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Pediatric Restorative Dentistry in NYC

Personalized treatments for your child’s unique smile

Pediatric restorative dentistry can help improve the health and appearance of your child’s smile after experiencing tooth loss. It’s important to seek proper treatment from a pediatric dentist for lost or damaged teeth. Without proper treatment, further damage and difficulties with eating or speaking can occur. There are several restorative options available to children in the NYC area depending upon their situation.

When it comes to restorative dentistry for children, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. That’s why we do our best to make sure we treat each child with individual care and evaluate them thoroughly. Once our NYC pediatric dentist assesses your child’s condition and performs an oral exam, she will recommend a restorative dentistry solution designed specifically for your child.

Common Pediatric Restorative Treatments

Composite Filling

A composite filling, also known as a white or tooth-colored filling, is a white composite resin material used to repair teeth that have been damaged through trauma or decay. This material is exactly the same as used for repairing adult teeth. It is good for small to medium-sized cavities and the filling will be virtually invisible once completed.

Composite resin is particularly good for repairing teeth as it works in harmony with the natural tooth structure, and once bonded in position creates a very strong and stable restoration. It only requires our pediatric dentist to remove the minimum amount of tooth structure, preserving as much of the natural tooth as possible. In the past conventional silver amalgam fillings would have been used to fill children’s teeth, but composite resin is a more aesthetic and healthier material.

Baby Root Canal (Pulpotomy)

A pulpotomy is a baby root canal used to treat a baby tooth that is extensively decayed or broken down. It saves the tooth from being extracted, preserving it until it is ready to fall out to make room for the permanent tooth.

In general, root canal treatments are used to alleviate problems within the soft core of the tooth, known as the dental pulp. The nerve is the soft tissue found inside the tooth from the top all the way down to the end of the root. It provides nutrients to the tooth as it grows. If the nerve becomes damaged, it will gradually decay the tooth. The nerve can also become damaged from trauma to the tooth that cuts off the blood supply and causes the pulp tissue to die. If left untreated, pus may build up within the root tip and form an abscess that can damage the bone around the teeth, causing pain and the potential for permanent damage. A pulpotomy involves the removal of the nerve in the crown (part of the tooth above the gum line), which is then filled with a sedative material placed into the nerve chamber. This maintains the vitality of the remaining nerve tissue.

Stainless Steel Crown

Your child may require a dental crown if they have quite a large cavity, or if the tooth has been damaged through trauma. Even though baby teeth only last a while, it’s always important to make sure they aren’t lost too soon and a crown can help preserve a tooth that might otherwise have needed to be extracted. A stainless steel crown is a restoration that covers or caps a baby tooth until it is naturally replaced with an adult tooth. These metallic silver crowns are incredibly durable and are the ideal choice for molars that are broken down beyond repair with composite material. These are used because molars endure the most pressure when eating, or if your child clenches or grinds his or her teeth. They are also in the back of the mouth, making them less visible.

White Crowns (also known as Strip Crowns)

White crowns are made of a resin and can be used to strengthen decaying teeth that are located in the front of the mouth. They are close in color and can be made to match the natural color of your child’s teeth. Placing composite crowns requires skill and time to perform, but it is worth the effort to cosmetically restore severely broken down front teeth. Composite crowns are weaker than stainless steel crowns, and can fracture and break over time if special care is not used.

Extraction

Our pediatric dentists will first make every effort to try and save a damaged or decayed tooth, but this is not always possible. Dental extractions are often performed to remove a broken tooth, due to tooth decay, or to remove over-retained teeth that cause overcrowding in the mouth and shift teeth. The extraction procedure is performed under local anesthesia with minimal discomfort. After the extraction, your child is advised to stay away from certain foods and drinks for a few days. He or she should feel better within two to three days. To minimize discomfort, we recommend applying ice to the affected area, rinsing the mouth with water, and/or taking pain medication.

Our NYC board-certified pediatric dentists will determine if your child needs a space maintainer, which is an oral appliance designed to keep the space open until the adult tooth is ready to push through.

We are here for your child’s smile needs

Whether your child needs a filling, root canal or dental crown, we provide all of our patients with personalized dental solutions and quality service. Our board-certified pediatric dentists in NYC are fully trained and experienced in replacing lost or damaged teeth with restorative treatments that will best suit your child’s needs.

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