In Office Treatments
In Office Treatments
Nitrous and Local Anesthesia
For most patients we will begin by using laughing gas (nitrous oxide) to allow the child to relax. We will then place topical anesthetic using a q-tip to numb the gums before placing the anesthetic (sleepy juice). We allow the sleepy juice to perform its magic to allow your child a pain-free experience. If your child will be receiving nitrous please give your child little or no food 2 hours before the dental visit. (Occasionally, nausea or vomiting occurs when a child has a full stomach.)
Composite
A filling material is used to restore your child's tooth once we have cleaned out the cavity. This material is white and will blend into the tooth we are fixing. We will also use this material when placing white crowns on the front teeth.
Pulpotomy
If the cavity is deep and the bacteria have invaded the nerve tissue (pulp) of the tooth, we must clean the nerve tissue to prevent an infection and abscess. After removing all the decay and infected pulp, a filling material is placed to soothe the remaining pulp tissue. Placement of a stainless steel crown is essential to maintain the tooth’s structural integrity. Placing a white filling after a pulpotomy may result in fracture of the tooth.
Stainless Steel Crown
Crowns for primary teeth are completed in a single visit and are necessary to preserve the tooth if the tooth is either badly decayed or if the tooth requires a pulpotomy. A special “tooth glue” is used to cement the crown.
Extractions
Extractions are performed because the tooth has an infection, is decayed beyond restoring, has had trauma, and because of crowding. When indicated we will place a space maintainer after an extraction.
Space Maintainers
If a Primary tooth needs to be extracted, space maintainers prevent shifting of the remaining teeth. This is important because without a space maintainer the permanent tooth may not have enough room to erupt properly into the mouth. Space maintainers will either be made in a laboratory from an impression taken of your child's mouth or be fabricated chairside. The space maintainer will be cemented on the teeth with “tooth glue” and will be checked at each check up apt. Eating sticky foods and playing with the space maintainer should be kept at a minimum to ensure longevity of the appliance.
Sealants
Sealants are placed on teeth to prevent decay. The sealant material (white) is placed directly over the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant is painted onto the tooth surface where it bonds and hardens. Sealants prevents plaque, food and bacteria from sticking into the grooves of these teeth where decay occurs most often. To prevent sealants from breaking, please avoid eating sticky or hard foods such as caramel, ice, jaw breakers, jolly rancher type foods. During your regular dental visits, your dentist will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them when necessary.
