Anyone have a 2 year old with a cavity ever?

[debm]

I have 4 children and just went for their routine dental checkup. Decided to take the 2 year old to start getting him used to seeing the dentist. I figured they would start to show him the equipment, let him lay in the chair, etc. Instead they "got down to business" and just pried his mouth open and did a quick exam. I guess that's beside the point because----they tell me he has 2 cavities!! I'm in shock. My oldest did have trouble with his enamel on his permanent teeth (not his fault) and my daughter did have a cavity in a baby tooth when she was 5 but I am shocked about my youngest. I really don't know what to do. They tell me he can go under general anesthetic in the hospital, they can give him a liquid that will make him sleepy in the office or they can just give him gas and I can try to hold him down. They really don't want to do the latter but I think they were being nice to me by offering it. Has anyone else had experience with this? I really think the hospital is not an option for us. I'm worried that if we just give him gas he will not be happy about the dentist in his mouth and it will be terrible trying to drill the tooth and of course we can't stop part way through. But with the liquid I am not allowed in the room and there are all these forms to sign, pediatrician to see, lots of money that I don't think insurance will cover. My sister says not to do anything right now. Think about it and do some research. They can't even fit him in until February anyhow. But then there is the mercury that I am putting in his mouth. That worries me too with everything I am starting to hear about that. Please anyone any comments????? Help!!!!! Thank you!!!!!

 

[Cinderellagrl]

The absolute best thing you can do is find a pediatric dentist who is great with children. So many people are afraid of going to the dentist. If your child has a bad experience at 2 years old, he'll most likely be afraid of going to the dentist for the rest of his life. I searched & searched until I found the right one for my daughter. She's 5 and she's been going there for 2 years now and actually LIKES going to the dentist. She's had a cavity filled also. They had a way of doing it that she still to this day does not even know that they gave her a shot of novacaine. Find someone you feel comfortable with and that your child feels comfortable with.

 

[rascalmom]

DH is a dentist & I would have to agree with Cinderellagrl - find a good pediatric dentist. With two cavaties, putting him in the hospital would be a little extreme unless he has other health issues. It is done frequently for very young children - too many parents will put a baby to bed with a bottle or sippy cup of milk or juice. All that sugar just sits on their little teeth. A pediatric dentist can assess what your child can tolerate better. My dh only does "happy visits" on kids that young. If treatment needs to be done we refer them to the pediatric dentist. Be sure to talk to them & find out what their policies are - some older specialists will just slap them on a papoose board & do it quick. I think this is too traumatizing. There are great kid's dentists out there - ask around. As for the liquid & doing it in the office - its really not that expensive, if you have RX coverage it should be covered. That's the choice I would make for my child.

 

[debm]

Thanks so far for your responses. Yes, this is a pediatric dentist. We live in the St. Louis area and they are the largest group and my other kid with special needs sees them and does great. I guess, given their history of billing me, I am a bit nervous because they want $200 up front 2 weeks before the procedure if I do the liquid. They are unsure if my insurance will cover that. I know it is not a lot but I feel in a child that young insurance should pay for it but we don't know yet. And they will still strap him to a papoose and they say that his actions could be uncontrollable and it is uncertain how he will behave with the medicine. So they will still give him gas if necessary. I think that is very unpredictable if they won't let me be there. If there is one person that can calm him it is me---not looking into the faces of strangers. If anything, I think that will scare him more. And they won't do it during nap time it has to be first thing in the morning since he can't eat or drink. So getting him up early won't help because then he won't understand why he can't drink. And no, he doesn't go to bed with bottles or juice so that isn't an issue. Keep the responses coming.....

 

[Cinderellagrl]

While I guess I can understand that some pediatric dentists use that approach, I could not do that to my children. I think being strapped down would terrify them. My daughter's pediatric dentist and the assistants use their own terminology for needles, novacaine, etc. They don't strap the children down at all. They spend time talking to them to make them feel comfortable. They use gel to kind of numb the area for the novacaine. They have a way of hiding the needle while they give the shot. As I said, she didn't feel it at all. They also give her the nitris oxide (sp?) to relax her. They give her the choice of picking out the scent she wants. I am allowed in there for everything they do. I don't have any dental insurance and it is more costly using a pediatric dentist, but it's worth it IF they're a good dentist. I personally would keep searching for a dentist who doesn't take that approach. I would think strapping a child down, especially without their parent there could traumatize them.

 

[rascalmom]

Do you have prescription coverage with your medical policy? If so, I would have them write you a RX for the liquid & pick it up from the pharmacy. If the dentist office dispenses the med, it is less likely that it will be covered. I've filed a lot of insurance over the years - you could ask them to do a pre-determination of benefits for you. This would give you a pretty close idea to what the ins co will cover. It takes a few weeks - insurance companies are slow, but if the dentist can't fit you in until Feb you've got some time. Did they say how deep the cavities are - is your child having any pain? If they aren't very deep, does your dentist do the air-abrasion technique?

