LAKE STEVENS OFFICE

Cavities are often common in children due to various reasons, necessitating treatment to restore tooth health and prevent further damage. We offer fillings for any cavities that develop in your child’s mouth and work with you to guide your child towards better oral health practices to prevent future cavities.

When tooth enamel decays, small holes called cavities form on the surface. Unfortunately, cavities don’t heal on their own and will worsen over time. During your child’s regular dental exams, we will check for any cavities.

If your child has a cavity, dental fillings are essential to prevent the decay from worsening. Our pediatric dental team will remove the decayed portion of your child’s tooth and replace it with a filling to restore the tooth’s health and function.

Some parents may think that fillings aren’t necessary for their child’s primary teeth. However, even though baby teeth will eventually be replaced by permanent teeth, fillings are still important. Tooth decay can spread from one tooth to another, so treating cavities in baby teeth can help prevent future oral health issues for your child.

Spacers maintain the position of a tooth that has prematurely fallen out of a child’s mouth due to decay or injury. A spacer can be a band or crown attached to a nearby tooth. The dentist will remove the spacer once the permanent tooth begins to emerge. Without a spacer, the surrounding teeth can shift and occupy the empty space, causing the permanent tooth to come in crooked or crowded. This misalignment can lead to difficulties with chewing and speaking.

Tooth extraction involves the surgical removal of a tooth and is typically needed when a child’s tooth is damaged due to injury, disease, or severe decay.

Our pediatric dentists will recommend tooth extraction only as a last resort when other treatment options are ineffective. If the extraction of baby teeth is necessary due to trauma or decay, we will place a space maintainer to ensure that permanent teeth can erupt properly when they are ready.