It looks like your browser is out-of-date! For the best user experience, please upgrade to a more modern browser like Chrome or Edge.

Skip to Main Content
Visitor Guidelines | Directrices de visitas

We are taking thoughtful steps to ensure our spaces remain safe for patients, parents and caregivers. View safety measures, mask policy and visiting guidelines.

Estamos adoptando medidas reflexivas para garantizar que nuestros espacios sigan siendo seguros para los pacientes, los padres y los cuidadores. Vea las medidas de seguridad, la política de uso de mascarillas y las directrices de visitas.

Mobile sized logo
  • 317.944.5000
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Refer a Patient
    • Plan My Visit
    • Pay a Bill
    • Make a Donation
    • Volunteer
    • Find a Career
    • Health Information
    • Find a Doctor
    • Departments & Programs
    • Support Services
    • Contact & Locations
    • Refer a Patient
    • My IU Health Patient Portal
Riley Children's Health
  • 317.944.5000
  • My IU Health Patient Portal
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Refer a Patient
    • Plan My Visit
    • Pay a Bill
    • Make a Donation
    • Volunteer
    • Find a Career
Book Appointment Online with select physicians.
Request Appointment Online to schedule with one of our coordinators.
1.888.IUHEALTH for
Same-Day Primary Care Appointments.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1.
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Refer a Patient
    • Plan My Visit
    • Pay a Bill
    • Make a Donation
    • Volunteer
    • Find a Career
  • Health Information
  • Find a Doctor
  • Departments & Programs
  • Support Services
  • Contact & Locations
  • My IU Health Patient Portal
  • General Information
    317.944.5000
  • Health Information
  • Find a Doctor
  • Departments & Programs
  • Support Services
  • Contact & Locations
Riley Children's Health

Restorative Dental Care

Restorative Dental Care
  • Find a Doctor
  • Request An Appointment
  • On This Page:
  • What to Expect
  • Key Points to Remember
  • Locations
  • Related Conditions & Departments
Go back to the top of the page

If your child experiences dental decay or trauma, restorative dental care can help repair the damage, improving form and function. Restorative dental care services at Riley at IU Health include pediatric sealants, fillings and crowns.

Sealants provide a painless way to protect against cavities. If your child has a cavity, he or she may need a filling. Crowns are used when a tooth is too badly damaged to hold a filling.

Some restorative care requires sedation and anesthesia. Depending on the extent of the damage, restorative care can take a few minutes to a couple of hours. You should speak with your child’s dentist to learn which restorative care methods your child will receive and how long his or her appointment will last.

What to Expect

What to Expect

When teeth have naturally deep grooves and spaces, your child’s dentist may want to fill the spaces with a sealant to protect teeth from cavities. After your child’s teeth are cleaned and dried, the sealant is applied over the areas it needs to cover then hardened with a special ultraviolet (UV) light. Applying a sealant only takes a few minutes per tooth and is painless. Your child will be able to eat after the procedure.

If a cavity already exists, then your child may need a filling. All dentistry practices with Riley at IU Health offer both silver and white (composite) fillings. You and your child's dentist can decide which type of filling is best for your child based on the amount of decay, if the tooth is a baby tooth and other factors. To place a filling, your child’s dentist will remove any affected parts of the teeth to prevent decay from spreading further. He or she then fills the remaining hole with filling material, which is cemented to the tooth. The amount of time it takes to fill a tooth depends on how much decay is present and what type of filling is used.

When your child’s tooth has become damaged or the decay is extensive, it may not be able to hold a filling. In these instances, a stainless steel crown can keep your child’s tooth healthy and prevent tooth pain. A crown covers the entire surface of the tooth, protecting it from further damage. To place the crown, your child’s dentist will shape the tooth and a stainless steel crown so that the two fit together tightly. The crown is glued into place. If your child still has his or her baby teeth, the crown should stay in place until the adult tooth pushes through naturally.

Some children may require sedation, including the use of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral sedation or general anesthesia to complete their treatment. The dentist will discuss these approaches after reviewing your child’s medical history and his or her dental needs to determine the safest manner to provide the necessary treatment.

Key Points to Remember

Key Points to Remember

  • Restorative dental care services at Riley at IU Health include sealants, fillings and crowns.
  • Sealants provide a painless way to protect against cavities.
  • If your child has a cavity, he or she may need a filling.
  • Crowns are used when a tooth is too badly damaged to hold a filling.
  • Some restorative care requires sedation and anesthesia.

Locations

Locations

Locations

In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.

See all facilities →

Related Conditions & Departments

Related Conditions & Departments

Departments

  • Dentistry
Riley Children's Health Indiana University School of Medicine
Designated as Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Ranked in 10 Specialties in 2020-21

©2023 Riley Hospital for Children at
Indiana University Health
Find adult services at iuhealth.org

Get Informed

  • About Riley Children's Health
  • Family Support Services
  • Health Professionals
  • Medical Education
  • Newsroom
  • Riley Connections Blog
  • Careers
  • Legal Notices

I Want To…

  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Refer a Patient
  • Plan My Visit
  • Pay a Bill
  • Make a Donation
  • Volunteer
  • Find a Career

General Information

317.944.5000

Connect with Riley at IU Health

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • RSS
Designated as Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Ranked in 10 Specialties in 2020-21

©2023 Riley Hospital for Children at
Indiana University Health
Find adult services at iuhealth.org


Non-discrimination Notice

  • English
  • Español
  • Français
  • Burmese
  • Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch
  • 中文
  • Nederlands
  • Deutsch
  • Hakha
  • 日本語
  • Karen
  • 한국어
  • Русский
  • Tagalog
  • Tiếng Việt
  • العربية
  • हिंदी
  • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
Back to top of the page