Why Treat Baby Teeth?
By Mina Levi, DDS, 07/30/2015
We
all know that baby teeth (most of the time) fall out and are replaced
with adult teeth eventually in our lifetimes. So, if a baby tooth gets a
cavity, why not just wait until the tooth falls out instead of opting
for costly dental treatment? In this week’s article, San Francisco dentist Mina Levi, DDS will discuss why it is necessary and recommended that baby teeth are treated for decay.
What happens when a baby tooth gets a cavity?
Baby
teeth have thinner enamel than adult teeth, and so when a tooth gets a
cavity, it can spread quickly toward the nerve and blood vessel of the
tooth. As the cavity deepens at this quickened rate, painful sensitivity
can develop and can turn into deep, severe pain as the pulp of the
tooth becomes infected with the decay. Infected teeth can lead to
abscesses that require extraction of the teeth and can sometimes cause
more serious facial infections.
Why not just pull out the tooth, since it’s going to come out anyway?
When
baby teeth are extracted or pulled out before they are ready, it can
cause some problems. If the tooth is firmly rooted to the jaw still, the
extraction would be complex and difficult, and can sometimes cause harm
to the jaw bone itself and/or make it difficult for the adult teeth
underneath to erupt or even form (if they have not formed fully yet).
Also, when teeth are extracted early, the other teeth will shift to fill
the empty space, causing difficulty for the adult teeth to erupt and
increasing the probability that the child will need orthodontic
treatment to correct the crowding or the teeth.
If
you have questions about fillings for children or are concerned about
your child’s oral health, visit San Francisco dentist Mina Levi, DDS on
the web at www.minalevidds.com or give us a call at (415) 513-5066.
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