Mouth pain, swelling, and sensitivity to hot and cold drinks all point to one major problem: cavities. Debilitating mouth pain in children causes sleepless nights for everyone in the house as well as fussy kids in general.
Parents have one choice. It’s time to go to the dentist.
If children express fear of the dentist, they’re not alone.
Studies indicate that 36 percent of the population is afraid of dental visits. Furthermore, 12 percent have an extreme fear.
Often fear stems from simply not understanding. In Beaumont, family dentistry clinics can answer all the questions parents may have. So parents and kids should come with a list of questions.
Then when the dentist gives them answers, both the child and parent will ultimately experience less anxiety.
Keep reading to learn the cavity questions parents should ask their children’s dentist.
What Are Cavities?
When acid from the food and drinks children consume enters their mouths, it erodes tooth enamel and forms holes. These holes are called cavities.
Cavities left untreated will lead to the intense pain kids refer to as toothaches. Ultimately, infection will follow, and the dentist will have to extract teeth.
Anyone can get a cavity. Age is no discriminator. When kids brush and floss their teeth properly, they can stave off these unsightly holes.
When parents search for “a pediatric dentist near me,” they should look also for a kids’ dentist in Lexington that focuses heavily on prevention. Preventive measures that a kids dentist emphasizes will help their children avoid cavity-treatment procedures.
A dentist like Beaumont Kid’s Dentistry will show up quickly when parents look for “a kids dentist near me” because they do such a good job of treating kids and focusing on preventative dentistry.
Origin of the Cavity
Tooth decay leads ultimately to cavities. The cavity will form in a place where tooth decay has built up.
Sometimes, children and adults can brush and floss diligently, and the cavity still forms. Dentists often see cavities in hard-to-reach places. For example, if a patient has an oddly-shaped tooth, a cavity may form on it.
Cavities do not automatically mean patients have poor dental hygiene. They may just have some of those hard-to-reach places.
Questions to Ask Your Dentist
When parents make an appointment with the children’s dentist’s office, they can reduce anxiety by having a list of questions with them. Begin with these questions.
What Do I Need?
When parents call for an appointment, ask the dentist if they need to do anything before the appointment or bring anything to the appointment.
Most fillings are routine, and patients do not typically have to do anything.
How Do You Fill a Cavity?
Typically, a dentist will numb the teeth and all of the surrounding skin before they begin the procedure. This will make the procedure more tolerable.
Then the dentist will drill out the decay in the tooth and replace it with a filling. The drill is tiny, with the drill bit looking more like a needle than a drill.
Does Drilling Hurt?
Modern dentistry has made dentistry nearly painless. Patients should not be able to feel a filling procedure. The dentist will use a shot of novocaine to numb the area as well as some numbing gel even before they give the shot.
Will I Be In Pain Later?
The dentist will tell patients that yes, they will feel discomfort afterward. The mouth will be numb for a couple of hours. When the numbness wears off, patients will have some odd sensation but no pain.
If patients do feel pain, they should contact their dentist. There may be another problem.
Do I Need To Return?
Most of the time patients just have a cavity filled and go on with their day. They do not need to follow up.
Drilling a cavity and having a filling put in should only take a single appointment and a short one at that. For one cavity, they should be done within an hour.
Do I Have to Get the Cavity Filled?
Not caring for a cavity can lead to disastrous results. Patients will most likely damage the root of the tooth and ultimately need a root canal, where the dentist has to work deep in the mouth.
Patients might even lose a tooth. Worst of all, they can develop an infection that leads to sepsis and ultimately death if left untreated.
Will My Insurance Cover This?
Basic health insurance will not cover a drilling and filling procedure. However, most dental insurances will cover the filling.
Before they go to the dentist, patients should check with their insurance. They can also ask the dental office billing department to contact their insurance for them. The billing office has experience working with insurance, so they will know what to look for.
If patients do not have insurance, many dentists offer payment plans if the bill is too much for them to pay all at once.
Should I Expect More Cavities?
Many people wonder if they’re more prone to cavities once they’ve had a cavity. Some people indeed are more prone, but not because they’ve had other cavities.
Diet, tooth shape, and saliva production all play a part in cavity development.
How Do I Prevent Cavities?
Patients can prevent cavities with basic, preventative measures. Brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. Focus on eating less sugary foods.
If they do eat sugary or sticky foods, then brush their teeth immediately afterward.
Patients can ask the dentist these questions about cavities and dental care in general. Knowing their answers will put parents’ minds and children’s minds at ease, knowing what to expect and how to prevent the same cavities in the future.
Check Out Beaumont Family Dentistry Offices
Are you looking for a fantastic kids’ dentist? In Beaumont, family dentistry offices abound.
Beaumont Kid’s Dentistry focuses on serving kids well.
Our office has brought in an additional experienced and talented kids dentist recently. We have also remodeled our office and made it an even more comfortable and friendly environment.
When you bring your kids to us, we focus on making them comfortable and at ease so we can effectively treat their problems. Patients receive quality, calm treatment.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment.