Restorative Dentistry

At Greenpoint Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. John Hansford can restore your child’s mouth if they have a cavity, a serious dental injury, or any other issue that has resulted in a damaged tooth. Contact us now for an appointment, or learn more below.

Composite Fillings

We treat cavities with composite fillings at our office. This type of filling is made out of a blend of dental resin and crushed glass, and has several advantages when compared to traditional metal filings. First, composite fillings look and feel more natural than metal fillings, because they can be matched to the color of your child’s teeth.

In addition, composite fillings bond very tightly to your child’s enamel, and require the removal of less tooth material during the filling preparation process. For these reasons, they’re our preferred method of treating cavities at Greenpoint Pediatric Dentistry.

Indirect Pulp Cap

For carious infections near the nerve, but not all the way into nerve indirect pulp caps (IPC) can improve prognosis by the greatest margin. This procedure is less intense for patients, does not require the top of the nerve to be removed, and causes the dentin layer of the tooth to regrow further protecting the tooth underneath the filling or crown.

Pulpotomies

An untreated cavity in a baby tooth can lead to an infection, which will require treatment with a pulpotomy. Tooth infections occur when the “pulp” inside the tooth is exposed to oral bacteria. This usually happens when decay destroys the outer layers of the tooth, but a broken or cracked baby tooth can also develop an infection.

In a pulpotomy, Dr. Hansford will create an opening in the tooth, remove the decayed pulp, and apply a special healing dressing that will encourage the pulp to heal and regrow. Then, the tooth is covered with a crown or filling. A pulpotomy can keep the baby tooth healthy until it falls out naturally.

Stainless Steel Crowns

Stainless steel crowns are preferred for treating damaged baby teeth. They can typically be placed with minimal tooth preparation, which means that your child will not need to have enamel removed with a dental drill before the placement of a crown. This type of crown is durable and strong, and will protect the baby tooth until it falls out naturally. 

Tooth Extractions

Tooth extractions are always our last resort at Greenpoint Pediatric Dentistry. But in some cases, extracting a baby tooth or an adult tooth is the best way to prevent further complications and provide your child with relief. We use the latest tools and techniques to provide gentle, pain-free extractions.

Space Maintainers

A space maintainer may be required if your child loses a tooth early. This device is placed in the empty socket where their missing tooth used to be. As the name implies, it prevents the surrounding teeth from moving toward the empty socket, which helps prevent future oral development issues when your child’s permanent teeth start to emerge.

Frenectomies 

Frenectomies are the best way to treat tethered oral tissues (TOTs) like tongue and lip ties. Dr. Hansford will gently snip the lingual frenulum or labial frenulum to free your child’s lips or tongue, and ensure they can feed properly, eat normally, and speak without any impediments.