Tooth Decay Specialist
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Kids Dental Center
Pediatric Dentist located in Greenbelt, MD
All children are at risk for tooth decay because the responsible bacteria naturally thrive inside the mouth. Bosede Adeniji, DDS, at Kids Dental Center has years of experience repairing tooth decay and preserving children’s teeth. She also offers options that make cavity repair easier for kids, like quiet, painless air abrasion, instead of traditional drilling. When your child needs a checkup or has a toothache, call the office in Greenbelt, Maryland, or book an appointment online.
Tooth Decay Q & A
What causes tooth decay?
Bacteria in your mouth digest sugars from food and beverages, turning them into acids. These acids can attack your child’s teeth for 20 minutes or longer after eating, depending on when they brush. Eventually, the acids eat away the tooth’s outer enamel and create the holes that decay to form cavities.
How is tooth decay treated?
After X-rays verify the size of the cavity, Dr. Adeniji removes the decayed part of the tooth and replaces it with a filling. Although today’s dental drills operate more efficiently and quietly than drills of the past, they still make a high-pitched sound and cause pressure and vibration.
These sensations make drilling frightening for many children and intolerable to those with heightened sensitivities or special needs. That’s why Dr. Adeniji offers an alternative solution: air abrasion.
Air abrasion eliminates all the sensory issues of the drill. This virtually painless and safe process precisely removes less tooth than a drill, and most children don’t require anesthesia.
When Dr. Adeniji uses a traditional drill, she ensures your child’s comfort by administering a local anesthetic (if needed), and the type depends on the size and number of cavities and your child’s sensitivity. Other forms of sedation to help your child relax are also available.
What types of fillings are used?
Kids Dental Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides different types of fillings to repair your child’s teeth, such as:
Composite resin
Made from a mixture of acrylic resin and finely-ground ceramic pieces, composite resin is the same color as your child’s teeth and forms a strong bond with the tooth.
Glass ionomers
This tooth-colored mixture of acrylic acids and fine glass powders can be used for small cavities. Glass ionomers release a small amount of fluoride to help children at high risk for decay.
In cases where Dr. Adeniji determines that the decay is so extensive that the structure of the tooth is damaged, she may remove the decay and cover the tooth with a crown.
When your child comes in every six months for their regular dental check-up, decay can be prevented or caught while it’s still small and easier to repair. To schedule an appointment, call Kids Dental Center or book an appointment online.
