If your child develops early childhood tooth decay, then this can lead to numerous dental issues. Your child's decayed tooth will need to be repaired immediately. Dentists sometimes suggest glass ionomer fillings for children because they expel fluoride and are extremely effective for restoring damaged teeth. This helps to make sure that their permanent teeth are healthy. However, glass ionomer fillings do not have the same life-expectancy as more durable filling materials. They can fracture within a few years of wear. If the filling fractures before your child's teeth fall out, then you will need to get the filling replaced. If your child goes without replacing their fillings, then this will leave their mouth vulnerable to developing all types of infections. Luckily, there are a few tips that you can use to protect your child's glass ionomer filling from fracturing.

Avoid Giving them Hard Candies to Eat

If your child is already struggling with extreme tooth decay, then hard candies should be kept to a minimum. Aside from causing tooth decay, hard candies can be destructive to your child's glass ionomer fillings. The hard candy increases the amount of force that is being applied to the filling at one time. The filling will eventually buckle under this force. Once the filling buckles, it will create cracks and fractures along your filling. If you want to offer your child a sweet treat every once in a while, then you should stick to softer foods like ice cream and cake. This will be easier for them to chew and will preserve the health of their dental fillings.

Instruct Your Child not to Chew on Objects

Young children tend to use their teeth to bite down on a myriad of items. This can include pens, toys and more. All of these objects apply additional wear on your child's fillings. The constant chewing and abrasion will eventually lead to small cracks and a large fracture in the dental filling. Therefore, if your child is someone who enjoys chewing on objects, then you can get them a soft chew toy that is more kid-friendly. It is also important to tell your child why they should not bite down on this objects. This will help to keep them from repeating this behavior in the future.

Glass ionomers can be great for safeguarding teeth that have been damaged by decay. Use these tips to ensure that your child's glass ionomers last as long as possible without fractures.