If your child has a broken or decayed tooth, we will want to repair or restore it as soon as possible. This is to make sure the tooth does not become infected or decayed which will cause a child discomfort and pain. There are various ways we can restore teeth, depending on whether they are primary or permanent and their position in the mouth.

Tooth Restorations?

A tooth restoration can take the form of a filling or a crown. Fillings can be made from amalgam which is a hard wearing silver colored material, or they can be made from tooth colored composite fillings resin. These fillings should last for quite some time before they need replacing.

Dental Fillings

A dental filling is the most common way to restore a tooth and can be used to restore it to full form and function. A child may require a filling if they have tooth decay or where a tooth has been damaged in some sort of accident or dental trauma. Teeth will need to be filled after root canal treatment or a dental pulpotomy (a type of root canal treatment on a primary tooth).

Dental Crowns

Crowns for primary teeth are often made from stainless steel, particularly if the tooth is right at the back. If the tooth to be crowned is in the front then the stainless steel crown may be adapted to have a tooth colored resin facing so it is more cosmetically appealing. These stainless steel crowns are prefabricated and the child’s tooth is shaped to fit the crown. The crown remains in place, protecting the tooth until the adult tooth is ready to erupt. Sometimes it is possible to have primary crowns made from ceramic or composite materials as these can give much more appealing results but they are more expensive than stainless steel crowns and it may not always be worthwhile if the adult tooth is likely to come through very soon. Crowns for adult teeth are designed to last a lot longer and are custom-made to fit the prepared tooth.

Checks for Failing Restorations

We will regularly check to make sure any restorations are not failing. A failing restoration will allow saliva, bacteria and food debris to penetrate a tooth, greatly increasing the risk of infection and tooth decay pain. Tooth restorations should last for quite some time, but all will need renewing eventually.