Dr. Beck likes to use the phrase, “just another tool in my toolbox.” Every child’s treatment needs are going to be different and fortunately, we have options! Dr. Beck has a range of “tools” to use when tailoring your child’s treatment needs to their specific circumstances. Our team puts a strong emphasis on minimally invasive techniques to combat decay in baby teeth.
Book OnlineThese techniques are effective, research-driven, and easier for your child! Some of these techniques include:
– Hall crown technique: This technique involves placing a stainless steel dental crown over a baby tooth with a cavity so the crown covers the tooth entirely. Rather than drilling into the tooth and removing dental decay, we instead cover and seal the cavity with the crown. The dental crown remains in place until your child eventually loses that particular baby tooth. We can use the Hall Technique without the need for any local anesthetic (aka needles), which makes the experience much more tolerable for children. Additionally, this technique relies on minimal, if any, removal of decay, allowing a child to skip the unpleasant use of needles and drills.
– SMART (Silver-Modified Atraumatic ResinTechnique): In simple terms, this technique utilizes the application of an antibacterial form of silver to suffocate the bacteria causing decay and then sealing off the outside surface with a filling all without any needles or drilling!The carious lesion is treated first with Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) and then restored with a glass ionomer. This serves to effectively arrest caries, without removal of additional tooth structure, and then restore tooth form with a glass ionomer.
Dr. Beck prefers white fillings! There will be circumstances where that may not be his recommendation due to the size of decay, but wherever possible, let’s make your child’s smile look pearly white! We have given considerable thought and attention to the restorative materials we use in our office. His approach is “would I want this material in my own kid’s mouth?” We only use clean products that are proven, effective, and safe for your child’s mouth.