more FAQ

What are sealants, fillings, and crowns?

A sealant is a clear or shaded plastic material that is applied to the chewing surfaces (grooves) for the back teeth (premolars and molars), where most cavities in children can form. This sealant acts as a barrier to food, plaque, and acid, thus protecting the decay-prone areas of the teeth. However, cavities between the teeth are not protected by sealants. As long as there is no cavity in the tooth, sealants will be recommended for all children.

If your child has a cavity, a filling is placed after the cavity is removed. Most of the time, the filling is a tooth colored (white) filling, but there are certain situations in which a silver filling is necessary. In our practice, when a tooth needs a filling, a sealant is placed over the filling and the remaining tooth for added protection.

In a primary tooth, if a cavity is too large to restore with a filling, a crown may be recommend or the tooth may need to come out. If the cavity is too large and has involved the nerve of the tooth, then the nerve will be removed (pulpotomy) along with the cavity, and a crown will be placed. A crown can either be tooth colored or stainless steel. For front teeth, white crowns are routinely used for esthetics. For back teeth, stainless steel crowns are used for their durability and longevity. The purpose of the crown is to help provide structure for the tooth, to help maintain space for permanent teeth to erupt properly, and to help protect the remaining tooth.

All of these procedures are associated with a certain failure rate depending on the severity of disease, cooperation of patient during treatment, and individual response to the treatment. All treatment is recommended based on scientific criteria and clinical experience in the best interest of your child. If your child needs any of the above treatments, please talk to Dr. Sukkawala about any questions or concerns that you may have.

What about sedation?

Small procedures in cooperative children can often be done under local anesthesia with or without nitrous oxide. The most common form of sedation we routinely use in our office is nitrous oxide (laughing gas). This is given through a small breathing mask which is placed over the child's nose. The AAPD recognizes this technique as a very safe, effective technique to help relax your child during treatment.

Slightly more involved procedures in certain children will require the use of an oral medication along with nitrous oxide to help relax your child and facilitate cooperation with the procedure. These procedures are scheduled carefully, require your child to be fasting the morning of the procedure, and also be free of any respiratory symptoms in the two weeks preceeding the procedure. Often we ask that two adults be present so that one is able to sit in the back seat with your child on the drive home.

Some children require an extensive amount of dental work. In these situations, it is difficult for a small child to cooperate fully and often the treatment cannot be done properly. For these children, we may recommend treating your child in the operating room under general anesthesia.

Can I go back with my child?

We do not have any policy that restricts parents from being with their child during their visit. We do feel that children vary as individuals. It has been our experience that most children do better with the parents waiting in the reception area. There are exceptions, and there are certain children who will have a better experience if the parents are with them throughout the visit.

Our preference is to have one parent with the child for their initial visit. If the child requires treatment during another visit, the need for parental presence should be discussed between the dentist and the parent and decided on a case by case basis.