Downey Park Family Dentistry is excited to announce that our offices are reopen to serve our community. We are taking additional special measures to ensure the health and safety of our patients and team, and appreciate your understanding that things will look and function a bit differently in our office for the time being.
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Tooth decay can be prevented with proper oral hygiene. But even if you do your best to care for your little one’s teeth, they may end up with a cavity. If you think your child has a cavity, a dental filling from First Smiles Children’s Dentistry is the best way to protect their oral health. Contact us now for a consultation with Dr. Chris Ha, and get the care they need.
42% of kids from the age of 2-11 have had at least one cavity in a baby tooth, and 21% of kids from the age of 6-11 have had at least one cavity in an adult tooth.
To begin the process, Dr. Ha will clean the area and numb your child’s mouth to keep them comfortable throughout their filling. We’re specialists at caring for kids, so we’ll keep your little one feeling great during their appointment.
Once their mouth is numb, Dr. Ha will gently remove enamel from the damaged tooth. He will clean away any damaged or decayed material to prepare the tooth for a filling.
We use composite (tooth-colored) fillings at your children's dentist in Modesto, CA. Dr. Ha will choose a resin material that matches your child’s teeth perfectly. Then, he will apply it to the tooth, reshaping it and restoring its appearance and strength.
Once the overall shape of the filling is right, Dr. Ha will check your child’s bite a couple of times using special paper. Then, he’ll make any necessary adjustments so that their new filling fits into their bite perfectly. After that, you and your little one will be sent home by your Modesto kids dentist.
Yes. At First Smiles Children’s Dentistry, we offer mild sedation dentistry for kids of all ages in Modesto. If your child is feeling nervous or anxious about getting a filling at our office, Dr. Chris Ha is here to help. We offer nitrous oxide sedation for kids who are needing fillings at First Smiles Children’s Dentistry.
With nitrous oxide (laughing gas), your child will inhale nitrous oxide and oxygen through a nose mask. This will make them feel more comfortable during their appointment, and less focused on their procedure. Nitrous oxide wears off quickly and has minimal side effects, too.
Dr. Ha is skilled and gentle with children as he takes care of their dental need and mild sedation of nitrous oxide is usually very successful our more nervous little ones.
Yes. In many cases, Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) can be used to treat cavities in baby teeth. This treatment involves no needles or drilling. Dr. Chris Ha will simply paint the SDF mixture onto your child’s tooth. This mixture consists of ammonia, silver, fluoride, and water and is not tooth color but instead is dark, almost black in color on the tooth. It is not aesthetically pleasing but will keep decay at bay if a tooth color filling is not an option.
When the SDF mixture touches the cavity, it seals it and kills the bacteria. This stops the cavity from getting worse. With regular touch-ups at our office, SDF can keep your child’s tooth healthy until their adult tooth erupts and replaces it.
SDF is only recommended for baby teeth, though. If your child has a cavity in an adult tooth, a tooth-colored filling is the best option for restoring their smile. This is because the SDF treatment stains the surface of your child’s tooth permanently.
If your child is cavity-prone or you just want to reduce their risk of tooth decay, Dr. Chris Ha can offer some other treatments that help prevent cavities and eliminate the need for pediatric fillings, such as fluoride treatments and dental sealants.
Fluoride treatments are a great option for most kids. In this treatment, Dr. Ha will paint a thin layer of fluoride onto their teeth and leave it in place for a few minutes. This fluoride attracts minerals that strengthen your child’s teeth, reducing their risk of cavities and even helping to reverse the first stage of tooth decay. Fluoride treatments can be done as part of routine six-month teeth cleanings, which makes them very convenient.
Dental sealants are another related procedure that can help prevent the need for fillings. Sealants consist of a thin layer of clear dental resin. Dr. Ha will apply this resin to your child’s rear teeth in liquid form, then harden it with a special light. This creates a barrier on your child’s teeth, stopping bacteria, acid, and food particles from contacting the enamel directly. In turn, this dramatically reduces the risk of cavities in treated teeth.
All the 20 baby teeth will fall out before your child becomes an adult.
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