It’s the discovery parents just don’t want to hear: your child has a cavity. While the diagnosis inconvenient, the good news is the common oral ailment can be treated in a way to save the tooth from permanent damage. The family dentist office of Discovery Dental in Eagle River, AK, specializes in offering comprehensive dental care for kids, including restoring teeth to their healthy and beautiful glory.

If your child does indeed have a cavity, here’s what you can expect during their visit to the dentist:

• Comfort: A friendly technician or staffer will take the child to the room where the cavity will be treated. Before the procedure begins, the child’s comfort is a top priority, including ensuring they are at ease in the chair.
• Explanation: Using kid-friendly terms and, if possible, pictures or teeth models, the procedure will be explained to the child and parents.
• Anesthetic: An anesthetic will be gently applied around the cavity to numb the area. Throughout this step, the family dentist and dental technician will continue to talk to the child to determine their comfort level.
• Treatment: The dentist will then prep the area to apply a filling or crown. If it’s a primary tooth and the cavity is touching more than two sides, a silver crown may be used to protect the tooth. A filling is typically inserted with permanent teeth. Generally, the size of the cavity will dictate the type of treatment.
• Praises & Prizes: After the cavity is treated, the child will receive sincere praises and gets to choose a fun prize for their behavior throughout the cavity treatment procedure. Follow-up care will also be discussed with the parent or guardian.

The team at Discovery Dental is 100% committed to ensuring children receive preventative dentistry services to promote healthy teeth and good oral hygiene habits to last a lifetime. To learn more about cavity prevention or to schedule your child’s next visit to the family dentist, call Discovery Dental at (907) 622-5437. Visit their website for extensive information on a wide range of dental care for kids.