Did you know that approximately 60% of youngsters in the United States have had at least one cavity by the age of five? Cavities, commonly referred to as dental caries, are small holes in your teeth caused by tooth decay. Cavities are more common in childhood, but the ability to develop them follows us into adulthood. If you’ve been wondering “does my child need a dental filling?” you’ve come to the right place. Below, our pediatric dentist in Murray Utah answers that question. 

Children’s Tooth Fillings

Our pediatric dentist in SLC will examine your child’s tooth and assist you in determining which procedure is best for your child. For youngsters with minor cavities, we usually recommend tooth fillings. A filling is a typical, safe dental operation that will heal your child’s tooth and prevent additional decay.

Our kids dentist near me provides two fillings: silver (amalgam) and white (composite) fillings. Both work well to restore teeth, but if your child’s cavity is in a permanent tooth or one that can be seen when they grin or laugh, you may prefer to use a white filling. White fillings blend in with the color of your child’s teeth, so no one will notice they have a filling.

Do Baby Teeth Require Fillings?

Why treat a cavity in a non-permanent tooth if your child’s baby tooth will fall out eventually? It’s a valid question. There is, however, a solid reason to fill in decayed infant teeth: The longer early childhood cavities go untreated, the more difficult it is to treat them.

Our friends over at High Desert Dental, a family dentist in Grand Junction, explain that untreated childhood cavities can develop into more serious oral health issues requiring more complicated (and more expensive) dental operations. Cavity pain can also impact your child’s health and development, creating problems with eating and speaking. Furthermore, baby teeth hold room in your child’s jaw for adult teeth; rotting baby teeth can alter how your child’s permanent teeth emerge.

As you can see, fillings are required for pediatric cavities, even if they are in baby teeth. Silver fillings, fortunately, perform just as well as white fillings, but they are less expensive and easier to place. In addition, because your child’s baby tooth isn’t permanent, a silver filling is a low-cost option for preventing tooth decay.