A pediatric dentist teaches young patients how to take care of their teeth and prevent dental problems. Dentists also spend a chunk of their time dealing with cavities and tooth decay. In most cases, the dentist will treat young patients by filling the problem teeth.
Until recently, dentists treated cavities and dental caries with metal fillings, such as gold and amalgam. These types of fillings are very durable and rarely cause any trouble. The problem with metal fillings is color, which changes the look of a person’s smile. Now, metal fillings are an acceptable option for the molars but not for front teeth.
Even young children prefer a bright, all-white smile. Many of them would be unwilling to get fillings that look different from natural teeth. Therefore, a pediatric dentist will often recommend tooth-colored fillings for their patients.
Tooth-colored fillings are made of materials that closely resemble the color and texture of a natural tooth. These fillings are made of different materials, each with its own set of benefits.
This is a putty-like tooth filling made of acrylic resin and finely ground powdered glass. A dentist will prepare the composite and match it to the patient’s teeth color. The pediatric dentist will proceed to clean the problem tooth and fill the cavity directly with the tooth-colored putty. The dentist will cure the composite, causing it to solidify. After the composite filling becomes solid, the dentist will smooth the filling to remove any rough surfaces or edges. Composite fillings are durable but not as durable as metallic equivalents.
Glass ionomer is often used as dental cement, but it can also be used as a filling. It bonds directly to the tooth by forming a chemical bond with the enamel. Glass ionomer is not nearly as durable as other types of tooth-colored fillings. It is used to restore and protect baby teeth as the baby teeth will fall out before the filling wears away.
On the rare occasion that glass ionomer is used on permanent teeth, it is only used on non-biting surfaces. It can be used on the part of the teeth that faces the tongue or the inner lip. One advantage of glass ionomer is that it releases fluoride to the teeth as it bonds with the enamel.
Porcelain fillings are made from porcelain. Unlike composite and glass ionomer, porcelain is not applied directly to the tooth. It does not come in the form of putty that a dentist can apply and sculpt onto a tooth. Instead, a porcelain filling is fabricated in a dental lab, based on an impression of a patient’s prepared tooth. Such fillings are also known as indirect fillings. A patient will need to go through several steps before receiving a porcelain filling.
Porcelain fillings are very durable but are an intensive type of dental restoration. A dentist will only recommend this type of filling for teeth that have a large cavity or extensive damage. Suitable candidates for porcelain fillings are often older children with cavities in the permanent teeth.
There is a tooth-colored filling for each situation. A pediatric dentist will examine the patient and choose the right course of treatment, based on the result of the exam. If your child is dealing with a problematic tooth, call your pediatric dentist. Schedule a consultation for your child.
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