When your kids get a cavity, and it’s in a baby tooth, do you ever think twice about getting that cavity filled? If so, you’re not alone. Many parents question the validity of filling a tooth that’s only going to fall out. That feels like literally throwing money away, right?
Well, the truth isn’t that cut-and-dried. Multiple reasons exist as to why you should fill cavities in your kids’ teeth, even if they’re not yet permanent ones. To help you understand why, we put together this post filled with information on the topic.
Potential infection risk
If you don’t fill cavities in kids’ baby teeth, there’s always the risk that the cavity will spread to the adult tooth beneath, causing infection in that tooth, your child’s gums, and potentially the jaw bone as well. When a dentists recommends a filling for a baby tooth, it’s largely for this reason.
Loss of adult teeth
On top of the infection risk, one thing that Dr. Russomanno and Dr. Keane will point out as a risk of not filling a cavity in a baby tooth is the risk of losing the adult tooth beneath it. Cavities easily spread from tooth to tooth, and if the cavity gets bad enough it can cause one to form in the adult tooth beneath it. That means your child doesn’t lose just one tooth to a cavity, but two.
That results in higher dental costs throughout your child’s adolescence, and a painful experience for them as well. Here at Oakdale Family Dentistry in Oakdale, Minnesota, our team has seen this situation play out far too often. We don’t want to see it happen to you and your child.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call us today at 651-731-6464.