Some wonder whether or not they can leave the cavities of their two-year-old children untreated until the completion of dental replacement. On one hand, they worry that the filling procedure will be painful. On the other hand, they are told that general anesthesia which may cast a impact on brain development will be applied if children cannot cooperate well. Is that true?

     According to dentists from AKJ Dental Hospital, it’s not suggested to leave caries untreated, even for that of children. Why?

    As we all know, dental cavity won’t heal by itself. If left untreated, it will only grow larger and deeper. Only timely treatment can curb its trend of exacerbating. At the very beginning, the caries may be demonstrated merely as a black patch on teeth. As time goes by, it might develop into a hole and spread toward dental nerves and even root apex. And you will probably end up losing the whole tooth.

    Worse still, without timely intervention, caries-causing bacteria will remain in mouth all the time and infect permanent dental germ beneath gums, leading to dysplasia of permanent tooth eventually.

    To draw a conclusion, it would be advisable to seek proper treatment when the caries of children is not that severe.

    Will dental filling hurt? Is general anesthesia required?

    Dental work done by an experienced and skillful dentist is set to be more reassuring. Generally speaking, the doctors and nurses in pediatric dentistry will be more patient. And there will be toys to distract children’s attention and help guide them to well cooperate with dentists. In mild cases, the dental filling procedure needed will be quite simple. Usually it’s not necessary to apply general anesthesia.

    Dental filling refers to removing eroded tooth issues and being replaced by filling material. There is no pain during the procedure. During the visit, it’s parents who should give children more encouragement and support to ease their fear. Then children can be more cooperated.  Relevant article: Dental filling for children

    Children may feel uncomfortable about unfamiliar environment and people. Some time should be given to them to get familiar with the dentist and environment, so as to calm their panic and fear. Besides, pediatric dentists can try to build up a sense of trust with children, which will help them become more cooperated during the treatment. If children do fail to cooperate despite all efforts, parents can consult with the dentist and try to seek treatment afterwards. At the same time, it’s important that children maintain good oral hygiene all the time. They can be taken for the treatment when they grow older, at the age of about three or four.

    Please feel free to contact me if there’s any dental problem. (WeChat ID: aiyuan325180)