When you have a child you want to do all that you can to keep them happy and healthy. That is why we spend much of our time taking care of them and keeping track of their milestones. Although milestones are fun to look at and see how your child measures up to the norm it is also a way to gauge if there is a problem. A part of your child’s overall health is their oral health and hygiene. Whether you realize it or not you start when they are born with the type of bottle that you choose and if you allow the child to have a pacifier. You also will give them a teething ring as they start to develop teeth. Then as they start to grow you teach them proper techniques on how to brush and floss so they start to develop good habits. Another aspect of your child’s oral health is what you do with their teeth and when. There are two things that sometimes get mixed up and that are sealants and fillings. These are two different things that are used in different circumstances. Smile Reef explores dental fillings and sealants below.
What is a Tooth Sealant?
When you have a child they are learning how to care for their teeth. The recommendation is that a parent or an adult help the child to brush their teeth until they are capable. This can be for many years and you want to make sure that they have a good grasp. Even if they are good and are taking care of their teeth they can still end up with some dental needs. One of the things that your pediatric dentist will offer to you when the child is young is to have sealants applied to their teeth. This is a way to seal the molars in the back of the mouth so that when food and other debris gets on the teeth they are protected from decay. The sealants are considered a preventative measure and is a great way to reduce the dental work that your child may need and a way to reduce the child’s potential anxiety about the dentist.
What is a Permanent Dental Filling?
When you skip having sealants put on our child’s teeth the debris and the bacteria that is in your child’s mouth can settle in between their teeth. This will then lead to a cavity that will form and that will lead to pain many times. You will need to have your child looked at by a dentist where they will use materials and tools to remove the cavity or the damaged area of the tooth and fill. The filling will stay in place and protect the tooth from further decay. The filling is done when there is already damage to the tooth.
Pediatric Dentistry
If you want to help protect your child’s teeth from decay you want to make sure that you have them sealed. You can talk to your pediatric dentist about when it is best to have your child’s teeth sealed. This can differ from child to child and it is up to a dentist to tell you when their molars are ready for the sealing to be applied. Smile Reef can make an appointment to check your child’s teeth for any decay as well as the possibility that they can have sealants placed. Call us today.
