RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY

Pediatric Dental Fillings

Cavities can spread quite quickly in a child’s tooth enamel. Through early screenings, we can intercept tooth decay as quickly as possible. We recommend minimally invasive white fillings, as they preserve natural tooth structure and bond closely with your child’s enamel. By placing small fillings early, we can prevent the cavity from spreading into the tooth nerve or neighboring teeth. 

Our office does not use metal, silver, or mercury fillings as they are considerably more invasive to teeth.

Dental Crowns for Children

Large cracks or cavities can jeopardize the overall integrity of a tooth, especially for children whose enamel isn’t nearly as dense as adults. Filling those areas would only allow the weak tooth structure to break down even more. Instead, a protective crown will preserve the tooth structure that’s left and allow your child to continue eating normally. 

Our Edmond pediatric dentist offers two types of crowns for children: zirconia and stainless steel. Stainless steel crowns are best for areas such as back teeth, especially after a pulpotomy. In contrast, zirconia may be more appropriate for teeth in your child’s “smile zone,” as they are tooth colored and offer better aesthetics. 

Pulpotomies and Pulp Therapy

Most people are familiar with root canal therapy (endodontics) on permanent teeth. But in primary teeth with infected nerves, there’s no need for a permanent filling inside of the tooth root, as it will gradually shrink back as the adult tooth erupts. Instead, a portion of the nerve is removed, and medication is placed inside the tooth, then covered with a crown. This process prevents the source of painful infections and preserves the natural tooth for as long as possible. 

Dental Extractions

Non-restorable teeth can lead to chronic pain, recurring infections, and damage to the healthy teeth next to them. In those scenarios, our Edmond pediatric dentist recommends extracting the tooth altogether. 

Space Maintainers

If your child does lose a tooth due to injury or oral disease, we may recommend a space maintainer. These temporary orthodontic appliances help preserve natural tooth spacing, preventing the underlying tooth from becoming impacted. Once the permanent tooth begins to erupt, the “band and loop” is removed from the adjacent tooth. 

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Laughing gas is a safe, light analgesic that’s appropriate for kids of all ages. Nitrous oxide is fast-acting and makes most children feel a little sleepy or even giggly at times. We use laughing gas for most restorative treatments, as it makes our patients more relaxed without any lingering drowsiness after their appointment. The analgesic is delivered through a soft, scented nosepiece that your child breathes through during the procedure. Prior to the end of the procedure, nitrous oxide is flushed out of the child's system making it a safe and affective modality.

General Anesthesia

In some cases, deeper general anesthesia is needed to ensure a child’s comfort and safety, such as instances involving complex restorative treatments, multiple steps of care, or providing services to children with special needs. In those scenarios, we will arrange to have the treatment performed at a local medical facility with access to nursing and anesthesia support during the appointment.