Tooth-Colored Fillings and Crowns
A healthy, aesthetically pleasing smile not only helps your child eat, drink, and speak normally, but also boosts their confidence especially as they mature into adolescence. For this reason, Kenmore Pediatric Dentistry is pleased to offer our patients attractive tooth-colored fillings and crowns, which allow us to provide patients with the dental care they need, without having to speckle their smiles with unnaturally colored fillings.
All About Tooth-Colored Fillings
Fillings are necessary to treat cavities caused by tooth decay. When a cavity is discovered, Dr. Stewart will take x-rays to determine the extent of the damage and infection. If not too serious, most cavities can be treated by drilling out the infected portion of the tooth and then filling it.
These cavities can be filled with other materials, such as silver diamine fluoride or traditional amalgam fillings, but these solutions do not look natural and create dark spots inside a child’s mouth.
A tooth-colored, composite resin filling treats the cavity and matches the color of your child’s surrounding teeth to create a natural, aesthetically pleasing look. Dr. Stewart especially recommends tooth-colored fillings for cavities on the front teeth.
All About Tooth-Colored Crowns
When a tooth can’t be treated with a filling due to infection that’s spread to the roots, a very large cavity, or significant damage, then treatment to remove the infection and a crown might be required to fortify the tooth’s original structure. A crown fits completely over your child’s tooth, covering and protecting everything above the gum line.
Crowns are most commonly made of porcelain, but are available in a variety of materials, and are designed to match your child’s surrounding teeth. Crowns can also be used to cover misshapen or discolored teeth to build confidence by improving the appearance of your child’s smile.
How to Maintain Tooth-Colored Crowns and Fillings
To ensure your child’s tooth-colored crown or filling stays strong and lasts a long time, it’s important to maintain excellent oral hygiene. Brushing and flossing at least twice a day, but preferrably after each meal, will go a long way to preserve your child’s dental work. It’s also important to make sure your child avoids biting down on hard objects (like crunching ice or chewing on the end of a pen), as this will put additional wear and tear on your child’s crown or filling.
If a crown or filling does pop free, crack, or become otherwise damaged, Dr. Stewart can repair it. Be sure to bring your child into the office right away to avoid the development of infection beneath the dental work or other problems as a result of damage.
Contact Our Office in Kenmore, WA to Learn More Today
If you’d like to learn more about pediatric tooth-colored fillings and crowns, we welcome you to contact Kenmore Pediatric Dentistry in Kenmore, WA. Our dentist, Dr. Stewart can examine your child’s teeth and help you determine the best treatment options for him or her. Schedule an appointment for your child today.
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