Cavities shouldn't be ignored, whether they occur in children or adults. Your Newtown, PA, dentists Dr. Pier Cipriani and Dr. Patrick Donnelly, of Cipriani Dental Associates, offer fillings and other general dentistry treatments that will improve your child's comfort and oral health.
Why it's important to treat cavities in children
You may be wondering if it's really necessary to treat cavities in baby teeth. After all, your son or daughter will lose those teeth anyway. Why bother filling the tooth when your child will soon have a brand new tooth to replace the decayed one? Unfortunately, failing to fill a tooth can cause several problems for your child, including:
- Pain: No one wants to put their children through unnecessary pain. Your son or daughter probably won't feel a small cavity, but as the cavity grows larger, he or she will develop a toothache. Filling cavities when they're small helps your child avoid pain.
- An Abscess: An abscess could form in the pulp in the center of your child's tooth if you ignore a cavity. Abscesses are serious bacterial infections that could spread throughout your child's body without emergency treatment. Be sure to call the Newtown, PA, general dentistry office immediately if your child complains of abscess symptoms, which may include severe pain, fever, swollen lymph nodes, a sore gum, facial swelling, or a bump on the gum next to the painful tooth.
- Destruction of the Tooth: Widespread tooth decay destroys the healthy structure of teeth. If this happens, removing the tooth may be the only option. A missing tooth makes chewing difficult and can even affect your child's ability to pronounce sounds and words.
- Future Orthodontic Problems: Baby teeth save space for permanent teeth. Normally, a permanent tooth begins to descend once a baby tooth falls out. However, this doesn't happen if a baby tooth is lost too soon. If nearby teeth begin to drift, there won't be enough room for the permanent tooth to eventually push through the gums. Your child will then need orthodontic treatment to make room for the permanent tooth.
Do you think that your son or daughter may need a filling or a general dentistry service or treatment? Call (215) 968-0620 to schedule an appointment with your dentists in Newtown, PA, Dr. Cipriani and Dr. Donnelly, of Cipriani Dental Associates.