I have never liked the papoose boards, but some specialists only work that way on very young kids. They don't let the moms in because the theory is that if the child can see the parent, they get that expectation that the parent will "rescue them". It is also upsetting for the child to see the stress on the parent's face, which is hard to avoid. The dentist and the team can work more quickly without the extra person in the room.

As far as why - I hope you didn't think I was implying you put your little one down with his bottle. I knew you probably didn't - baby bottle syndrome would involve many more teeth - that's why it usually involves the work being done at the hospital. Do you know if your community's water supply has fluoride? I would think that it does, but some kids just have soft enamel and need some supplementation. Parents ask all the time when they should start brushing their kids teeth - if they have teeth they should be brushed. Don't worry - the pedodontist deals with this all the time & it should be quick and easy for your child. With the liquid, chances are they will be so sleepy they won't remember anything.

 

[Snoopymom]

Gosh, I think 2 yrs old is a little young. Ds had a cavity filled at 3 yrs 9 months. Dh was in the room with him. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it. They used gas and dh said the clamps to hold his mouth open were horrendous. It took about 15 minutes of drilling and dh called him a "bad *ss" for not crying or freaking out. Dh siad it was pretty traumatic for him, but not for ds.

The worst part was about 5 hours later, the whole inside of his mouth was bleeding and sore from him chewing on it because of the wierd numb feeling. The dentist warned us that all kids do it. I gave him a little kid's Motrim so that he could sleep, but it healed real quick.

Ds definitely remembers so I'm sure it's not going to be pleasant when we go back. One good thing is that he insists on brushing his teeth all the time so that he doesn't get any more cavities.

 

[momsully]

My oldest DS is 5 and has no enamal on his baby teeth. We have had two cavities in five years and both were filled by a pediatric dentist. They were done in the office with me in the room. Like Cinderellagrl DD my son never felt the novacaine. We did not use the nitrous oxide but it was available if I or the dentist had felt it necessary. My son has a friend who had her teeth filled at the hospital and it was like outpatient surgery with general anesthesia etc. I would not choose that option if I could avoid it.

One thing the pediatric dentist said to be aware of was goldfish crackers. She suggested we not eat these as they tend to get more stuck in the teeth and cause problems. I am not sure how but we don't eat them anymore. We also don't do gummi bears, fruit snacks or any sticky candy.

 

[rascalmom]

I agree, with the flavored topicals available now, a good dentist should be able to numb the area without any pain.

 

[phamton]

I wouldn't worry about the mercury. Despite amalgam’s long and impressive track record, a small group, communicating primarily through the Internet, claims they know more than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), when they say amalgam is somehow responsible for diseases such as autism, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis because it is an alloy with mercury. Yet, the FDA, NIH, USPHS and other organizations responsible for protecting the nation’s health have extensively evaluated amalgam time and time again and declared it safe and effective. The FDA’s most recent reaffirmation of the amalgam’s safety was published in March, 2002.

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/mercury.html
"Mercury is a component of the amalgam used for "silver" fillings. The other major ingredients are silver, tin, copper, and zinc. When mixed, these elements bond to form a strong, stable substance. The difference between bound and unbound chemicals can be illustrated by a simple analogy. Elemental hydrogen is an explosive gas. Elemental oxygen is a gas that supports combustion. When combined, however, they form water, which has neither of these effects. Amalgam's ingredients are tightly bonded to each other. Although the types of chemical bonds in water and amalgam differ, saying that amalgam will poison you is just as wrong as saying that drinking water will make you explode and burst into flames."

http://women.msn.com/257121.armx
"the National Institutes of Health reports that since 1906 there have only been 50 documented cases of mercury poisoning in the United States -- a staggeringly low number when you consider the fact that more than 100 million Americans have amalgam fillings. Dentists have used silver amalgam to fill cavities for more than 150 years."

 

[Kitty 34]

My middle DS had a cavity filled when he was 4 and I thought that was young!!! He's 17 now and still has many problems with his teeth. They just aren't very strong according to the dentist.

Having his cavity filled wasn't too big of a deal. Our dentist did a nice job in assuring our son as it was being done and I was right there with him.

 

[debm]

Thank you to all who are responding to me. Yes, I think if he were 3 or 4 I could reason with him. But just 2! I think that will be hard. Also I'm wondering about the cavities too because when my daughter was 4 our dentist told me she had a cavity and we were making an appt. to have it filled and he was saying it might be a big deal--may need to pull it, etc. Then we moved here to St. Louis area before it was done---just couldn't fit her in in only 3 weeks so I immediately took her to a dentist here. That dentist--same one we see now---said she did NOT have a cavity that needed to be filled and she was fine. hhhmmmmm.....are there that big of discrepancies. I do see the spot on his tooth but I'm just wondering if I should get a 2nd opinion too.

