Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a quick cure for all of your dental hygiene concerns? For parents, it’s not the best news when you hear your child has a cavity. The good news is that our team is here to protect your child’s teeth and dental hygiene as they progress through their childhood. Keep reading to discover if you can brush away a cavity and what to do if you find out your child has a cavity in the future.
Can cavities go away with brushing?
A common question we receive from children and parents is, “can you brush away a cavity?” Once a cavity is fully formed in the tooth, unfortunately, it’s impossible to just improve your brushing and make it go away. However, the early stages of a cavity can be reversed with good brushing habits.
When a cavity is starting to form, you’ll find that good oral hygiene can help to reverse the signs of a cavity. With exposure to fluoride, good brushing and flossing, and regular cleanings at the dentist, you can prevent or even reverse tooth decay. That’s why we always recommend booking a check-up with our team if you do see the signs of a cavity so that we can recommend whether you can brush away a cavity or need further treatment.
How to Know if You Have a Cavity
It’s important to look for the early signs of cavities. For starters, toothache and tooth sensitivity are clear signs that something isn’t quite right in your child’s mouth. This might appear out of the blue or when they eat something hot, cold, or sweet. As cavities progress, you are more likely to see visible holes and pits in the teeth. This could also include white or brown staining on the tooth’s surface. If you suspect your child has a cavity, we’re here for you! Our team will examine your precious little one’s teeth and identify the best course of treatment.
What to Do When Your Child Has a Cavity
Depending on the severity of your child’s cavity, you’ll find that there are different treatments available. If the cavity is only just forming, we may recommend that we keep an eye on it and review its development during the next treatment. If that’s the case, you’ll want to make sure you monitor your child’s brushing and flossing very carefully. They’ll need to keep brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes. Make sure these two minutes are well spent, and give a little extra attention to the area of the cavity. This will help to prevent future build-up of plaque and bacteria and will stop any food from getting trapped between the teeth.
For children who are regularly experiencing cavities, we might consider using dental sealants. This treatment strives to protect your child’s teeth from further damage. Keep in mind that this is a preventative treatment, and it still needs to be used alongside good brushing. This treatment doesn’t hurt your child at all, and it’s a quick and easy procedure. Sealants are painless and long-lasting, so you’ll find them a good way to minimize the chance of future cavities. Of course, if the cavity does get too severe, we’ll then recommend the best type of filling for your child. Our team strives to make this process as fun and stress-free as possible, as we know it’s something that many children fear. The sooner a cavity is treated, the less chance that they’ll have issues again in the future.
Treatment for cavities will depend on the severity of your child’s pain and the current state of their teeth. We recommend booking an appointment with our team as soon as you notice any early signs of cavities. While they might be experiencing another issue, it’s much better to get their teeth checked out before the problem progresses. Our team will be here to support you with any future cavities and help your child to maintain a beautiful smile for years to come.
Keep Your Family’s Teeth Healthy with the Help of AC Pediatric Dentistry
Going to the dentist can be scary — we get it. But it should be fun! Whether it’s care for baby teeth, big kid teeth, oral surgery, or orthodontics, our team of specialized pediatric dentists make the experience memorable while teaching you how to encourage healthy habits and good hygiene for lifelong smiles. Call us today or request an appointment online. We can’t wait to meet you!