3 Ways to Protect Your Child's Teeth
Prevention and early intervention are the best tools available to protect your child’s teeth from cavities and other oral health problems. Here are three tips to help protect your child’s teeth and gums.
The Advantages of White Composite Fillings for Your Child
Young children are especially vulnerable to cavities. Nearly half of children under age 11 have at least one cavity in their baby teeth, and 21% have a cavity in their permanent teeth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
White composite fillings are a safe and effective option for childhood cavities. Nathalie Phaeton, DDS, Ki Youn Kil, DDS, and our team at Oasis Pediatric Dental Care & Orthodontics offer a range of pediatric dentistry services at our office in Falls Church, Virginia.
What are white composite fillings?
Also known as tooth colored fillings, white composite fillings work just like amalgam fillings, but they’re made from resin materials that match your child’s tooth color. Furthermore, white composite fillings bond to the tooth to strengthen and support it.
Once we remove the cavity and clean your child’s tooth, we fill the space with the white composite filling and harden it with a laser light. If your child has dental anxiety, a very low pain threshold, or any sensory issues, we can provide nitrous oxide or another form of sedation.
The advantages of white composite fillings for your child
One of the most obvious advantages of white composite fillings is that they’re discreet and look just like tooth enamel, so your child won’t have to worry about a mouthful of silver fillings.
But that’s just one of the benefits of choosing white composite fillings. Other advantages include:
Less drilling
Less drilling is usually required if a white composite filling is used as opposed to a metallic filling. This allows our dentists to preserve more of your child’s tooth when removing a cavity.
Furthermore, less drilling is usually a big win for children, especially if they’re nervous or have difficulty sitting still for longer periods of time.
No mercury
Tooth colored fillings are made from a combination of plastic and resin materials. These materials bond safely to teeth and help protect them. Furthermore, they don’t contain mercury, which is in some metallic fillings. The use of mercury in fillings has generated some debate as to its safety.
Versatile
No matter where your child has a cavity, whether it’s a tooth in the back or a tooth in the front, white composite fillings can be used. This discreet option can make the treated tooth blend in with all the rest.
More stable
Metallic fillings can expand and come loose over time. Furthermore, bacteria can get under the filling and lead to new cavities. Composite fillings are bonded to the tooth, so they’re more secure. They can protect the tooth from decay as well as from fractures, chips, and cracks.
If your child needs treatment for a cavity, or if they need any of our other pediatric dentistry services, call 703-483-9933 or book an appointment online with Oasis Pediatric Dental Care & Orthodontics today.
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