What to Expect If Your Child Needs a Filling 

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Finding out your child has a cavity is pretty common, but there are effective ways to treat it. Dental fillings are the standard way to handle these holes in teeth. When you bring your child to our dentists in Oklahoma City and Midwest City, OK, at Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry for a filling, here’s what to expect from this visit.

Tooth Numbing

We don’t want your child to feel anything while getting a filling, so we use a local anesthetic to numb their gums and the area around their tooth.

Decay Removal

The next step in getting fillings in Midwest City and Oklahoma City, OK, is having the decayed part of the tooth removed. Eliminating this material helps stop the decay from getting worse and putting the tooth at risk of extraction.

Tooth Cleaning

Once the decayed matter is gone, we give the tooth a thorough cleaning. This helps reduce the risk of infection and provides a clean environment for the filling material.

Filling Placement

During this step, we place the filling material in the tooth to restore it. Some types of material, such as composite resin, can give the tooth a natural appearance. Others, like metal, may be more noticeable.

Hardening

When the filling material is in place, we use a light to harden it. This helps it stay secure in your child’s tooth. With the filling, your child has a healthy and restored tooth that’s safer from infections and decay.

Visit Our Pediatric Dentists for Dental Fillings

Does your child have a cavity that needs treatment? At Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry, we offer fillings in Oklahoma City and Midwest City, OK, in a friendly and welcoming environment that helps kids feel at ease!

Dental Sealants vs. Fillings: Understanding the Difference for Kids

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One of the best preventive treatments that we have available today to offer your children is dental sealants in Oklahoma City, OK. In the past, we had to wait until something went awry—like cavities—before offering the treatment—dental fillings. But now, we offer not only the fillings, which are considered restorative—and sealants, which are considered preventive. When it comes to protecting your child’s teeth, it helps to know the difference between preventive and restorative treatments. While both are used to protect or repair teeth, they serve very different purposes—and are usually recommended at different times and for different reasons.

Understanding Dental Sealants

As we said, sealants are a preventive measure. They’re typically applied to the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars, which tend to have grooves where food and plaque collect. Even with good brushing, these grooves can be hard to clean thoroughly. A sealant works like a shield, covering those pits and valleys with a thin, protective layer. This makes it harder for bacteria to settle in and start the process that leads to decay.

Sealants are quick to apply, usually requiring no drilling or numbing. The material is painted on and hardened in seconds using a special light. Pediatric dentists often recommend sealants for kids as their permanent molars come in—usually around age 6 and again around age 12. With proper care, sealants can last for several years and may significantly reduce the risk of cavities.

Fillings: A Different Kind of Treatment

Fillings, on the other hand, are used after decay has already damaged a tooth. When a cavity forms, the decayed portion of the tooth is removed, and the empty space is filled with a dental material to restore its structure and function. Dental fillings in Oklahoma City, OK stop decay from spreading and help prevent future discomfort or infection.

Unlike sealants, fillings require more involved dental work, often including numbing and drilling. They’re a common and effective treatment, but they’re not preventive—they’re reactive.

If you have questions about sealants or fillings, your pediatric dentist in Oklahoma City, OK at Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry can help you decide what makes the most sense based on their needs and risk factors.

What Types of Fillings Are There for Kids with Cavities?

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Did you know that cavities are incredibly common in kids’ teeth? If your kids need fillings, our pediatric dentists in Oklahoma City and Midwest City, OK, at Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry offer this treatment using safe materials. Let’s explore types of dental fillings we use to protect children’s teeth!

Composite Resin

Are the affected teeth in a visible area? If so, composite resin fillings are an ideal choice! These fillings are tooth-colored, allowing them to easily blend in with the surrounding teeth.

Amalgam

Are cavities in the back teeth, such as the molars? Amalgam fillings have a silver coloring and better durability, making them a perfect choice for teeth that don’t show and need to handle chewing and biting.

Ceramic

These are another tooth-colored filling option to consider. But they tend to be more expensive than composite resin fillings.

Glass Ionomer

These fillings don’t require as much tooth preparation, and they help increase fluoride for stronger enamel. But they don’t last long, making them a short-term option.

Which Is Right for Your Kids’ Teeth?

That depends on a few factors, such as cost, cavity location, and durability. We can recommend the most suitable filling type for your kids’ teeth!

What to Expect at Your Pediatric Visit

This process involves numbing the area first. We then take out the decayed part of the tooth, following this up with filling placement to help protect against future decay.

Visit Our Pediatric Dentists for Dental Fillings!

Do your kids have cavities? Our dental team can help stop tooth decay! At Smiling Faces Pediatric Dentistry, we offer effective, safe dental fillings in Oklahoma City and Midwest City, OK, to treat cavities — and keep your kids’ teeth safe from further damage!