain the space to prevent future space loss and dental problems when permanent teeth begin to come in. Without the use of a space maintainer, the teeth that surround the open space can shift, impeding the permanent tooth’s eruption. When that happens, the need for orthodontic treatment may become greater.
Types of Space Maintainers
Space maintainers can be made of stainless steel and/or plastic, and can be removable or fixed (cemented to the teeth).
Removable
A removable space maintainer looks much like a retainer with plastic blocks to fill in where the tooth is missing. If your child is older and can reliably follow directions, a removable space maintainer can be a good option.
Fixed
Fixed space maintainers come in many designs.
A band-and-loop maintainer is made of stainless steel wire and held in place by a crown or band on the tooth adjacent to the empty space. The wire is attached to the crown or loop and rests against the side of the tooth on the other end of the space.
A Bilateral Space Maintainer (Nance or Lower Lingual Holding Arch) is used on the upper or lower teeth when the back teeth on one or both sides of the jaw are lost. A wire is placed on the palate or lingual (tongue) side of the arch and is attached to the tooth behind the open space on both sides. This prevents the back teeth from shifting forward into the gap.
Caring for Your Child’s Space Maintainer
There are four general rules for taking care of your child’s appliance.
- Your child should avoid sticky foods, including candy and chewing gum.
- Encourage your child not to push or tug on the space maintainer with the fingers or tongue.
- Keep your child’s space maintainer clean through effective brushing and flossing.
- Your child should continue to see the pediatric dentist for regular dental visits.
Habit Appliances
A habit appliance is a dental device designed to help children stop harmful oral habits, like thumb-sucking or prolonged pacifier use, that can affect their teeth and jaw development. These habits can lead to problems such as open bite, protruding teeth, or crossbite, which may impact your child’s bite, speech, and jaw growth. A habit appliance works by gently discouraging these habits and encouraging proper oral development. Typically recommended for children ages 4 and older, these appliances can be custom-fitted to help prevent long-term dental issues and
guide the jaws into a healthier position, reducing the need for more extensive orthodontic treatment later on. If you're concerned about your child's habits, consult with us to see if a habit appliance might be right for them.