Full, Healthy Smiles
Restorative Care
Tooth Colored Fillings: We offer composite fillings that are white and blend in with the natural color of teeth. They are typically used for small to moderate sized cavities.
Crowns: Crowns may be recommended if your child has larger cavities, requires nerve treatment, or if the shape and position of these cavities do not allow for white fillings to be placed successfully. Any crowns in the front will either be white zirconia or stainless steel crowns with a white pre-veneered facing. Crowns for back teeth are most often stainless steel. However, white zirconia crowns are also an option. Dr. Appareddy can discuss these options with you in more detail if your child requires crowns.
Pulpotomies (“Baby root canal”): When decay reaches the nerve of a baby tooth, pulpotomy may be necessary to prevent infection. This involves removing the nerve tissue from the top portion of the tooth, placing a medicated filling material in the space, and covering the tooth with a crown.
Extractions: Tooth removal may be necessary for a variety of reasons— including trauma, dental infections/abscess, loose baby teeth, over-retained teeth (permanent teeth erupting without baby teeth falling out), supernumerary teeth (“extra teeth”), request from an orthodontist, etc.
Space Maintenance: When teeth are removed earlier than they would have naturally fallen out or when there is limited space in the mouth, space maintainers can be placed to maintain existing space until your child is ready to be seen by an orthodontist.
Habit Breaking Appliances: Your child may need a fixed habit breaking appliance to help him/her stop a finger sucking or tongue thrusting habit. This is recommended to prevent these habits from having a negative effect on the alignment of teeth. However, we first recommend trying more conservative methods to break these habits before considering an appliance.
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF): This liquid medicament has been used in Japan for over 80 years. It has gained popularity among pediatric dentists in the US since 2014. It can be applied to small cavities to either slow down or stop the progression of decay. Sometimes SDF and a minimally invasive filling can be a great option for conservative treatment without local anesthesia. At other times, SDF can be used to delay treatment until a child is older and better able to tolerate definitive treatment. Not all children are candidates for treatment with SDF. However, Dr. Appareddy will be able to evaluate your child and provide you with more information as well as the pros/cons of SDF. Read more about Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF).
