We offer children’s dentistry to help kids of all ages enjoy better oral health and gain a better understanding of their smile. We have treatments that help kids avoid cavities, strengthening their outer enamel in the process. In today’s blog, your Houston, TX, dentist talks about how we help kids avoid tooth decay and better understand the importance of good oral hygiene!
The Causes and Risks of Tooth Decay
Coating each of your child’s teeth is a thin layer of enamel. This durable and powerful material helps protect teeth from injuries, and from bacteria reaching the sensitive inner structures to cause cavities. But factors like poor brushing and flossing habits, as well as a diet high in sugar and starch, can create plaque buildup that weakens the enamel, eroding it to allow tooth decay to occur. Cavities actually grow in severity with time, and can lead to infections and even tooth loss without treatment. To help keep smiles healthy, we can prevent cavities or treat the ones that occur with a lifelike filling!
Preventing Cavities
We have two unique treatments to help lower the risk of cavities. During each of your child’s checkup visits, we will apply fluoride to the teeth in a varnish form, which helps strengthen the outer enamel to make the onset of cavities less likely, even for the weakened portions of the enamel. The application only takes seconds, and kids just need to avoid food and drink for about a half hour.
Our team can also safeguard the teeth with dental sealants. We will apply a thin acrylic layer to the rear teeth, a process that only takes a few minutes. This coats the teeth kids have trouble reaching when they brush and floss, limiting the risk of tooth decay. They can even stay in place for up to ten years!
Treating a Cavity
What if a cavity has already formed? When this happens, we can offer treatment in one visit. We will numb the tooth so your little one is comfortable as we remove the decay from the tooth and clean it. We then prepare the filling material, a metal-free composite resin that we can color match to blend with the tooth. We apply this to the tooth in several layers, and then sculpt and mold the tooth as the composite resin cures beneath a light. Finally, we polish the tooth for a brighter appearance. If you have any questions about how we help prevent or treat tooth decay for little smiles, then contact our team to schedule a visit soon!
Schedule Your Child’s Next Visit Soon
Our team is ready to help your whole family enjoy better oral health. To schedule your child’s next checkup appointment, then call Healthy Smiles Family Dentistry in Houston, TX at (281) 974-4494.
