Is it really necessary for baby teeth cavities to be filled?

Carla - posted on 04/09/2010

There is a special filling after the child's teeth has fallen out and grown back. It's a barrier that keeps the teeth from getting cavities as they get older. My son has never had a cavity even at age 23. If the teeth are loose like Amber said then just let it fall out and it will be ok. But maybe the doctor may want to pull it so that it will not cause an infection. remember that an infection in your mouth as an adult can cause severe problems in your body as a whole. Imagine what an infection can do to a baby's body!
Take care.

Brianna - posted on 04/09/2010

My dad is a dentist and it is really important to have this taken care of. The biggest thing is that the cavity can actually spread to the adult tooth under it and then when it emerges it could be rotten. Then your child will need something like a crown to replace the decayed tooth, which is far more expensive then a filling.

Brenda - posted on 04/09/2010

My daughter(6) has Downs, and has 4 cavities in her molars. Her pediatric dentist is watching them, every six months. He doesn't want to do anything to her teeth until she's about 8, and then do a whole lot at once, perhaps under anesthesia. This makes sense to me, She will need to get ready for braces at that time as well. I trust this dentist. I trust a more conservative approach.

I had a friend whose dentist filled their cavities with a "temporary filling", and then they had to go back for the "permanent filling" in a few months. Hello? Not with MY kids. It's really best to find a dentist you trust, and let him make the decision. The child's temperament has alot of impact on that decision. My son, at a very young age, was so good in the dentist's chair that we were able to seal all his molars so he would never get cavities. My daughter---just allowed her first cleaning at age 6. She is very different.

It's my understanding that letting a cavity get too big can damage the permanent tooth under it. And of course, there's the risk of infection if it gets too big.

Gwen - posted on 04/09/2010

Rotten teeth can cause infections and damage to the adult teeth growing in underneath. He should have the cavities filled to prevent pain or permanent damage. Be sure you are helping him brush his teeth at LEAST once a day. We need to take care of our kids' teeth. They need them for life!

Amy - posted on 04/09/2010

If you don't fill the cavity it continues to grow. It can continue on until it hits the root and then there's major pain and not to mention a root canal for a five year old. The cavity can spread to his permanant teeth that are coming in and cause them to come in with cavities and then you have to have to them fixed.

Here's my story. I took my 2 year old in to have her teeth checked for the first time and they found a cavity in one of her back teeth. Because she wouldn't sit still and screamed the entire time the dentist just sent us on our way. For two years as long as it wasn't bothering her he didn't do a thing about it. When she was five we went to a different dentist and found out that not only had the cavity continued to grow it ate away her entire tooth it was barely hanging on in her mouth and the two teeth around it had huge cavities. We had to take her to a specialist that could put her asleep to do all the major dental work.

Leanne - posted on 04/09/2010

hi amber... not to mention if the cavity is on the outside of the tooth it can start to decay the ones next to it too... sending brave vibes to your little one! good luck!!

Sandra - posted on 04/09/2010

On top of infection the cavity can also cause your child's adult teeth to become brittle and therefore be more likely to get cavities.

Karen - posted on 04/09/2010

hi amber- from what i understand , they fill baby teeth because if they don't the cavity could get worse and possibly get infected, which of course would lead to pain and possibly cause a problem with eating. unless the teeth that have cavities are already loose and about to fall out, i would probably consider having them filled. good luck, hth!