kids and getting cavities filled?

[livannie]

Hi, my two daughters, 3 and 5 are getting their cavities filled tomorrow at 6:15 a.m. And my 3 year old is getting her tongue tie fixed at the same time. I am really nervous because the dentist is going to be doing it at the hospital and he is going to have an anesthesiologist put them both to sleep. I am really nervous about having them put to sleep. My mom keeps telling me I shouldn't do it. Have any of you had your children put to sleep to get their cavities filled? My mom says thier baby teeth will fall out anyway so what's the point of getting them filled? But I want to do what's best for them and their health, I just don't know about the whole anesthesia thing.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My son had fillings when he was young, but not that young and the dentist didn't have him put under. At that time, we were going to a childrens' dentist and they have the kids watch a movie while they do the dental procedures. The only thing the dentist offered was giving my son a Valium or something like that, but I declined b/c my son wasn't nervous and I wasn't comfortable giving my child that kind of medication. I'm not sure about a three year old...I'd call around and get medical opinions.

As far as you mom saying there is no point because the cavities are in baby teeth - that is really inaccurate. Just let her know if the cavities aren't filled, the cavity teeth could abscess and would then need to be yanked out and your kids would have to have spacers put in to keep the teeth in their proper position. That means a ton of metal in the mouth and costs a lot of money.

Good luck!

 

[yennyfire]

My kids haven't ever had to have cavities filled, but I'd hesitate using anesthesia until you've at least gotten a second opinion. My DD had tubes put in her ears twice (ages 18 months and 3.5) and they put her barely under both times. She was already coming out of it by the time they wheeled her to me on the gurney. She had no side effects etc. So, I'm not saying it's a terrible thing, just that any anesthesia has risks and I'd make sure it's necessary before I went thru with it.

 

[packrat]

My kids have had cavities filled w/local and been fine. I know there are some places that will do a mild sedative/twilight sleep or whatever, but that's for adults, not sure about kids. I don't know that I'd do general anesthesia for the 5 minutes it takes to fill a cavity. it's mostly the noise that is the problem when they're that little. I'd rather have things to keep their minds occupied, like a movie or something so they're not paying attention.

 

[JewelFreak]

Can't give advice from experience with kids, but I had surgery at 6 to remove a cyst on my face. No problems, and that was back in the dinosaur days when they used ether.

However, it seems kind of like shooting a mosquito with an elephant gun to put them under at the hospital for fillings. Is this a dentist you've used for a long time? My first thought was that he'll be able to get a big fee from your insurance co. Could be unfair, but I'd still get a second opinion too -- it's not so urgent that you don't have time for one.

Good luck & tell us what you decide.

--- Laurie

 

[momhappy]

Is this a pediatric dentist?
I think that you're right to question this whole thing. I wouldn't have my kids put under for cavities in baby teeth. No way. Get a second opinion. My son had a minor (but fairly necessary) surgical procedure when he was about 1 and he actually stopped breathing on the surgical table. His surgeon said that he must have had some chest congestion (as a result of a cold) that they didn't catch before surgery. It all turned out just fine, but it was pretty scary to think that we could have lost him at that moment.
Also, 3 and 5 is awful young to have cavities (I know that cavities can be quite common, but I would be suspicious if all my kids developed cavities at an early age). Do they go to bed at night with bottles and/or sippy cups? With both children having cavities already, I would take a closer look at what might be causing them to eliminate the problem in the future.
I wish you and your little ones the best

 

[tyty333]

My kid's dentist just gives them a local. They must be good at it because the first time
My daughter didn't even know she got a shot.

Edit - my daughter has been put under due to other medical issues about 5 times. Mostly
between the ages of 4 1/2 and 6.

 

[LAJennifer]

My childhood dentist filled "cavities" in my baby teeth on multiple occasions. He used laughing gas, and I remember having a real good time. I never minded going to the dentist.

