At Durango Kids Pediatric Dentistry, we appreciate that every contact with our patents and parent must be conducted with gentle courtesy, close attention and real concern for their well-being and comfort. Our office appeals to those who are dentally aware enlightened, and who demand expert care, quality and value.
Bonding is performed to close spaces between your teeth, alter the alignment of your teeth, fill chipped teeth or for cosmetic purposes in order to help you achieve a stunning smile. Bonding involves adhering a composite resin material matched to the color of your tooth to the front of the tooth. A primer or bond agent is applied so the bonding material adheres to the surface. The composite resin material is placed on the tooth and hardened with a special light. Finally, the composite resin material is shaped and polished to a fabulous finish.
Sometimes cavities happen. When a tooth is damaged by decay, a filling can help restore the tooth back to its normal function and shape. If you have a tooth that requires a filling, we will first remove the decay, clean the affected area, and then restore the tooth with a filling material. A filling also helps prevent further decay by closing off any cracks or spaces where bacteria can enter.
It is our goal to offer advanced materials and techniques for your child’s teeth to ensure an esthetic finish and maximum protection from recurrent decay. Baby pictures and school photos are important to us too!.
A crown, also referred to as a cap, is used to entirely cover a damaged tooth. A crown not only strengthens a tooth, but it can dramatically improve a tooth’s appearance, shape and alignment. Crowns may be used to replace a large filling when there is little tooth structure remaining, restore a fractured tooth or protect a weak tooth from fracturing, or cover a tooth that has had root canal treatment.
It is our goal to offer advanced materials and techniques for your child’s teeth to ensure an esthetic finish and maximum protection from recurrent decay. Baby pictures and school photos are important to us too! Our office now offers stainless steel crowns, stainless steel with “veneer” front crowns, and “white” zirconia crowns!
How To Take Care of Your Child’s Stainless Steel/ NuSmile Crowns:
Avoid letting your child have sticky, tacky, candies such as chewing gum, caramels, Jolly Ranchers, Starburst, Tootsie Rolls, Milk Duds, airheads, suckers (or hard candy or any kind), etc. The cement we use to seat your child’s crown is very strong, but, his/ her crown can become loose or even come off completely when eating such foods. If a crown ever de-bonds, save it and call the office the next day. We can re-bond the crown easily.
Because plaque tends to gather at the gum lines around stainless steel crowns a bit more than uncrowned teeth, brushing is very important to prevent sore bloody gums. Be sure to brush you child’s teeth at least twice daily to maintain good overall oral hygiene.
When your child is ready to lose the crowned tooth, he/she will exfoliate the tooth naturally and the crown will stay attached to the tooth. This is completely normal.
Good oral hygiene should always be practiced since the loss of a single tooth can have major impact upon your oral health and appearance. Although we will use every measure to prevent tooth loss, sometimes there are still necessary occasions when a tooth may need to be extracted. For example, a tooth may need to be extracted if the following occurs:
• Severe decay
• Advanced periodontal disease
• Infection or abscess
• Orthodontic correction
• Mal-positioned teeth
• Fractured teeth or roots
• Impacted teeth
Post Operative Instructions Following an Extraction:
Your child may be numb for up to two hours. Please be aware that the numbness feels funny to you child and s/he may tend to rub, suck, chew or bite his/her lip/cheek/tongue. PLEASE watch your child and do not allow him/her to do this, as it will cause injury or discomfort once the numbness wears off.
When you get home, please give your child a pain reliever such as Ibuprofen before the numbness wears off to keep your child from experiencing any discomfort. The doctor may also give you a prescription pain reliever. Both should be used as directed.
PLEASE do not allow your child to drink from a straw for the rest of today. The suction could dislodge the clot that has formed in the extraction site.
Please have your child eat a soft, bland diet for the first couple of days; nothing sharp, crunchy or spicy, because the area may be a bit sensitive.
A clean mouth heals faster. Gentle brushing around the extraction site should be started this evening (as well as maintaining regular brushing everywhere else in the mouth).