Restorative Dentistry for Children
Every parent understands the healing power of bandages, boo boo bunnies, and hugs. While these are potent cures for the inevitable minor bumps and bruises that result from childhood misadventures, stronger treatments are sometimes required. Teeth cannot heal themselves, and there are times when a problem requires more than a regular dental cleaning or checkup can provide. That’s when restorative dentistry is needed. At Konikoff Pediatric Dentistry in Virginia Beach, we work hard to deliver the services that families rely on. To keep our clients’ smiles healthy, we’re happy to offer restorative dental services.
What Does Restorative Dentistry Involve?
Sometimes called prosthodontic dentistry, restorative dentistry is a purpose-driven area of dentistry. Its goal is to restore the function and appearance of damaged or missing teeth. Restorative dentistry is protective and proactive. It often brings damaged teeth back from the brink and strengthens them so that they will function well in the future.
There are several kinds of restorative dental services, including dental fillings, dental crowns, bonding, bridges, implants, and dentures.
What Restorative Dental Services Are Offered to Children?
Children aren’t little adults, so it’s no surprise that their oral health needs are different. However, restorative dental services are something that you’ll want to have available. Their energetic natures and tendency to approach life at top speed make children more likely to experience dental injuries, so having a pediatric dentist in Virginia Beach with restorative dentistry expertise is invaluable.
There are a number of restorative dentistry treatments that are routinely recommended for kids. The treatment or treatments that are selected in a particular case depend on the child’s unique situation.
Dental Fillings
Teeth are normally shielded by a sturdy material called dental enamel. However, bacteria can gnaw away at enamel, creating cavities. Cavities can leave teeth prone to damage and trigger toothaches. When cavities are small or moderate in size, dental fillings are a common solution. Installing one stops the decay, stabilizes the tooth, and restores its appearance.
A filling is a fairly quick fix. In a single visit to Konikoff Pediatric Dentistry, our pediatric dentist will install it in the tooth. Composite resin or amalgam are popular choices. Since they resemble enamel, they blend with smiles. They also harden quickly, so patients are able to use their tooth in a few hours.
Dental Crowns
Fillings are a solution that dentists routinely rely on, but some dental dilemmas are too severe to be managed by them. When a stronger safeguard is needed to protect a troubled tooth, dentists will often turn to dental crowns. Tooth-shaped caps that cover severely injured teeth, crowns restore the look and function of a tooth. Pediatric dentists will use them when large cavities have created craters in primary teeth that are too large for fillings to successfully save. In addition, crowns will be placed on primary molars that are badly damaged by cavities or injury or that arrive improperly formed.
What goes into installing a crown? After numbing the area, the pediatric dentist meticulously grinds away the needed amount of material from the damaged tooth. They’ll check the fit of the crown, then cement it into place.
Space Maintainers
Primary or baby teeth may be designed to fall out, but these practice teeth aren’t throwaways. Children use them as they learn to talk, eat, and engage with the world around them. Losing teeth too soon can negatively impact their self-confidence now and their oral health as an adult. Baby teeth serve as placeholders for adult teeth. When these teeth are lost too early, the nearby teeth can move. This can lead to overcrowding and other bite issues. In some cases, it may interfere with the eruption of permanent teeth.
If a tooth goes missing, a pediatric dentist in Virginia Beach can install a space maintainer to mind the gap so that other teeth cannot infringe on the space. A band and loop crafted from stainless steel, this temporary fixture will be removed when the permanent tooth erupts or nearby teeth begin to loosen.
Tooth Extraction
When something is difficult, it’s often compared to pulling teeth. Pediatric dentists generally prefer to save teeth, so they normally try to avoid this activity, but there are times when extractions are the best choice, and having it performed by a dentist offers the greatest comfort and safety.
A child may benefit from an extraction for a variety of reasons. For example, an infection or a large cavity may make extraction necessary. Spacing issues like crowding or plans for orthodontic work can also result in recommendations for extractions.
What Benefits Does Pediatric Restorative Dentistry Offer?
Pediatric restorative dentistry offers clear benefits. It stops existing problems from getting worse. It brings back the function and appearance of missing or damaged teeth. In addition, it helps head off future problems by fortifying weakened teeth.
At Konikoff Pediatric Dentistry, we’re intent on offering the best pediatric dentistry in Virginia Beach, and we think restorative dentistry is an indispensable part of that. When your child needs restorative dentistry in Virginia Beach to protect their smile, call us for an appointment.
