Management of Dental Cavities
- A dental cavity is commonly noticed when part of the tooth structure is broken, black/brown in color with a hole/patch or when the child complains of food accumulation and pain.
- Early decay lesions can simply appear as white spots/patches which goes unnoticed and progress to a large cavity with time.
- We treat dental caries/cavity based on individual caries risk of the child. Since our doctors have special interest in minimally invasive pediatric dentistry approach, we try to take care of each cavity in the maximum possible non-destructive manner conserving more of healthy tooth structure
- The sooner we treat a decay the better will be the prognosis.
Management of Dental Cavities
- A dental cavity is commonly noticed when part of the tooth structure is broken, black/brown in color with a hole/patch or when the child complains of food accumulation and pain.
- Early decay lesions can simply appear as white spots/patches which goes unnoticed and progress to a large cavity with time.
- We treat dental caries/cavity based on individual caries risk of the child. Since our doctors have special interest in minimally invasive pediatric dentistry approach, we try to take care of each cavity in the maximum possible non-destructive manner conserving more of healthy tooth structure
- The sooner we treat a decay the better will be the prognosis.
Minimally Invasive
Treatment Approach
- The more the merrier is no longer applicable in the field of dentistry. With advancement of newer technology & availability of biomimetic materials the minimally invasive treatment approach has been favored.
- The main objective of Minimally Invasive Dentistry is to preserve natural tooth material & provide best possible painless treatment for the milk teeth focusing on child psychology too.
What is Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)
It is a clear antimicrobial liquid containing silver and fluoride applied on the decayed portion of a tooth with the help of a small sterile brush.
How does Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) work
The silver component in the SDF is antimicrobial that kills the active bacteria responsible for tooth decay and prevents further growth of bacteria in that lesion.
The fluoride component in SDF is very high causing effective remineralization thereby arrest the decayed lesion and prevent further decay.
Is SDF application a painless procedure
Yes ! SDF application is a completely painless procedure demanding least cooperation from the child.
Application of SDF doesn’t require any specific armamentarium.
The entire procedure is quick requiring only couple of minutes for completion.
Is SDF application beneficial in Early Childhood Caries
Early childhood caries appears at a very young age of 1-3 yrs. At that age cooperation of the baby for a restorative care is unimaginable. However, the process of decay needs to be paused. During such situations use of SDF can be helpful.
Since the entire procedure is painless, age and cooperation ability of the baby doesn’t affect the procedure.
Is SDF application helpful in children with special health needs :
Yes ! In children with special health need and limited cooperation ability SDF serves as a prime antimicrobial & remineralizing agent to combat early tooth decay.
This not only reduces further need of complicated treatment for the child but provides psychological assurance to the parents.
Note:
SDF can’t be used in advanced decay cases where there is : continuous pain/swelling or abscess. SDF is applicable for asymptomatic teeth
The esthetic appearance following SDF application could be a concern for many parents as it appears dark black due to the silver component hence prior to carrying out this procedure we make sure to have a clear discussion with parents and take informed consent for the same.
What is SMART
Few cases of dental decay require both remineralization and restoration to serve better & survive longer in the oral cavity.
In such cases following SDF application either a suitable restoration/filling is placed, or a full coverage crown is placed based on the condition of the existing tooth.
Procedure of SMART
As the procedure is atraumatic restorative therapy, we want to assure parents that the entire procedure is going to be painless for the child and atraumatic( no drilling) for the tooth.
We prefer doing SMART procedure in 2-3 appointments in order to obtain effective remineralization of the decayed lesion.
What is Hall’s technique?
Not every decayed tooth requires conventional tooth preparation ( cutting of tooth structure) for a crown to be placed. Since we practice Minimally Invasive Pediatric Dentistry we prefer to repair the decayed part and preserve the remaining tooth structure as it is.
By means of Hall’s technique we avoid unnecessary drilling and place elastic separators in between adjacent teeth to create minimum gap for the crown to be placed comfortably.
This technique is commonly applicable for molar/back teeth.
What are the benefits of Hall’s technique?
Since the technique involves no drilling, it is appropriate for young, anxious, fearful and uniquely abled ( special) children with less cooperation ability.
Crowns placed with hall’s technique completely covers the treated tooth thereby protects the entire tooth from bacterial attack and further damage thereby reduces the chances of repeated failure.
Resin Infiltration is a simple, effective, micro-invasive procedure for treating white spot lesions early in early childhood decay and molar incisor hypomineralization condition.
This procedure is painless, and there is no use of anesthesia; therefore, patient cooperation is not a concern.
Compared to teeth whitening, Resin infiltration provides comparatively long-term benefit in terms of removal or lightening of the white spot lesion or hypo mineralized appearance.
PIT & FISSURE
SEALANTS
Specialized preventive treatment for the molars (back teeth) starting from ages 3 to 14.
FLUORIDE APPLICATION
Fluoride gel, fluoride varnish application is done routinely at our setup. Various at home fluoride applications are also recommended according to the child’s decay rate
NITROUS OXIDE
It’s a type of inhalational sedation offered for anxious children, which makes them semi-conscious and reduces pain sensitivity.
Dental Restorations / Cavity fillings
- Dental filling is usually done for a mild to moderately decayed cavity.
- Tooth-coloured fillings are the most lifelike material used to fill cavities
- Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) is the most popular filling material for milk teeth. Not only it adheres to the tooth structure easily but because of it is high fluoride release its an ideal restorative material for children with high caries risk to prevent the further progression of decay.
- Composite is another tooth coloured filling material available for milk teeth with excellent retention and prognosis. Usually preferred for a cooperative child as the procedure of composite restoration is technique sensitive.
What We Do to Ensure Your Kid's Smile
AESTHETIC TREATMENT
FILLINGS
FULL COVERAGE OPTION
FOR BROKEN TEETH
EXTRACTION
Every kid fears this specific treatment! But no worries, we take care of your child right from the start and so it will be painless treatment using topical anesthetics.
Pulp Therapy / Root Canal Treatment
- Pulp therapy or Root canal treatment is recommended for a milk tooth that is severely injured/ decayed.
- Pulp tissue/nerve of the tooth commonly gets damaged and infected with bacteria due to deep dental decay/injury which in turn results in a dead tooth over a period of time.
- If left untreated there is high possibility of abscess (pus) formation, gum and cheek swelling, severe pain, disturbance in the development of underlying permanent tooth and finally early loss of the decayed tooth.
- Purpose of pulp therapy is to save the milk tooth so that it will maintain its position in the arch & function until it’s natural exfoliation.
HABIT BREAKING APPLIANCES
Thumb sucking, digit sucking, lip biting, mouth breathing are some of the deleterious oral habits which are corrected with appropriate psychological and clinical approach.
ORTHODONTIC CORRECTIONS
Minor dental alignment corrections are dealt with at an early age like 7 years and removable braces/orthodontic clips are provided
SPACE MAINTAINERS
Especially post-extraction of milk teeth to preserve the space for the successors.
TREATMENT UNDER GENERAL ANAESTHESIA
Specifically offered to very young children with multiple decay and children with special healthcare needs. Done in hospital setup with proper anaesthesiologist supervision.