“Do children need fillings for baby teeth?”
My daughter has pain in her teeth when eating very cold and very hot foods. She has baby teeth, but I think she might have a cavitiy in one of them. If she has a cavity in one of her baby teeth, does she need to get it filled, regardless of it needing to fall out? She's 6-years-old
8 Answers
It really depends on which tooth is hurting. Baby molars usually do not start to exfoliate until age 10. The longer a parent waits to treat cavities in baby teeth the more serious the problem can get. The best way to determine if a tooth should be fixed or allowed to exfoliate is by taking an X-ray.
Of course they do. Cavities only do one thing; they get bigger. Baby teeth have large nerve centers and thin covering unlike adult teeth that have thick covering and smaller nerve centers. So cavities can reach the nerve quicker. This causes pain. Can lead to swelling and dental infection. This will possibly cause damage to underlying developing teeth. Why would you want a child to be in pain is s better question. Children miss school and activities due to mouth pain. It affects diet, health and concentration. The bacteria in cavities is being shown to affect a persons heart heath as well. So yes they do.
Dr Jensen
Dr Jensen
Yes! Take her to a pediatric dentist or one that sees children ASAP. She may have that tooth for another 6 years before she gets her adult teeth.
Owen M. Waldman, DMD
Owen M. Waldman, DMD
Yes. Baby teeth are very important. They are not just needed to chew food. They save the position and space for the adult teeth. If the child is in pain it is important to see a dentist. Left untreated the problem could become a more serious. The decision to treat the tooth versus extraction is based on an evaluation and whether there is sufficient tooth to restore or not. In addition have the roots reserved completely or are they still intact. Your child is in pain and needs to see a dentist. Hope this answer help.
That is a great question. Many parents are conflicted about this. The reality is that baby teeth can get infections in them and cause bigger problems. It is a good idea to bring your child in to have it checked out. Children lose their baby teeth on average until age 12.
Dana Truesdale, DDS
Dana Truesdale, DDS
Hi there. You need to get your child seen by a dentist as soon as possible to get the condition assessed. You are right that baby teeth will eventually fall out. However, at the age of six, she could have adult front teeth and first molars. Also, some of the baby teeth may not fall out until she's 9 or 10 which means if there is a cavity present, it could end up causing an abscess which would be very painful and could affect the adult tooth that is under that baby tooth. My recommendation would be to get this assessed and if a filling is needed, to go ahead with this treatment.
The baby teeth need to be kept until they are ready to come in their own natural way. They maintain a position and guide the eruption of the permanent teeth. If she is only six, and these are her back teeth that have decay, then she could easily keep those until she is twelve or thirteen years old. Early loss could result in development of more complicated crowding problems in the permanent teeth.
Yes, often painful cavities mean that the painful tooth is about to die. A dead tooth can cause life threatening infections, especially in children. It’s important if you think your child has decay, to have your child examined by a dentist.
