Fillings & Pulpotomy

Cavities are a common malady, often brought on by sweet, sticky foods and drinks. Even sports drinks have more sugar than people often realize. Everyone’s teeth are different, and some kids get cavities more easily than others — especially if their molars have deeper grooves.

This can cause sugary build up to accumulate more easily and for diligent brushing to be all the more important.

If you suspect your child may have a cavity, look out for these common signs:

• Increased tooth sensitivity to hot and cold food
• Discolorations on and around the teeth
• Bad breath that doesn’t seem to go away, even after brushing the teeth or using mouthwash
• Discomfort while brushing the teeth

It’s important to know that your child can have a cavity even without pain. People often think only a toothache is a sign there’s a problem, but that’s actually a sign of an abscess (infection) that is more serious. Cavities may not hurt at first, but are still something that should be addressed before they become worse.

If it’s a baby tooth that has a cavity, your child’s age will determine whether it’s best to go the filling route or extract the tooth entirely.

What can cause my child’s filling to fall out?

Most of the time the culprit for a filling coming out is having eaten sticky foods too often. Over time these foods can pull on the filling, loosening it and eventually causing it to come out.

If that does happen, it’s important to get to your pediatric dentist as soon as possible to prevent that open cavity from getting worse now that the tooth is unprotected.