Minimally Invasive Care
Dental treatment has come a long way since the days of “drill and fill”- Dr. Sam believes in using the latest research to find easier-to-tolerate treatments for your child whenever possible.
Why minimally invasive?
We focus on your child’s experience; we would rather preserve their natural tooth structure whenever possible and believe (and research supports) that with help from minimally invasive techniques, improved oral hygiene, diet and lifestyle changes can limit the progression of oral disease.
Remineralization
Early carious lesions (cavities) have the potential to remineralize and reverse. Dr. Sam uses evidence-based techniques and advanced materials to help make this more possible. Nothing is ever as strong as a natural tooth, so Dr. Sam want to preserve natural tooth structure for as long as possible especially when it comes to adult teeth since we hope you’ll have them forever!
Minimally Invasive Treatment Techniques
Sealants
Sealants are designed to be preventative of cavities on the deep grooves of molars. Did you know that research supports further use of sealants to limit the growth of existing lesions? Dr. Sam will always offer this treatment modality when appropriate for your child because she believes no material is as strong as natural tooth structure- so why remove it if you don’t have to?
SDF
This minimally invasive treatment technique is ideal for small cavities on patients that either may not be capable of tolerating traditional treatment modalities or who have small lesions of teeth that are close to the time of their natural exfoliation. Dr. Sam is a big believer in this treatment and though she understands it may not be right for everyone, she even used it for her own daughter!
Hall Crowns
Sometimes cavities get large enough that fillings won’t work well but your little one may not be able to tolerate traditional treatment in the chair. Rather than moving to the need for sedation or allowing these cavities to grow, we can cover them up and arrest them where they are. This crown requires no “dental drill” and is shown to be an effective way to retain teeth until their natural time for exfoliation.
LSTR
Sometimes cavities are so big they affect the nerve and blood supply inside the tooth and cause an infection. Often infected baby teeth need to be removed; when appropriate, Dr. Sam prefers to keep them and avoid the need for tooth removal. This technique was developed to heal the infection and buys time for the tooth to fall out naturally or for your little one to feel more comfortable in the chair.
