Dental fillings for kids are designed to restore teeth damaged by cavities. They’re an effective way to restore tooth health and avoid further complications; prevention should always be your goal; ensure they receive a healthy diet, routine brushing and visit frequently to maintain optimal oral health for their development.
Numbing
Numbing may only last a few seconds yet is essential to ensure your child’s comfort and cooperation throughout their childrens dentist for fillings Adelaide procedure. Numbing allows our dentists to easily remove decayed tooth matter as well as place fillings.
An anaesthetic will be administered locally around the area where the affected tooth is to block any pain sensation. Lidocaine and epinephrine are two common options, while some offices also provide laughing gas (nitrous oxide). This will further soothe and relax your child during treatment.
Nitrous oxide, a mild sedative inhaled through a nosepiece, doesn’t put children to sleep, but does help them relax and feel dreamy and floaty. Since nitrous oxide may be reversible, it would be wise to refrain from using it before any dental work requiring you to hold your child still.
Fillings
Before fillings begin, children are provided with topical numbing gel to ensure that they feel no discomfort throughout the procedure. A cavity will then be cleaned out using a slow speed drill before their teeth are prepped to receive composite resin for placement and curing.
HEMA-free primer is used by our dentist to adhere the composite resin filling to a child’s tooth surface to reduce decay and demineralisation, helping decrease cavities and demineralisation. These fillings are composed of quartz, ceramic and silica materials and look just like natural teeth!
Children suffering from cavities should never fear visiting the dentist; postponing dental work could result in increased pain and more extensive and expensive procedures in the future. Instead, encourage good oral hygiene practices while scheduling regular check-ups every six months to detect problems early and reduce filling needs! Doing this will keep them healthier!
Aftercare
Childrens dentist for fillings Adelaide is a common and relatively pain-free procedure that usually only causes minimal discomfort for most. However, children need special attention after receiving dental fillings to prevent damage or complications and maintain good oral hygiene and regular visits to their dentist.
Step one of any procedure should always involve administering local anaesthetic to numb the area surrounding the tooth being worked on, either orally or via laughing gas to make your child more relaxed and ensure they feel at ease during their appointment.
Once numb, tooth decay can be extracted, and the cavity filled using your chosen material. Once satisfied with its shape and hardened using special blue light technology, once set your dentist will permit your child to resume eating and drinking normally; they may advise sticking to soft diet for at least 24 hours to allow the filling time to fully set before engaging in strenuous activities such as sports.
Prevention
Children should visit a dentist as soon as they develop tooth decay and need fillings, including toothaches, visible pits or holes in their teeth and bad breath. Left untreated, infection and other dental complications may arise resulting from unfilled cavities causing infection or worse.
Assuring children practice good oral hygiene is the cornerstone of preventing dental decay in kids, and regular visits to their dentist for teeth cleaning, fluoride treatments and X-rays is also recommended.
Kids should also avoid sugary beverages and snacks to protect their baby teeth, although even with proper oral care a child may still develop cavities. When this happens, dentists typically advise getting dental fillings made from composite and bonded to the affected tooth – these will last until their adult tooth comes in.