Get Your Child’s Cavity Filled at Mountain View Pediatric
All fillings that are completed in our office will be with composite material, more commonly referred to as a white or tooth-colored fillings. Other dental offices may offer a choice between the composite filling or an amalgam filling, commonly known as a silver filling; however, we do not offer amalgam fillings as an option. Some insurances may cover composite fillings and some may “downgrade” them, meaning they will only pay for the amalgam and the patient may have a higher co-payment if a composite filling is completed. All insurance plans are different, therefore we recommend you contact your insurance to find out if your plan covers composite or if they downgrade and pay based on the amalgam fees.
Why Does My Child Need Fillings on their Baby Teeth?
Many parents ask, “Why does my child need fillings if the teeth are just going to fall out?” This is a great question. Approximately 8 of a child’s baby teeth will fall out by the time they are 7 or 8 years old. The other 12 baby teeth generally don’t fall out until children are 9-11 years old. Once a cavity begins it generally grows deeper with time. If seen early the cavity can be removed and restored with a simple filling. If not seen early the cavity can progress deeper and eventually get into the nerve and blood vessels of the tooth. Once this occurs the tooth requires having a portion of the nerve removed and then a crown placed on the tooth. Occasionally a tooth can become infected and cause, pain, an abscess or facial swelling. This is why we fix cavities in baby teeth. We want to avoid seeing your child in pain or having facial swelling. Many times we see cavities in teeth that are close to falling out. In those instances, we do not fix those cavities. These cavities are okay to leave untreated and let those teeth just fall out.