If your child's teeth are even slightly black, you may be worried that they may have cavities. In this article, we will introduce the stages of tooth decay in children and treatment methods. Please use this information as a reference.

Stages of tooth decay in children

Children's teeth will eventually be replaced by adult teeth (permanent teeth), but it is very dangerous to leave decayed teeth as they are. This is because if children have a lot of cavities in their teeth, it can cause problems when their adult teeth come in, leading to poor tooth alignment and even hindering the development of their jaws and brain later on.

Early detection and treatment of cavities

In the Tokushinkai Group,Progression of tooth decayWe provide appropriate treatment according to the degree of tooth decay. Cavities are classified into four stages (C1, C2, C3, C4) depending on the degree of progression.
*C is an abbreviation for "Dental Caries" in English.

C1 │ Shallow cavities

Remove the decayed tooth and fill it with a filling.

1. Remove cavities
   If the cavity is shallow, we will remove it by scraping it with a special tool. If you feel pain during treatment, we will administer anesthesia to the area.
2. Fillings
   Finally, fill with white resin.

C3 │ Deep cavities

The nerve of the tooth is treated and a cap is placed.

1. Partial anesthesia
   If there is deep decay that reaches the nerve, local anesthesia will be administered.
2. Treatment of tooth nerves
   The decayed area and some of the tooth's nerves will be removed, or if the decay has progressed, the entire tooth's nerves will be removed.
3. Treatment of tooth nerves
   The treated area will be disinfected and filled with medicine to prevent cavities.
4. Coverings
   After the treatment, we will monitor your progress, and if there are no problems, we will put a cap on your tooth and finish the treatment.

C4 │ In case of severe tooth decay

We will extract the teeth and provide proper support until the adult teeth grow in.
In rare cases, teeth may need to be extracted if they have been dissolved by cavities and there is very little left. Teeth may also need to be extracted if baby teeth that are about to erupt become decayed.

1. Partial anesthesia
   Partially anesthetized
2. Treatment of tooth nerves
   Extracting teeth
3. Fixed
   The teeth on either side of the missing tooth will be fixed in place until the adult teeth (permanent teeth) come in. (Not covered by insurance)
   *This is done to ensure that adult teeth can grow in the correct place. It is also necessary to straighten the teeth.

Aftercare

All children's teeth (baby teeth) are normally replaced by adult teeth (permanent teeth) between the ages of 5 and 10. In particular, children's teeth that have had major cavities treated may not have their roots properly absorbed when the adult teeth push up from below, and the adult teeth may not grow in the correct position. In such cases, it may be necessary to extract the baby teeth early to encourage the correct growth of the adult teeth. For this reason, it is recommended that children have their teeth removed every XNUMX-XNUMX months, even after cavity treatment has been completed.Regular examinationis very important.

An example of a child's teeth becoming misaligned after cavity treatment

If a child loses a tooth early, the surrounding teeth may shift and there may not be enough space for the adult tooth to grow in. This can cause the tooth to grow in a different place than it should.

If a child's tooth remains stuck due to cavities, it can obstruct the growth of new teeth, causing the adult tooth to grow in a different place than it should.

Summary

Cavities in children progress much faster than in adults, so early treatment is important. Also, in order to be able to eat delicious food with your own teeth for the rest of your life, care during childhood is very important. We recommend that families proactively work on cavity prevention.

To learn more about the importance of preventing tooth decay in children, click here