If your child's teeth have been showing more signs of dental decay lately, you may be planning to discuss effective preventive options with your youngster's dentist. Here are a few things that the dentist may suggest:

Fluoride Treatments

The dentist may prescribe fluoride treatments to help protect your little one's teeth. Some fluoride applications, such as rinses, may be regularly applied at home. However, the dentist may suggest a more intensive in-office treatment. 

For in-office fluoride treatments, the dentist may apply gel or liquid fluoride products. The treatments may be painted onto the teeth or placed in a mouth tray for application. After the fluoride has rested on the teeth for the proper amount of time, the dentist may rinse your child's mouth. Although the treatment is removed, the dentist may still request that your youngster refrain from food or drink for a short while to maximize its penetration.

Fluoride treatments help protect your child's teeth by facilitating remineralization. When fluoride enters your little one's mouth, it covers the surface of the teeth. Tooth enamel minerals, such as calcium, that have been dissolved by bacterial acid are attracted by the fluoride back to the tooth surface. The displaced minerals and the fluoride combine to create a new tooth material that is better able to resist acid damage than your child's original enamel.

Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are resin coatings that are applied to protect the teeth from decay-causing agents. Your child's dentist is likely to apply the sealants to the chewing surfaces of your little one's back teeth.

Molars often have deep crevices in their chewing surfaces. This makes it easy for plaque and food particles to settle there and cause decay.

The resin sealant fills in the grooves and forms a barrier between the molar and the food and plaque. The sealants usually remain in place for several years before a reapplication is needed. 

Plaque Tablets

Plaque tablets are colored tablets that your child chews before brushing. The pigments in the tablets stick to areas of the teeth that have a large accumulation of plaque. This makes it easy for your child to identify places in his or her mouth that need more attention during brushing. 

As your child brushes his or her teeth, the coloration and the plaque are removed. 

To learn more ways to help protect your child's teeth from decay, schedule a consultation at a clinic like Family Dentistry Of Brick, PA.

Share