That was in the late 70's / early 80's, and I doubt I actually had cavities. I've never had a single cavity in my permanent teeth. Not one.

 

[livannie]

Thank you for all your replies My husband is nervous about it too. We have never been to this dentist before, he is a pediatric dentist and my husband's sister is his accountant/secretary. He is new to our city though. My husband's sister says he does these procedures every Friday at the hospital. He told us my kids would both need physicals before he would fill their cavities, which our children's doctor thought was kind of odd. I have only had 2 cavities my whole life but my husband has had one in almost all his teeth! Maybe it could be genetic? They brush thier teeth everyday but probably eat too much candy. I am still thinking about what I should do. That is very scary about what happened to your son Momhappy. That's what I am afraid of. I just don't understand why he can't use laughing gas.

 

[kenny]

General anesthesia for filling cavities?
Are you joking?

Sounds like some doctors need larger yachts.

 

[livannie]

That's exactly what my mom thinks Kenny. She thinks he just wants the money. I really should get a second opinion...

 

[AprilBaby]

I'm a dental hygienist. Do it. The kids won't remember a thing, it's very safe. The cavities must be severe enough to warrant anesthesia. I doubt it is general, probably just sedation. If you don't do it the permanent teeth can be affected. Your mom is dead wrong. Best wishes, they will be fine.

 

[livannie]

Thanks Aprilbaby . I think I am going to go tomorrow and talk to the dentist and anesthesiologist and ask my questions and see how we feel, and then we'll decide.

 

[asscherisme]

My kids have not had cavities but 2 of my kids had too many adult teeth and had to have one pulled. First oral surgeon wanted to knock my son out. I said no and he got really aggressive with me calling me an idiot uninformed etc. when I insisted on just novacaine. I have physicians in my family and they all said absolutely do not let my child be knocked out for a routine thing like a tooth being pulled. I walked out of the office and left the staff quite shocked when we just walked out as the oral surgeon was lecturing me about how he knew best.

I found another person who was wonderful and said he only sedates in extreme cases with parents permission but for routine cases no need and never pressuring. Done with novacane. Both my boys were fine and felt no pain other than pinprick of novacaine.

FYI, I called my insurance company and was told that dentists and oral surgeons most often sedate for the health of their wallet, not the health of their patients and they won't even cover the cost.

Also, my daughter needed to go to a periodontist for some work and again, done with novacaine, not knocked out.

I have learned to question medical procedures and advice. When I moved to my new town I had a dentist tell me I needed 4 root canals and 6 crowns. I had no pain and did not understand how my teeth went downhill from my last exam in my old town. I called my old dentist that said that unless I was chewing on rocks, this guy was a crook and to run not walk to another dentist.

I have developed a healthy mistrust of dentists. I go and take my kids ( and thankfully we found a great family dentist) but....

So here is my advice, your gut is obviously telling you no. So GO WITH YOUR GUT!

 

[monarch64]

Thank you for all your replies My husband is nervous about it too. We have never been to this dentist before, he is a pediatric dentist and my husband's sister is his accountant/secretary. He is new to our city though. My husband's sister says he does these procedures every Friday at the hospital. He told us my kids would both need physicals before he would fill their cavities, which our children's doctor thought was kind of odd. I have only had 2 cavities my whole life but my husband has had one in almost all his teeth! Maybe it could be genetic? They brush thier teeth everyday but probably eat too much candy. I am still thinking about what I should do. That is very scary about what happened to your son Momhappy. That's what I am afraid of. I just don't understand why he can't use laughing gas.

Nope. No way. He's a new dentist to you, new to your city? I would hold off and take a very serious look into his credentials and history before I let him put my children under. Sorry, too many news stories of kids who don't survive anesthesia. Something seems off here, and if your intuition is causing you to question things to the point you have to post a thread about it here, then... listen to your gut.