 

[mom2grace]

OMG! My stepdad is a pediatric dentist too. My daughter had 2 cavities at 3 years old.

He didn't do anything...no gas, no numbing lotion and she was fine!!! A cavity in a baby tooth is not worth strapping your child down, how traumatic. How might your child react the next time he or she needs to have a cavity filled??

I think you should get a second opinion from another ped. dentist or else wait until your child is older.

I am not flaming you, just stunned by the actions of your dentist. Just becuase they are pediatric dentists doesn't mean they are good with kids! Also, I wouldn't give them a penny up front, what happens if they don't get to fill the tooth? That just sounds odd!

I just reread your post....they won't let you be there?????!!!! PLEASE FIND A NEW DENTIST!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

When my DS4 was 18 months old, he fell (running to me-talk about a guilt trip..no pun intended) and split his front tooth. Tried to get into the dentist-Friday evening, but by the time he called back, DS was OK-no pain. We went in to our (adult) dentist and tried to get the little piece out, but wouldn't come out...Long story short, at about 2-1/2 yrs old after watching it for a year, it turned brown, the little piece had fallen out, and it started to bother him...We were referred to a ped dentist, because our dentist wasn't comfortable with anesthesia for a toddler. The ped dentist recommmended pulling the tooth under local anesthesia. So my little trooper laid down in that chair and had those shots (I don't know about anyone else, but I can still feel the novacaine, even with that topical gel.) He cried, of course, and then when the dentist was pulling the tooth, he just laid there and I laid on top of him because I couldn't watch...It was a little traumatic for him, he remembers but it doesn't bother him to go to the dentist. On the other hand, I will remember it vividly until my last breath....

We are lucky with both DS4 and DS6 that they could receive sealants on their teeth when they were 4 years old. DH and I both have a mouthful of fillings because our teeth are "soft". Wish they had sealants when I was a kid.

I would feel really uncomfortable about giving a toddler general anesthesia just for a filling. The risk doesn't justify it, to me. When I was a child, about 5, (41 yrs ago!) the dentist gave me some kind of drug to make me relax. He gave me too much, and couldn't do a thing with me...it was like I was totally drunk...

Good luck with your little guy. He is really young, I don't think he will remember this to the point of being freaked out by going to the dentist..My DS4 isn't afraid at all..I hope not-even after my bad experiences with childhood dentistry, I am one of a few people who don't mind going to the dentist. My dentist is great, he is super aware of pain, and worries about it..I don't like to get novacaine-I don't need it, but sometimes I get it for his sake, so he doesn't break out in a sweat while drilling..

 

[Maleficent2]

I am a dental hygienist with over 25 years in practice DF was a dentist.

I would look for another pedo, being a pedo he should not have to resort to holding down a patient. I don't care if he does have the biggest practice in the city that does not make him a compassionate dentist, just a good con man if you ask me.

I would also take him somewhere else for nothing more than a second opinion. Also most pedo's I know hardly ever use amal in primary teeth. They use composites http://www.qualitydentistry.com/dental/composite/composite.html

here is another link for you
http://home.flash.net/~dkennel/

also Dental Schools are another alternative. They will be much kinder to your child and you have alot of DDS or DMD's overseeing every move
http://www.siue.edu/sdm/


Mal

 

[debm]

Thank you all!! I am feeling much better already. Maybe just that my gut feeling about this dentist all along is possibly correct. I mean, he is really nice and takes time with you. But it seems I'm always getting funny charges or they don't tell you everything that is happening.....until you get the charge later. My next door neighbor is a hygienist and she has quit 2 practices lately because of moral issues. She says many offices use "people off the street" and train them to clean your teeth. Sure enough, I asked at the ped. dentist if my children were seeing a licensed hygienist. They said, "Sure, well, most of the time, well, I think so......." So I just request it every time we go in ---to make sure they know that I know that they should be using them! Again, thank you for all your help everyone. I will ask more questions and get a 2nd opinion.

 

[Maleficent2]

That practice(using un liscensed girls or guys)as hygienists is getting to be very common place and is illegal. That is why they will not admit to it. It is like taking someone off the street and training them to drill and fill. I don't think the dentist would be happy about that case. Arrg that makes my blood boil.

If that is the case in this practice I am glad you are thinking of looking elsewhere.

Ask for your xrays, if they took any.

One thing I forgot to add. Over the years I have seen many primary teeth with pit and fissure abnormalities that are not really cavities. If your next door neighbor would, have her look at these two "cavities".