When preventive care is not enough, restorative dental treatments can bring your child’s smile back to exceptional oral health. From repairing cavities with simple fillings to gentle extraction of problem teeth, restorative treatment from our dental office can help your child’s smile stay healthy in Edmonds or Shoreline.
First, Dr. Christie will need to perform a comprehensive visual exam. X-rays will be taken and used to assess your child’s oral health and determine the extent of the issue.
Once an accurate diagnosis is made, your child’s dentist will recommend a treatment plan to address the issues.
Dr. Christie may provide a few options for treatment, discuss the pros and cons of each, and explain the top choice to resolve the issue.
Your child’s dentist will discuss sedation options for your child if he/she feels sedation is necessary, or if it will make the child more comfortable during their treatment. These treatments can help your child feel less nervous and anxious about their appointment, and get the restorative care they need.
After you and the dentist have decided on the right treatment for your child, you will schedule a follow up. In some cases, treatment may begin immediately, but you will usually have to schedule a separate appointment for restorative care at our Edmonds office unless your child has a serious dental emergency.
Composite fillings are made of a dental resin and are matched to the color of your child’s tooth. Unlike metal fillings, they do not contain any mercury. In addition, composite fillings require the removal of less enamel during tooth preparation and have a very tight hold, so they help keep your child’s tooth healthy and strong.
Nerve treatment comes in several forms and is utilized to restore baby teeth with decay to or near the nerve (pulp). Your child’s dentist will clean the tooth, create an opening in the tooth structure, and remove affected tissue from the inside of the tooth. Next, a healing dressing is applied, and the tooth is cleaned and sealed with a pediatric crown or filling. The dressing helps the remaining tooth pulp heal, ensuring your child’s baby tooth can recover from infection.
Pediatric dental crowns are typically recommended for teeth that need a large amount tooth structure restored due to large cavities or dental trauma. Your child's dentist will clean and prepare their tooth, and then choose a pre-fitted dental crown that can be placed directly over the tooth structure to cover and protect it, restoring your child’s smile and occlusion.
Extractions are typically a last-resort option for pediatric dentists. Occasionally, a tooth may simply be non-restorable to save or have an infection that results in the need to remove the tooth. Extraction may be the best way for your child to get relief from pain and discomfort. Using special tools, Dr. Christie can extract troublesome teeth quickly and without pain or discomfort.
If your child loses a baby tooth before they’re supposed to, Dr Christie may recommend a “space maintainer.” This dental appliance fits in the gap where the tooth used to be, preventing the other teeth from shifting and ensuring your child’s permanent or adult tooth erupts properly.
Frenectomies are used to treat Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs) such as tongue ties and lip ties. TOTs occur when the “frenulum,” a band of connective tissue, is overdeveloped and restricts the natural movement of the lips, tongue, or both. During a frenectomy procedure, this band of tissue is released in order to restore your child’s ability to move their lips or tongue properly allowing for optimal function.
Composite fillings are made of a dental resin and are matched to the color of your child’s tooth. Unlike metal fillings, they do not contain any mercury. In addition, composite fillings require the removal of less enamel during tooth preparation and have a very tight hold, so they help keep your child’s tooth healthy and strong.
Nerve treatment comes in several forms and is utilized to restore baby teeth with decay to or near the nerve (pulp). Your child’s dentist will clean the tooth, create an opening in the tooth structure, and remove affected tissue from the inside of the tooth. Next, a healing dressing is applied, and the tooth is cleaned and sealed with a pediatric crown or filling. The dressing helps the remaining tooth pulp heal, ensuring your child’s baby tooth can recover from infection.
Pediatric dental crowns are typically recommended for teeth that need a large amount tooth structure restored due to large cavities or dental trauma. Your child’s dentist will clean and prepare their tooth, and then choose a pre-fitted dental crown that can be placed directly over the tooth structure to cover and protect it, restoring your child’s smile and occlusion.
Extractions are typically a last-resort option for pediatric dentists. Occasionally, a tooth may simply be non-restorable to save or have an infection that results in the need to remove the tooth. Extraction may be the best way for your child to get relief from pain and discomfort. Using special tools, Dr. Christie can extract troublesome teeth quickly and without pain or discomfort.
