{"id":301,"date":"2023-10-13T00:17:11","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T00:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/?p=301"},"modified":"2023-11-17T00:19:05","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T00:19:05","slug":"baby-teeth-cavities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/13\/baby-teeth-cavities\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Baby Teeth Need Fillings?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Children don\u2019t always make the smartest decisions about their dental health, and it isn\u2019t unheard of for them to develop their first cavities before they lose their baby teeth. While this is certainly disconcerting, many parents might ask whether it is necessary to do anything about it since the tooth is going to fall out and be replaced anyway. Here\u2019s what you should know about treating cavities<\/a> in baby teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Is The Tooth Going to Fall Out Soon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the tooth is probably going to fall out within the next year, your pediatric dentist may recommend just leaving the cavity alone while working on improving your child\u2019s oral hygiene routine. Your dentist can determine how long a baby tooth has before falling out by studying how much of the root is still present. The baby tooth\u2019s root will begin to dissolve as the adult tooth prepares to emerge, and an X-ray can give your dentist a fair idea of the timeframe involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Big Is the Cavity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If a cavity reaches the porous dentin layer underneath the enamel, it can begin to spread quickly. If your child\u2019s cavity has reached that point, a filling may be an appropriate solution. If the cavity is so large that it affects multiple surfaces of the tooth, a crown may be the proper treatment. In some cases of extensive tooth decay, extraction may be the only course of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if the tooth only has a \u201cpre-cavity spot,\u201d the tooth can probably be treated without a filling, but you will still have to work with your child about improving their oral hygiene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does the Cavity Pose a Risk to the Other Teeth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cavities are infections that can spread to other teeth in some cases. This becomes more likely if the cavity becomes big enough or goes long enough without treatment. If your child\u2019s cavity is particularly likely to spread its infection to neighboring teeth, your dentist may recommend treating it with a filling even if the tooth is pretty close to falling out on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it can be frustrating to learn that your child has developed a cavity, it\u2019s not the end of the world. With proper care and improved oral hygiene, your child can have a beautiful set of permanent teeth that will last them for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Ryne S. Paulson earned his dental doctorate from Creighton University in Omaha, NE before serving a two-year residency in Hawaii. His office in Casper, WY offers pediatric preventative, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry. If you suspect that your child has developed a cavity in one of their baby teeth, contact the office online<\/a> or dial (307) 266-1997<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Children don\u2019t always make the smartest decisions about their dental health, and it isn\u2019t unheard of for them to develop their first cavities before they lose their baby teeth. While this is certainly disconcerting, many parents might ask whether it is necessary to do anything about it since the tooth is going to fall out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":304,"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions\/304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casperchildrensdental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}