When your little one has a cavity, it can compromise their overall oral health and leave them with a lingering toothache. There’s no need to let sugar bugs get the best of their grin! Get your child’s smile back on track with pediatric dental fillings.
A cavity is a hole in the tooth caused by bacteria producing acid, and it does not heal on its own. A filling removes the decayed material and rebuilds the tooth so it can chew normally again. Left alone, the same cavity keeps going: into the nerve, which means a pulpotomy and a crown, and eventually into an infection and an extraction. The filling is the small version of the problem.
We hear it often, and it is worth answering properly. Baby teeth hurt when they decay, they get infected, and they hold the space and the path that permanent teeth follow when they erupt. Losing one early has consequences years later — which is what space maintainers exist to correct. A first molar that will not be replaced until age ten or eleven has a long working life ahead of it, and a filling is the cheap way to protect that.
The tooth is numbed thoroughly first, and we let the numbness take full effect before starting — rushing that step is how children end up frightened of dentistry. The decay is removed, the tooth is cleaned and prepared, the filling material is placed and shaped, and the bite is checked so nothing feels high when your child closes. Most single fillings take well under an hour. For a child who is anxious, very young, or having several teeth treated, we will discuss comfort and sedation options including nitrous oxide before booking, so the day itself holds no surprises.
Sometimes it is not. Decay that has reached the nerve needs a pulpotomy; a tooth too broken down to hold a filling needs a crown; and for a very young or anxious child, or a baby tooth close to falling out, silver diamine fluoride can arrest the decay with no drill at all. Part of the exam is telling you which of those your child's tooth actually calls for, and why.
Numbness wears off over a couple of hours, and children will chew a lip or cheek they cannot feel, so keep an eye on them and stick to soft food until sensation returns. Mild sensitivity for a few days is normal; pain that worsens, or a bite that feels off after the anesthetic has gone, is worth a call. Then the part that decides whether you are back here in six months: brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, flossing where teeth touch, and cutting the frequency of sugary drinks and snacks. Sealants on the grooved back teeth and fluoride varnish at routine visits do the rest.
A study from the NIH has shown that, on average, kids from the ages of 2-11 have 1.6 decayed baby teeth.
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The cost of treatment shouldn’t keep your child from getting the filling they need. We keep care affordable so your little one can have a happy, healthy smile.
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Treating a cavity early keeps your child out of pulpotomy, crown and extraction territory — one short visit instead of several longer ones.
Rebuilding the tooth removes the sensitivity and discomfort that make children avoid one side of their mouth or refuse cold food.
A filled baby tooth holds its space and guides the permanent tooth beneath it, exactly as it was meant to.
Your pediatric dentist confirms a filling is the right treatment — rather than a crown, pulpotomy or SDF — and explains why.
The tooth is fully numbed before anything starts, decay is removed, the filling is placed and shaped, and the bite is checked.
You leave with aftercare for the numb hours ahead and a prevention plan — often including sealants and fluoride — so the next cavity does not follow.
If there is active decay, yes. Baby teeth cause pain and infection when they break down, and they hold the space and path for the permanent teeth. A first molar may not be replaced until age ten or eleven, so it has years of work left. If the tooth is genuinely about to fall out, we will say so and may suggest SDF or watching it instead.
Almost always the tooth is numbed with local anesthetic first, because a filling on an unnumbed tooth is what creates lasting dental fear. Our team is experienced at making that step as easy as possible, and for anxious children we can discuss sedation options, including nitrous oxide, before the appointment.
Soft food until the numbness fully wears off, usually a couple of hours, and watch them so they do not chew a numb lip or cheek. After that, normal eating. Some mild sensitivity for a few days is expected; if the bite feels high or pain increases, call us and we will adjust it.
Frequency of sugar matters more than quantity — a drink sipped all afternoon does more damage than one dessert. Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, floss wherever teeth touch, and keep routine visits so we can add sealants and fluoride varnish to the teeth most at risk.
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