If your child loses a baby tooth before they’re supposed to, Dr Christie may recommend a “space maintainer.” This dental appliance fits in the gap where the tooth used to be, preventing the other teeth from shifting and ensuring your child’s permanent or adult tooth erupts properly.
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is an analgesic (anti-anxiety gas) that is often recommended for kids who may be nervous about a dental appointment.
Oral conscious sedation is another option where a liquid sedative is taken prior to treatment.
General anesthesia is reserved for more complex procedures and is performed by a certified anesthesiologist to ensure your child’s safety and comfort.
Frenectomies are used to treat Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs) such as tongue ties and lip ties. TOTs occur when the “frenulum,” a band of connective tissue, is overdeveloped and restricts the natural movement of the lips, tongue, or both. During a frenectomy procedure, this band of tissue is released in order to restore your child’s ability to move their lips or tongue properly allowing for optimal function.
Composite fillings are made of a dental resin and are matched to the color of your child’s tooth. Unlike metal fillings, they do not contain any mercury. In addition, composite fillings require the removal of less enamel during tooth preparation and have a very tight hold, so they help keep your child’s tooth healthy and strong.
Pediatric dental crowns are typically recommended for teeth that need a large amount tooth structure restored due to large cavities or dental trauma. Your child’s dentist will clean and prepare their tooth, and then choose a pre-fitted dental crown that can be placed directly over the tooth structure to cover and protect it, restoring your child’s smile and occlusion.
If your child loses a baby tooth before they’re supposed to, Dr Christie may recommend a “space maintainer.” This dental appliance fits in the gap where the tooth used to be, preventing the other teeth from shifting and ensuring your child’s permanent or adult tooth erupts properly.
Frenectomies are used to treat Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs) such as tongue ties and lip ties. TOTs occur when the “frenulum,” a band of connective tissue, is overdeveloped and restricts the natural movement of the lips, tongue, or both. During a frenectomy procedure, this band of tissue is released in order to restore your child’s ability to move their lips or tongue properly allowing for optimal function.
Nerve treatment comes in several forms and is utilized to restore baby teeth with decay to or near the nerve (pulp). Your child’s dentist will clean the tooth, create an opening in the tooth structure, and remove affected tissue from the inside of the tooth. Next, a healing dressing is applied, and the tooth is cleaned and sealed with a pediatric crown or filling. The dressing helps the remaining tooth pulp heal, ensuring your child’s baby tooth can recover from infection.
Extractions are typically a last-resort option for pediatric dentists. Occasionally, a tooth may simply be non-restorable to save or have an infection that results in the need to remove the tooth. Extraction may be the best way for your child to get relief from pain and discomfort. Using special tools, Dr. Christie can extract troublesome teeth quickly and without pain or discomfort.
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is an analgesic (anti-anxiety gas) that is often recommended for kids who may be nervous about a dental appointment.
Oral conscious sedation is another option where a liquid sedative is taken prior to treatment.
General anesthesia is reserved for more complex procedures and is performed by a certified anesthesiologist to ensure your child’s safety and comfort.
Restorative dentistry is used to treat damaged or decayed teeth. This includes cavities and infections, as well as teeth that have been chipped, broken, loosened, or knocked-out prematurely due to oral trauma. Restorative treatments from our Edmonds office can also help prevent oral development issues after tooth loss, and resolve other oral health problems like tongue and lip ties.
Baby teeth are essential to your child’s ability to eat and chew properly as they grow up. And, even though they do fall out naturally as your child ages, premature baby tooth loss can cause oral development issues. This is because your child’s adult teeth follow the “paths” provided by their baby teeth when they begin to erupt. If your child loses one or more baby teeth too early, their permanent teeth may not emerge properly, leading to developmental issues that may require orthodontic intervention in the future.
Dr. Christie is an expert in working with kids of all ages, and uses a patient, kind, and informative approach to children’s dentistry that will help keep your child feeling safe and calm throughout their appointments. Beyond this, we also offer a variety of sedation methods that can help your child feel more comfortable during their treatment.
In most cases, treatments for children like pulpotomies, extractions, crowns, and fillings are covered in some capacity by insurance. However, each plan is different and has different coverage, deductibles, and yearly maximums. Consult with your insurer and your Edmonds dentist to learn more and ensure that your child’s procedures are covered.
