Parents naturally seek the best for their children, and this includes their oral health. Unfortunately, cavities in kids have become more common than those in adults.
Unlike adult teeth, baby teeth do not have the same level of protection due to their relatively softer and thin outer tooth enamel. This also makes them more susceptible to developing tooth decay.
What Causes Cavities and Tooth Decay?
In general, dentists directly attribute tooth decay to poor nutrition and a lack of essential vitamins for bone development and healthy teeth.
Another factor that leads to kids’ teeth cavity involves high sugar intake. Compared to adults, children snack more on a daily basis, which leads food to get stuck in the spaces between their teeth. Heavily processed and sugar-saturated foods like juice, chips, cereal, and crackers are the most common foods that cause cavities.
All of these suggest that lifestyle choices and proper nutrition are crucial when taking care of your kids’ oral health. After all, oral health is related to overall health.
To ensure the best cavity treatment for kids, consider a dental approach that goes beyond traditional methods – known as holistic dentistry.
How Does a Holistic Approach Benefit Children?
Also known as natural or bio-compatible dentistry, holistic dentistry approaches oral care from a holistic view. It takes into account how oral health affects the whole body, and inversely. In a nutshell, its treatment program focuses on all aspects of health – including physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
If you’re considering holistic dentistry to ensure cavity-free kids, look for holistic dentists who specialize in pediatric care. Given their knowledge of children, these professionals offer several benefits for your children’s overall health.
For comprehensive care, holistic dentists work with various healthcare professionals. Here are some benefits that you can reap from their approach to cavity treatment for kids:
1. Minimally-Invasive Treatments
Although holistic dentistry is a “natural” way to treat cavities, it does not dismiss the fact that the treatment involves advanced technology. Modern technology provides new ways to learn about the human body and less invasive means for treatment and prevention.
Holistic dentists mainly put your children’s overall health at the forefront of their treatment goals. That’s why their practice involves conservative and minimally invasive treatment solutions to maintain the physical and emotional well-being of children.
2. Bio-compatible, Non-Toxic Materials
Your children’s bodies are still developing. They are vulnerable to potentially harmful chemicals applied in traditional dental practices, such as mercury fillings.
On that note, holistic dentists use biocompatible materials to clear off any possible adverse effects on your kid’s body and assure safety. Holistic dentists ensure cavity-free kids without sacrificing their health.
As part of their cavity treatment for kids, some dentists use biocompatible materials like:
- Gluten-free tooth-cleaning products
- BPA-free composite filling materials
- Epinephrine-free anesthesia
- Precise dosage of xylitol
- Vitamin D-boosted products
- Fluoride treatments, if needed
3. Whole Body Health
Given that your oral health gives clues regarding your overall physical health, a lot of health conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, stroke risk) are known to either affect dental health or are linked to it.
To ensure that no infectious bacteria enter your kid’s oral cavity and get introduced to the bloodstream, holistic dentists look at each patient from all angles, apply a preventive approach, and look beyond the symptoms to find root cause of dental issues.
Some Holistic Approaches in Pediatric Dental Treatment
Given that children’s teeth differ from adult teeth, holistic dentists offer a different, more personalized approach to cavity treatment for kids. Depending on your kid’s age and the progression of the decay, there is a wide range of pediatric treatments for cavity-free kids, which include:
1. Ozone Therapy
This is one of the most common courses of treatment against tooth decay and cavities in kids. Ozone is comprised of three parts Oxygen and is known to be very reactive. This element does not harm humans but is proven effective in killing harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay. Plus, it is a more natural approach to treating tooth decay compared to other methods like drills, freezing, and needles.
However, this method is only applicable if the child only has a small amount of tooth decay. If the decay has already progressed, you need to consider the next cavity treatment on our list.
2. Silver Diamine Fluoride
Contrary to what you might think about fluoride, silver diamine fluoride is different, wherein the application is spot-specific. The silver component targets and kills the decay-causing bacteria, while fluoride helps to strengthen and rebuild teeth where it needs support the most. This is often an ideal choice for cavity treatment for kids, as it only targets the specific area affected and provides enough fluoride to treat the tooth.
3. Digital X-Rays
Unlike traditional x-rays, these x-rays minimize the amount of radiation. Given the harmful effects of radiation, including salivary gland cancer, cataracts, leukemia, low birth weight, and thumb carcinomas, holistic dentists use digital x-rays as part of their cavity treatment for kids.
4. Diet and Other Factors
Holistic dentists may also recommend changes in your kid’s diet, with an inclusion of healthier, less-sugar snacks, beverages, and meals. This upholds holistic dentistry’s purpose, which is to look at the person as a whole.
Looking For a Holistic Dental Treatment for Kid’s Cavities?
At Sunrise Dentistry, we practice holistic dentistry in treating kids’ teeth cavities. We aim to bring out optimum results in our dental and overall health care. We guarantee safe, mercury-free dental treatment for you and your entire family.
Visit our holistic dentists at 1911 Main Avenue, Suite 116 Durango, CO 81301. For inquiries and appointments, call (970) 247-3303 today!
