Tooth Colored / Composite Fillings
No one likes finding out that their children have tooth decay or a cavity – kids don’t like it either! We have great news: Drs. Ehrenman and Khan can repair and restore your child’s teeth safely and comfortably.
When to Repair a Cavity
It is very important that cavities be repaired while they are still small – this allows for much less drilling and saves more of your child’s tooth structure. It is also one of the reasons we so strongly recommend routine dental visits.
What Filling Materials do You Use?
We offer both silver amalgam fillings and tooth-colored composite fillings for the repair of young teeth. Which filling we choose depends largely on the location and size of the cavity, but you will always be consulted with and informed about treatment. Silver amalgam fillings are more durable and are best for fillings between baby teeth or patients who grind. Composite fillings look more like the natural tooth and are a great choice for cavity repair that could potentially affect the appearance of your child’s smile.
No matter which repair methods and materials we choose, you can be sure that we will communicate with you every step of the way – starting before any treatment is performed. Because you are part of your child’s healthcare team, we work TOGETHER with you to do what is in the best interest of your child.
Root Canals
Though we refer all root canals on permanent teeth to one of our trusted endodontists, we routinely perform root canals on baby teeth. We find that root canals are most often needed for traumatized teeth or severely decayed teeth where the nerve is infected
A root canal can stabilize and save teeth by removing infection from the pulp or the tissue inside the tooth’s roots. Pain is usually the primary indicator that decay and infection have moved into the root and pulp of your child’s tooth.
Why Perform a Root Canal on a Baby Tooth Instead of Pulling it?
Depending on your child’s age, it is very probable that he or she will not lose the affected tooth naturally for a few more years. Since there is no adult tooth to grow into the empty space, a space maintainer would have to be used to keep the space open. If the space is not maintained, teeth will shift and this could cause all kinds of problems from permanent tooth eruption difficulties to bite problems and TMJ pain.
If your child is experiencing a toothache, especially if it’s constant and throbbing, please give us a call. He or she may have damage or an infection that requires a root canal.
Oral Surgery
Even something as unpleasant as oral surgery can be less of a trauma for your child than you ever thought possible. Dr. Ehrenman and Dr. Khan work hard to ensure that your child’s experience is soothing, tranquil and free of discomfort. If your child is extremely nervous about his or her tooth extraction, talk to us about how sedation or hospital dentistry can help them nap through the entire procedure.
Why Would I Need a Tooth Pulled?
Sometimes removing a damaged or decayed tooth is the best way to protect your child’s health and relieve pain. When a tooth is broken beyond repair, or so infected that a root canal will not be effective, we will remove the tooth and, if necessary, place a space maintainer.
If more extensive oral surgery is necessary, we will refer you to one of our trusted oral surgeons. Since they specialize in oral surgeries and perform them every day, we feel that your child will be best served in their caring and expert hands.
For more information about our pediatric oral surgery, give us a call. We are here to help!
Tooth Bonding
Kids are so active it almost seems inevitable that something might happen to their teeth. They fall off a swing and chip their enamel. They get hit in the mouth during a game and break a tooth. They eat too many sweets and end up with a cavity. What can parents do to help their children find comfort and confidence? With the ease and convenience of direct dental bonding, your child’s smile can look perfectly natural again.
How Dental Bonding Works
Dental bonding allows us to perfect your child’s smile in one easy visit – we simply prepare the surface of the tooth, apply a bonding material, and carefully sculpt composite resin to fill gaps, repair chips, restore small cavities or cover minor stains. Your child’s smile will look and feel natural and function as usual once the procedure is finished.
What Dental Bonding Can Do
- Fill cavities
- Repair chipped, cracked, or broken teeth
- Close unwanted spaces or gaps in between your child’s teeth
To find out more about our artful dental bonding, give us a call today 516-333-3033.
Smile Whitening
Everyone seems to be flashing a whiter, brighter smile these days… and not just celebrities! Now, many of our young patients have been expressing an interest in bleaching their teeth as well.
Stains or darkening from medication, braces, or food and drink can make young people especially self-conscious and keep them from smiling as openly as they would like. But a white smile is a real confidence builder.
Who Can Have Professional Tooth Whitening?
While we don’t recommend bleaching for baby teeth or while the child’s teeth are erupting and developing, we can whiten the teeth of teens and young adults who have all their permanent teeth quite effectively.
Sometimes our orthodontic patients discover that their teeth have discolored while they were wearing braces and a tooth whitening treatment can help reverse discoloration and enhance the feeling of accomplishment after the braces come off.
What Type of Whitening Do You Offer?
In office whitening usually causes too much tooth sensitivity for our young patients, so we offer whitening trays to be used at home. Custom trays are made from molds taken of your child’s mouth, so they are comfortable and secure. All you do is add the prescription-strength bleaching gel and place them over the teeth. We also offer the Tres-White system, which includes convenient prefilled trays for home use. Ask your doctor or hygienist how you can have a whiter smile in about one week!
