Restorative Dentistry in Cypress and katy
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Did you know…
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Children have a set of 20 of baby teeth. Adults have 32.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR CHILD’S RESTORATIVE DENTAL APPOINTMENT
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
First, your child’s pediatric dentist in Cypress or Katy will need to perform a comprehensive visual exam. X-rays will be taken and used to assess your child’s oral health and determine the extent of the issue.
RECOMMENDED
TREATMENT PLAN
Once an accurate diagnosis is made, Dr. Chun or Dr. Julia will recommend a treatment plan to address the issues.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Your child’s dentist may provide a few options for treatment, discuss the pros and cons of each, and explain their top choice to resolve the issue.
SEDATION OPTIONs
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) sedation is often recommended for kids who may be nervous about a dental appointment. Oral conscious sedation is another option which is taken in a liquid form or as a pill. IV sedation is a method of deep sedation that’s delivered directly to the vein to ensure that they can sleep through their appointment.
SCHEDULING & FOLLOW Up
After you and the dentist have decided on the right treatment for your child, you’ll schedule a follow-up. In some cases, treatment may begin immediately, but you’ll usually have to schedule a separate appointment for restorative care unless your child has a serious dental emergency.
Restorative Treatment Options for Children in Cypress & Katy
Composite Dental Fillings
Composite fillings for kids are made of a dental resin and are matched to the color of your child’s tooth. Unlike metal fillings, they do not contain any mercury. In addition, composite fillings require the removal of less enamel during tooth preparation and have a very tight hold, so they help keep your child’s tooth healthy and strong.
Pediatric Dental Crowns
Pediatric dental crowns are typically recommended for kids who have large cavities, or who have a tooth that has been damaged or broken by dental trauma. Your Cypress dentist will clean and prepare their tooth, and then choose a pre-fitted dental crown that can be placed directly over the damaged tooth structure to cover and protect it, restoring your child’s smile and bite.
Space Maintainers
If your child loses a baby tooth before they’re supposed to, their dentist may recommend a “space maintainer.” This dental prosthetic fits in the gap where the tooth used to be, preventing the other teeth from shifting and ensuring your child’s permanent or adult tooth erupts properly.
Frenectomies
Frenectomies are used to treat Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs) such as tongue ties and lip ties. TOTs occur when the “frenulum,” a band of connective tissue, is overdeveloped and impairs the natural movement of the lips, tongue, or both. During a frenectomy procedure, this band of tissue is snipped in order to restore your child’s ability to move their lips or tongue properly.
Pulpotomies
Also called a “baby root canal,” pulpotomies are used to restore infected baby teeth. Your child’s dentist in Cypress will clean the tooth, create an opening in the tooth structure, and extract decayed pulp from the inside of the tooth. Next, a healing dressing is applied, and the tooth is cleaned and sealed with a crown or filling. The dressing helps the remaining tooth pulp heal, ensuring your child’s baby tooth can recover from infection.
Extractions
Extractions are typically a last-resort option for pediatric dentists. But occasionally, a tooth may simply be too damaged to save, and extraction may be the best way for your child to get relief from pain and discomfort. Using special tools and sedation, your child’s dentist can extract troublesome teeth quickly and without pain or discomfort.
Sedation
Our pediatric dental offices provide three types of sedation for kids. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) sedation is often recommended for kids who may be nervous about a dental appointment. Oral conscious sedation is another option which is taken in a liquid form or as a pill. General anesthesia is a method of deep sedation that begin with a anesthetic gas to make the patient goes to sleep and medicine delivered directly to the vein to ensure that they can sleep through their appointment.
Did you know…
Tooth enamel is the hardest structure in the human body; even harder than the femur bone!
Have questions about restorative dentistry for children? Get the answers.
What are common dental issues in children that restorative dentistry can solve?
Restorative dentistry is used to treat damaged or decayed teeth. This includes cavities and infections, as well as teeth that have been chipped, broken, loosened, or knocked-out prematurely due to oral trauma. Restorative treatments can also help prevent oral development issues after tooth loss, and resolve other oral health problems like tongue and lip ties.
Why restore baby teeth?
Baby teeth are essential to your child’s ability to eat and chew properly as they grow up. And, even though they do fall out naturally as your child ages, premature baby tooth loss can cause oral development issues. This is because your child’s adult teeth follow the “paths” provided by their baby teeth when they begin to erupt. If your child loses one or more baby teeth too early, their permanent teeth may not emerge properly, leading to developmental issues that may require orthodontic intervention in the future.
What can you do about my child’s dental anxiety?
Our dentists in Cypress and Katy are experts in working with kids of all ages, and use a patient, kind, and informative approach to children’s dentistry that will help keep your child feeling safe and calm throughout their appointments. Beyond this, we also offer a variety of sedation methods that can help your child feel more comfortable during their treatment.
Is my child’s restorative dentistry covered by my insurance?
In most cases, treatments for children like pulpotomies, extractions, crowns, and fillings are covered in some capacity by insurance. However, each plan is different and has different coverage, deductibles, and yearly maximums. Consult with your insurer and your dentist to learn more and ensure that your child’s procedures are covered.
Did you know…
Most baby or primary teeth will have fallen out by the age of 12 .
