Despite preventative care, things do happen including cavities, injuries, or the need for removal of teeth. We want to make the experience as pleasant and stress-free as possible in the event your child may need restorative work.

Fillings:

When children need fillings, for the most part, we use white or tooth-colored fillings (dental term “composite”). At Bauer & Bauer, we use 100% BPA free composite products. These are durable fillings.

At times, we are unable to place a composite; in that event, we will use an amalgam (or silver filling). These are a mixture of Mercury with silver, tin and copper. Mercury is used to bind these materials together in order to provide a very strong and durable filling. When mercury is combined with the other materials, its chemical nature is changed, making it safe and in some instances a better choice over composites.

Pulp/Nerve treatments:

The structure of a baby tooth is much different than a permanent tooth. The outer layer of enamel is much thinner, so a cavity can become large rather quickly. If the decay becomes too large, it may expose the nerve tissue inside the tooth. This will require removal of a portion of the nerve (called a pulpotomy). If this is done, the tooth will need to be covered with a stainless steel crown to cover the opening made for the nerve treatment.

Stainless steel crowns:

Because these are made of stainless steel, they offer durability and longevity for the molar tooth it is covering. As mentioned above, a crown may be used following a nerve treatment, or it may be needed if the cavity covers a large portion of the tooth in which significant amount of tooth has to be removed. A filling that is too large will likely break, so at times, depending on the extent of decay, a crown will be the material of choice.

Extractions:

Sometimes, decay gets so large that the baby tooth will become infected & just need to be removed. Other times, there may be decay in a baby tooth that is ready to be lost, so we just remove it. Other situations include trauma/injury to a tooth that requires the tooth to be removed. On any of these occasions, we will ensure the best quality care for your child. If the tooth must be extracted at an early age, we will want to hold the space with a Space maintainer. A space maintainer will simply hold the space open until the permanent tooth is ready to come in (sometimes is kept in for 3-4 years!)

Nitrous Oxide/Calm dentistry:

We understand that the little ones will have anxiety and fear. For these reasons, we are able to offer Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to calm them down. We also have TV’s in the ceiling with headphones to distract them from the procedure. Here at Bauer & Bauer, we move quickly, as we know the kiddos can only sit still for so long! Overall, the experience should be as fun, educational, and low-stress as possible! We offer prizes/rewards for finishing treatment!