Dental Restorations

Fillings & Crowns

Restoring Your Child's Smile: Dental Filling Choices

Advances in modern dental materials and techniques have provided new ways to create more pleasing, natural-looking smiles. As a result, dentists and patients have several choices when it comes to selecting materials used to repair missing, worn, damaged, or decayed teeth.  At Just4Kids, the two most commonly recommended materials are silver amalgam and composite resin.

The strength and durability of traditional silver amalgam continue to make them useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing, such as in the back of the mouth. Composite resin mimics the appearance of natural teeth and are often used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important. Composite resins are usually more costly than the amalgam fillings.

Another popular restorative option for children’s teeth are prefabricated crowns, such as stainless steel crowns. A crown is used to cover a tooth and restores it to its normal shape and size. It can make a tooth stronger and more durable. It can cover and support a tooth that has root canal treatment or has a large filling. Prefabricated crowns on children can be prepared and inserted in the mouth in one visit.

For parents who are looking for a more natural look for their children, we are proud to provide more aesthetic white Zirconia crowns. Please ask our doctors to see if your child is a good candidate for these. 

What's right for my child?

Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity and expense of dental restorations. These factors include: the components used in the filling material; the amount of tooth structure remaining; where and how the filling is placed; the chewing load that the tooth will have to bear; and the length and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored tooth.

With so many choices, how do you know what's right for your child?

The ultimate decision about what to use is best determined by the parent and patient in consultation with the dentist. Before treatment begins, discuss the options with our dentists at Just4Kids. Please call our office at (604) 575-7785 to schedule an appointment with our doctors directly, to answer all of your pediatric dental concerns.

Sealants

Sometimes brushing is not enough, especially when it comes to those hard-to-reach spots in your child's mouth. It is difficult for a toothbrush to reach between the small cracks and grooves on teeth. If left alone, those tiny areas can develop tooth decay. Sealants give your child's teeth extra protection against decay and help prevent cavities.

Dental sealants are plastic resins that bond and harden in the deep grooves on the tooth's surface. When a tooth is sealed, the tiny grooves become smooth, and are less likely to harbor plaque. With sealants, brushing becomes easier and more effective against tooth decay.

Sealants are typically applied to children's teeth after their permanent teeth have erupted as a preventive measure against tooth decay. It is more common to seal “permanent” teeth rather than “baby” teeth, but every patient has unique needs, and the dentist will recommend sealants on a case-by-case basis.

Sealants last an average of about two years, although it is fairly common to see adults with sealants still intact from childhood. A dental sealant only provides protection when it is fully intact so if your child's sealants come off, let the dentist know, and schedule an appointment for your child's teeth to be re-sealed.