There is now a debate surrounding children and fillings

Fresh-Debate-Your-Child-and-the-Dentist The debate is a little more involved than just fillings, but fillings make a significant part of the debate. At the moment there are some dentists who are questioning parents who want their children to have fillings in the baby teeth; and parents questioning why dentists are putting fillings in teeth that are going to fall out anyway.

But often that’s not the issue.

No one likes pain, it’s unpleasant, it’s irritating, it causes headaches and it can make you feel sick. Pain is often why a dentist might perform restorative dentistry on your child. Yes, a baby tooth is going to fall out, but their gums aren’t. If your child is in pain because of decay or other dental complication it is beneficial for their overall health that they get the dental work. Too often people think that our oral health exists in a vacuum. Well, it doesn’t. As we have mentioned in several articles already this month, your oral health can adversely affect your overall health. Gum disease has been linked to a host of issues; tooth loss and jawbone deterioration can affect your entire head.

New Survey Says Kids Just Want To Be Told The Truth…

It wasn’t so much the survey that said it, as it was the children under the age of 11 who were surveyed. These children said they didn’t like when their parents told them that the dentist wasn’t going to be uncomfortable or that something was going to taste alright because it was purple… What the survey did say was that children whose parents were honest with them were less likely to be afraid of the dentist. In fact, these children knew the importance of the dentist and so were okay with going…well, as okay as any small child is when it comes to doctors… It seems that parents with dental phobia pass it on to their children; especially if the father was afraid of the dentist. One child remarked that he didn’t want to go to the dentist because it hurt—only he’d never been; it was the influence of his parents that had created this impression.

Present Your Child With All The Information…

At Curtis R. Couch D.D.S. in Thousand Oaks, we would never presume to tell someone how to raise their child, but when it comes to dentistry we are dedicated to providing the best care available for everyone. We would recommend that you only get treatment like a filling for your child if they are in pain; treatment for the sake of treatment is definitely not something we would recommend. We would also recommend treatment if they are not in pain but it looks like the tooth could affect the gums and your child’s overall health—but the point, again, is treatment for the sake of treatment does not help your child.

Curtis R. Couch D.D.S. has something better than fillings…

If you or your child needs a filling Curtis R. Couch D.D.S. in Thousand Oaks has something better! We provide inlays and onlays. Unlike traditional fillings which weaken a tooth by up to 50% our inlays and onlays strengthen your teeth by 75%! Inlays and onlays are made from composite resin, gold or porcelain. To strengthen and protect your tooth they are bonded to the damaged area of the tooth. For more information on our inlays and onlays, or to book an appointment at our conveniently located dental practice in Thousand Oaks, please do not hesitate to contact us.