 

[TooPatient]

Thank you for all your replies My husband is nervous about it too. We have never been to this dentist before, he is a pediatric dentist and my husband's sister is his accountant/secretary. He is new to our city though. My husband's sister says he does these procedures every Friday at the hospital. He told us my kids would both need physicals before he would fill their cavities, which our children's doctor thought was kind of odd. I have only had 2 cavities my whole life but my husband has had one in almost all his teeth! Maybe it could be genetic? They brush thier teeth everyday but probably eat too much candy. I am still thinking about what I should do. That is very scary about what happened to your son Momhappy. That's what I am afraid of. I just don't understand why he can't use laughing gas.

Nope. No way. He's a new dentist to you, new to your city? I would hold off and take a very serious look into his credentials and history before I let him put my children under. Sorry, too many news stories of kids who don't survive anesthesia. Something seems off here, and if your intuition is causing you to question things to the point you have to post a thread about it here, then... listen to your gut.

This.

You should NOT be going in for a procedure where they put your kids under until AFTER the dr has fully explained every last step of what they are doing and why. PERIOD.
The night before a procedure, you shouldn't have any questions left. You shouldn't be wondering what they are doing and why they are doing this instead of that.

Please postpone! Talk to him and find out exactly what is going on. Get your questions answered and then if you are comfortable with the need for this procedure schedule. Don't be standing in the hospital with them pressuring you when you make a decision.

 

[LLJsmom]

Both my kids had cavities filled, around 4-6 years of age. (They are 8 and 11 now.) They received local through a shot, and also was given something oral (a liquid of some kind) to chill them out, help them feel mellow. They arrived about 45 minutes prior to the filling to drink that liquid. Both of the kids did very well under those conditions. My daughter, who is especially high strung about ANY medical procedure that involves ANY amount of pain, was very relaxed and did well. They went to a well respected pediatric dentist who had movies playing on the ceiling above the chair. My point is that there are many ways to help a child relax for procedures such as these.

I can tell you that I would NEVER let a doctor put my child under for a procedure like that unless there was a very good reason. I have seen too many anesthesiologists (?) f*** it up, not giving enough, giving too much. My own dad did not have enough after having surgery to remove parts of his large intestine and colon. Other family members received too much, got really sick after, etc. I am sorry. I am not letting him/her do that so he/she can have an easier time of it. Not to scare you, but to be realistic. Why do you think these doctors have the highest cost of malpractice insurance?

I would DEFINITELY get a second opinion before the procedure. Even if the procedure went well, I would still not want that many drugs in my child to put him/her under. If you and your husband are on the same page and uncomfortable with this procedure, rethink it and do what is necessary to be at peace with your decision. If your gut is telling you no, don't ignore it!! Besides, there is no danger to waiting until you get a second, third opinion. You are your child's advocate. No one else is going to do it.

 

[nottospec]

Can I offer another perspective and ask a few questions?

Firstly, how many fillings does each child need? How big are the cavities?

Children's teeth have very large pulps and wide tubules in the dentine so the decay causing bacteria tend to move through more quickly and infiltrate the pulp. Are either children having pain? If the fillings are deep or the tooth symptomatic, the pulp or nerve may need a form of baby root canal treatment called a pulpotomy or pulpectomy. The tooth is generally restored with a stainless steel crown which returns the function of the tooth and also prevents further decay.... An awesome restoration for a young child, but needs a cooperative child to be done properly

If the child needs many procedures, it nay be in the child's best interests to have them all done at once so the future dental experiences can be spent building trust

General anesthetics are very safe these days. I would never consent to iv sedation or even heavy oral sedation on a small child due to the airway management concerns with all the water from the handpieces.

 

[momhappy]

Thank you for all your replies My husband is nervous about it too. We have never been to this dentist before, he is a pediatric dentist and my husband's sister is his accountant/secretary. He is new to our city though. My husband's sister says he does these procedures every Friday at the hospital. He told us my kids would both need physicals before he would fill their cavities, which our children's doctor thought was kind of odd. I have only had 2 cavities my whole life but my husband has had one in almost all his teeth! Maybe it could be genetic? They brush thier teeth everyday but probably eat too much candy. I am still thinking about what I should do. That is very scary about what happened to your son Momhappy. That's what I am afraid of. I just don't understand why he can't use laughing gas.

