Things Everyone Should Know About Teeth

Yes with Sealants and fluoride treatment

Sealants are a thin coating painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth -- usually the back teeth (the premolars and molars) -- to prevent tooth decay. The liquid sealant quickly bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth, forming a protective shield over the enamel of each tooth.There is no drilling involved in this. Sealants are a quick, easy, and painless way to prevent cavities.

A fluoride treatment is when a dentist applies topical fluoride to the teeth.The whole process only takes a few minutes and is completely painless .This fluoride varnish forms a protective layer over the teeth and has a high concentration of fluoride incorporated in them which make the teeth resistant to the acids produced by the microorganisms

Yes, the filling materials used in children are the same as adult filling materials. Primarily in modern dentistry, there are two broad categories of filling materials available, composites and glass ionomer cements (GIC).

Parents quite often feel that baby teeth doesn’t matter as it will be falling off eventually and they may bring their kids to dentist late or may even choose not to treat the milk teeth But one must understand that healthy teeth and good oral hygiene will allow child to eat properly , reserve space for permanent teeth and guide them in place, help proper development of jaw and speech Milk teeth are more easy to decay they have a thinner layer of enamel, the hard outer surface of the teeth. Because of this, it is easier for baby teeth to develop cavities, which are formed when bacteria living in our mouths digest sugar, turning it into acid that erodes the surface of the tooth.In addition improper eating and inappropriate care also cause cavities or caries In addition, if milk teeth get badly decayed or are removed early, the permanent teeth may come out overlapped or crowded When a cavity is untreated, it can also cause pain and tooth sensitivity, particularly when your child bites down. If decay reaches the pulp of the tooth, the pain can be so intense that children cannot eat or sleep. As decay spreads throughout the tooth, it can compromise its structure and make it susceptible to breakage. Left untreated, a broken or fractured baby tooth can cause your child a great deal of pain. Depending on the extent of the damage, it may make it difficult for your child to eat certain foods and speak properly. They may feel embarrassed to smile and self-conscious about their appearance. Some parents wonder if simply having a baby tooth extracted is a better alternative to getting it treated. There are some cases in which this makes sense—if a tooth is about to fall out anyway or too damaged to repair with a crown, extraction is typically our next step. In younger patients, we prefer to save the baby tooth because of its important role in maintaining space for the adult tooth. If we do have to extract it, we will need to use a space maintainer to save room for the adult tooth and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting.

Root canals can be done at any age. Most often root canals are needed when damage is extensive. If you think your child may need a root canal, you must discuss your concerns with your child’s Pediatric dentist.

Though the procedure is pretty similar to adult root canal the major difference is the sealant used. The sealant used in adults is permanent in nature while the sealant used in baby teeth is dissolvable. This means that when the baby tooth will fall off to make way for the permanent tooth, the sealant will be absorbed by the body without hampering the process of tooth-eruption

Depending on the age of the child, the dentist may give the child X-rays. This will give better idea to dentist for planning the treatment X ray will show bad the infection is and see the shape and size of the root canal. The child will receive local anesthesia. This can help to prevent pain while the root canal is being done. The child might also receive antibiotics to help prevent any infections after. The parent should talk to the dentist about whether or not the child is allergic to it If the child has a filling on the tooth, then the dentist will remove it. Then there will be a rubber sheet placed around the child’s tooth. This will help to keep saliva out of the root canal. This is important because saliva can contain harmful bacteria. Then the pediatric dentist will clean the root of teeth and put filling material followed by a crown. Placing a crown over the root canal treated tooth makes the tooth strong, enabling the child to eat properly

Pulpotomy and Pulpectomy are dental procedures under pediatric dentistry that treats pulp tissue of the damaged permanent tooth. Both are essential in addressing the problems, but they have different processes. In pulpotomy, the coronal part of the pulp is removed while in Pulpectomy procedure, the crown and the root canal of the pulp chamber is removed. For further understanding, Pulpotomy is a common procedure and can be referred to as baby root canal. Pulpotomy restores and saves the tooth infected by a deep cavity. Deep cavity must be treated to avoid the spreading of inflammation and infection that can cause abscess tooth. Pulpectomy, on the other hand, is similar to a root canal. The dentist removes all the pulp from the damage teeth from the crown to the roots

Sometimes cavities are just too big for the tooth to be salvaged, or the tooth will be lost soon anyway, and therefore it may just be extracted

If the child is anxious or not able to sit for longer time then there may be requirement of sedation or anaesthesia. Different type of options are Nitrous oxide: This is a mild sedative and the least invasive. It's commonly known as 'giggle gas' or 'laughing gas.' Children breathe this with a little oxygen. They don't usually go to sleep, but most will get more relaxed. Most will get a little silly and lightheaded. Mild sedation: This medication (or a combination of medications) are commonly used on older children and adults. Your child would be calm and awake—and sometimes able to do what the dentist or surgeon asks him or her to do. After the procedure, your child may not even remember things about the dental visit. Dentists and oral surgeons can safely give these medications while they do the dental work, because your child remains awake General anesthesia: Under general anesthesia, your child will be completely asleep and pain free. Specially-trained anesthesia professionals (physicians, dentists, or certified nurse anesthetists) will administer medications and monitor your child while a separate dentist or oral surgeon performs the dental procedure or surgery. Anesthesia can be given in a dental office that is specially equipped, an ambulatory surgical center (ASC), or a hospital All of these sedation techniques are used on a case-by-case basis and with parental knowledge and permission. If your child will benefit from any of these procedures, the doctor will give you more information and will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.