Posted on Mon, Nov 30, 2009
Almost every day patients ask me why we fill cavities in baby teeth. Won't they lose the teeth anyway??
YES they will lose the teeth, and YES the teeth should be fixed. Generally the sooner the better. When caries (tooth decay) progresses through the enamel, it reaches the tooth layer called dentin which is much softer and the decay process can spread rather quickly. Abscesses (tooth infections) can develop in teeth with moderate to large "decay" and your child may experience severe pain.
It is extremely important that we maintain optimum oral health in our children. We do that in 3 ways:
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Proper diet. Sugars coupled with bacterial plaque produce a harmful acid that starts to break down our teeth.
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Good home care. Brush two times a day for 2 minutes at a time. Floss daily, it removes the bacteria plaque that your toothbrush can't reach.
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Visit your dentist every 6 months for a checkup.
Your checkup should include a professional cleaning, dental exam, oral hygiene instruction and fluoride treatments. With regular checkups if a problem develops, we can catch it early and treat it more conservatively. Prevention is truly the best medicine.