Based on the fact that he's a new dentist for you, I would definitely seek out a second opinion. I know that you said that you plan to meet with the dentist and the anesthesiologist tomorrow and would make your decision accordingly, but personally, I think that this requires a second opinion from an entirely different pediatric dentist. Meeting with the current dentist/anesthesiologist only serves to support the current course of treatment. Meeting with a second pediatric dentist will allow you to explore different treatment options (if there are any). I am a strong believer in doing your own education and research, so that you can be an advocate for the best interests of your children. Yes, anesthesia is generally pretty safe, but it still requires careful consideration, especially with little ones involved.

 

[JewelFreak]

Take a look at the x-rays too -- have him explain them & trust your gut on what you see, rather than what he says. Then let another ped. dentist have a look.

Heredity can account for some tooth problems. My father had many cavities & other troubles, and my sister has too. Mom's teeth were super, and so are mine -- no cavities at all (but I did get her frizzy hair! ).

--- Laurie

 

[qtiekiki]

My son had his first cavity filled at age 3. He got it filled without any anesthesia. And the same for his second filling, and my daughter's filling at 5. So I think it may depends on how deep the cavity goes? Our pediatric dentist said that his molars have a lot of deep grooves, so it can be hard to keep clean even if we brush well. And we do a decent job, as the hygienist said there was not much plague. He also said that it's genetic, so if the parents have lots of cavities then the chance of the kids having them are higher.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Thank you for all your replies My husband is nervous about it too. We have never been to this dentist before, he is a pediatric dentist and my husband's sister is his accountant/secretary. He is new to our city though. My husband's sister says he does these procedures every Friday at the hospital. He told us my kids would both need physicals before he would fill their cavities, which our children's doctor thought was kind of odd. I have only had 2 cavities my whole life but my husband has had one in almost all his teeth! Maybe it could be genetic? They brush thier teeth everyday but probably eat too much candy. I am still thinking about what I should do. That is very scary about what happened to your son Momhappy. That's what I am afraid of. I just don't understand why he can't use laughing gas.

Cavities can be genetic, from what I read a while back. A couple things you can buy for your kids to help are floss picks and ACT mouth wash for kids. The floss picks are a lot easier to use than floss and both my kids wouldn't floss properly until we bought those. The ACT mouth wash is a fluoride wash they leave on their teeth at night. Both those in addition to brushing twice or more per day. (Your three year old will need help with these, I'm thinking...I can't remember what my kids were doing at three...but, either way, it will be easier for you to help your kids floss w/the picks. I wish we had started using those earlier )

 

[momhappy]

Yes, cavities can be genetic. When I posted earlier, I didn't mean to imply that diet/behavior was the only contributing factor. Certain things like having bottles/sippy cups in bed, eating lots of sweet foods that stick in teeth (raisins, fruit roll-ups, gummy candy), etc. can certainly make matters worse.

 

[nottospec]

It's not that cavities are genetic, genetics can predispose you to more cavities but you still need sugar to cause the acid production which produces the loss of tooth minerals leading to decay

Factors such as enamel composition ( newly erupted teeth have immature enamel), amount of plaque, bacterial efficiency of metabolizing sugar, saliva mineral content, tooth anatomy will make some patients more predisposed to decay but it is the consumption of sugar that is the killer

Glucose and sucrose are the worst but even fructose and lactose will do it. It is the FREQUENCY of sugar that is more important

Everytime we eat sugar, bacteria produce acid which lowers the ph in our mouths and demineralization occurs. If the pH is dropped regularly, via snacking, the saliva doesn't recover ti neutral and the acid attack can go on all day. Saliva minerals, fluoridated toothpaste and water all help to reverse the damage of the acid attack. If the acid is too frequent, saliva etc can't cope and enough minerals are lost for the matrix of the tooth to break down and an actual cavity is formed

So yes, some patients are predisposed to decay, but they won't get them in the absence of sugar

Op, if the cavities are large, do the GA

If small, and you think the kids will behave, try the chair

Only you know what your kids are capable of enduring. Some kids are stoic at three, others less so at nine. All kids are different

Isn't there a tongue tie to take care of too?

