If your child develops a cavity in a baby tooth the decay will slowly (and sometimes rapidly) get bigger and deeper. If the tooth is really close to falling out, we have the option of just leaving it alone. If it looks like it may be awhile until it would normally fall out, we need to do something. Otherwise you are in danger of having your child experience toothaches or infections which could lead to more extensive and expensive dental work.
A small cavity can be filled with a white filling, a medium cavity can be filled, but a deep or large cavity may need a crown to cover the whole tooth. If the tooth is in the back, the crown may be silver in color. It may even need a Pulpotomy or “nerve treatment”. So, get it fixed early when it is small (and less expensive)!
Remember baby teeth are there for a reason. They give the child something to chew with and they save space for the permanent teeth. Parents ask “Why don’t you just pull it?” Sometimes that is the best option, but if a back baby tooth is lost too early, without follow up treatment, additional crowding problems that are often more difficult to correct will occur. So you usually will need additional work like a Space Maintainer. That’s one reason why it’s often easier to fix a baby tooth than just remove it.
Information taken from Dean Brandon’s Blog.
If you would like to learn more, please contact us at Wildern Dental. Kent Wildren is a Grand Rapids Dentist serving patients in Grand Rapids, MI.
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