Why Would A Dentist Fill A Cavity In A Baby Tooth?

Primary teeth, also called baby teeth, are the first teeth your child will get as he or she starts growing up. These teeth will eventually fall out and be replaced with permanent teeth, but primary teeth are still very important. If your child gets a cavity in a primary tooth, the dentist will recommend filling the cavity, and here are a few things to know about this.

Extracting The Tooth Is An Alternative Option

When a dentist finds a cavity on a baby tooth, the dentist will have a couple choices as to how to treat it, and the option the dentist chooses will usually depend on which tooth it is. Some baby teeth will fall out first, and these are usually the front teeth. Others, though, will not fall out as quickly, and this includes the child's molar teeth.

The dentist will base whether to extract the tooth or fill the cavity by determining how long the tooth will be in the child's mouth. If the cavity is on a tooth that should be falling out soon, extracting the tooth is probably a better option. If the tooth with the cavity will be in the child's mouth for several more years, filling the cavity is a better option.

If a baby tooth is extracted long before the adult tooth will erupt below it, the dentist will recommend inserting a spacer in this area. A spacer will keep the space open so that the adult tooth has room to come in when it eventually erupts.  

Decay On A Tooth Spreads

The second important thing to realize is that dentists will want to get rid of the decay on the tooth by extracting the tooth or removing the cavity because decay spreads. If there is decay on a tooth, this decay will not just stay right where it is. It will spread and cover more of the surface of the tooth. If the decay gets inside the tooth, it can even spread to the permanent tooth that is located below the tooth.

If you want your child to have a healthy set of permanent teeth, you cannot leave decay on a baby tooth. It must be removed, and it should be removed quickly for the best results.

If you have a young child and have not taken him or her to the dentist yet, schedule an appointment with professionals like Marci Mendola-Pitcher DDS. It's never too soon to start good oral care habits on a child.