How Can I Tell If My Child Has a Cavity?

You’re brushing your toddler’s teeth one night, and something catches your eye, a spot that looks a little off, a color that wasn’t there before. Is it a cavity? Maybe nothing? Most parents aren’t sure what they’re looking at, and that’s completely understandable.

At Silicon Beach Pediatric Dental, Dr. Ray Klein and Dr. Hayley Botwin see this often. Parents come in with a gut feeling that something looks different. As part of our pediatric dentistry approach in Culver City, we help families learn what to watch for between visits, because catching things early almost always means less worry in between trips to the dentist. 

What Does a Cavity Actually Look Like?

Most people picture a cavity as a big, black hole, but that usually happens overtime. Early cavities in kids are a lot subtler than that. Sometimes you can’t see them at all if they start in between the teeth. 

The Early Stages

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the first visible sign of decay is often a white spot on the tooth surface. This is an area where enamel, the outer structure, is starting to weaken. Shortly after, you may notice a light brown discoloration in the same spot. From there, it can progress to a darker brown and can become a hole, a cavitation, if unaddressed.

If you see any of these during your nightly brushing routine, it is worth mentioning at your next visit. We always take a close look during dental exams and cleanings, and this is exactly the kind of thing we want to catch.

What If There’s No Visible Change?

Here is the part that surprises a lot of parents: kids can absolutely have a cavity with no visible sign or symptoms at all. Decay that forms between teeth, may not be visible to the naked eye. That is one of the main reasons digital X-rays are so useful. They show us what we simply cannot see from the surface.

Signs Your Child Might Be Uncomfortable

Toddlers and young kids cannot always tell you what hurts, here are some things to pay attention to:

• Sensitivity to cold, heat, or sweets: If your child flinches, pulls away during meals or drinks that are really cold or sweet, a cavity decay may be growing into deeper layers of the tooth. 
• Fussing on one side: When a child chews only on one side of their mouth or avoids certain textures, something might be bothering them on the other side. 
• Pain or crying near mealtimes: Unprompted discomfort around eating is worth investigating.
• Visible pits or holes: In cavities that have been around for a little longer, you may notice an actual indentation on the surface of a tooth.

What Happens If We Find One?

Finding out your child has a cavity does not mean you’ve been doing anything wrong. Some kids are simply more prone to decay than others, and cavity risk is different for every family. If we do find decay, dental fillings are typically a quick, straightforward and easy solution. 

We take a thoughtful, individualized approach to treatment. One size doesn’t fit all, and what’s right for one child’s mouth may be different for another. Dr. Ray and Dr. Hayley will walk you through exactly what’s going on and what, if anything, needs to be done. Often, parents are relieved to hear it’s less involved than they remember or thought. 

Schedule Your Child at Silicon Beach Pediatric Dental

The best way to catch a cavity early is to keep up with regular visits. Dr. Ray and Dr. Hayley prefers catching something small before it becomes something bigger, but both outcomes are wins when it comes to your child’s oral health. 

If you noticed something that made you pause, or you just want to get your child in for a checkup, we’re here. Reach out through our contact form to schedule a visit at our Culver City office, and let us take a look.