 

[kenny]

I've witnessed genetics used as an excuse for poor dental hygiene.

My SO's family all get dentures by age 40.
They all say tooth loss just runs in the family so why bother flossing?
Nobody in that family has ever used floss.

Hmmmm.

If there IS a genetic component then wouldn't it be MORE important to give your teeth and gums good care by daily flossing and brushing and pro cleaning?
That would likely delay the dentures a decade or 3.

 

[nottospec]

Laughing gas is really only good on a cooperative but anxious child

The kids needs to breathe it in to help them relax. If they fight it, it is not going to be effective and make the whole procedure frightening and worse for them.

It all comes down to how many fills, how deep etc

You have a family member in the practice. If she can report happy patients and parents, I wouldn't worry
He may be new to the city but everyone has to start somewhere. This is a man who has done further study on top of his dental degree to improve the oral health of children. If you are worried about his integrity, there are alot of more lucrative fields of dentistry to specialise in haha!!

 

[nottospec]

I've witnessed genetics used as an excuse for poor dental hygiene.

My SO's family all get dentures by age 40.
They all say tooth loss just runs in the family so why bother flossing?
Nobody in that family has ever used floss.

Hmmmm.

If there IS a genetic component then wouldn't it be MORE important to give your teeth and gums good care by daily flossing and brushing and pro cleaning?
That would likely delay the dentures a decade or 3.

There are genetic components to gum disease to but the others are smoking, diabetes and oral hygiene
It's a shame that SOs family accepted that as their lot in life, instead of taking a preventative approach

It also depends on what significance people place on their oral health. Alot of patients think dentures are a great and cheap substitute for teeth....... Until they get them!

The research shows that someone late in life with full dentures has about 10% of the chewing function they had when they were younger and fully dentate!

But this is adult situations, back to the OPs kids!!

 

[qtiekiki]

I am definitely not blaming genetics. We brush and floss our kids' teeth twice daily, and use the fluoride mouth rinse. So it's not that we are neglecting oral care. I mean, of course, there are possibilities that our brushing or flossing techniques are not good enough. But we do our best, and are really trying to prevent cavities. So I do agree that genetics shouldn't be an excuse.

 

[JewelFreak]

I didn't mean to say genetics is an excuse for poor dental health. It's only a component thereof. And Kenny's got it right -- those with teeth problems in the family are forewarned to be diligent.

Japanese teeth were the worst I'd ever seen in the years I used to travel there, though the younger generation is much better educated about brushing & flossing. I don't know if they get their teeth cleaned regularly -- it's not common in Holland, for instance -- but the Boomer generation & one younger than that had the most incredibly decayed & sad teeth I ever saw.

My dentist said it was due largely to the amount of rice in their diet coupled with lack of brushing. Carbohydrates turn to sugar (sorry, real scientific explanation) w/saliva & make trouble. In spades.

This is apropos of nothing but I felt like writing it.

--- Laurie

 

[msop04]

I dated a pediatric dentist on and off a while back (like 7+ years ago)... He would always sedate special needs kids, but even then, it was very common for him to use sedation on most children. If you know for sure your children will be totally okay during the procedure, then I would just ask the dentist to give a local -- that said, some dentists will insist on sedation for that age. They won't take the chance of the child freaking out and going into spastic kicking fits when there is a drill and/or other sharp objects in their mouths or around their heads/eyes.