I need advice for caps for children's teeth!

[sarahlovesmickey]

just my opinion, go with the whites. I work with too many kids that have those awful silver ones and yes, they do get teased. Sorry, but they do. I don't personally have experience with crowns, but if it were my kid, I would go with the white. The investment would be worth my child feeling good about themself.

 

[mom2my3kids]

My youngest has one of his teeth capped, now it was porcelain. But if chipped and fell off, now the small sanded tooth is exposed. Insurance will not cover it again. The dentist talked to me and said you know what, its going to fall out in a year or so anyway and its hardly noticeable. Just keep it brushed and he should be fine, she said the porcelain are very prone to chipping and coming off the tooth.

 

[ptlycloudy]

My dd had a porcelain in the front, stainless in back. I am not sure of the exact type. She had the top 4 front teeth done. It was for the same reason decay and teeth breaking in front, yet the rest of her teeth are great. She still has 2 of them and has lost the other 2.

We really have had no problem beyond keeping them clean. She lost the first one due to a head butt with her sister but she lost the tooth underneath also. This was last year and since the adult tooth was already descending it was no big deal. She won't lose the other 2 for another year probably so that would have been alot of school with all silver teeth. The money was tough for us to come up with and we did without alot to pay for them but I would do it again.

Honestly I don't understand where kids get to be so mean! She has had comments about how she doesn't take care of herself, her mom doesn't love her and take care of her etc. Really where do kids come up with these things! They upset me more than her though. She just started telling them that she had special teeth because she was special and her mom loved her enough to give them to her! I think with boys teasing wouldn't be as bad.

Definitely get a second opinion though. We did, the dentist we saw said we couldn't be in better hands with our original dentist. I really appreciated our anesthesiologist calling us 2 days before and answering all my questions and really putting me at ease. She only worked on children and really made me feel better.

In the recovery room they are not themselves. Just keep talking in a soothing voice and hugging them until they come around. Oh and bring a favorite stuffy or blanket. This was the best idea another mom gave me. Iit was something familiar and smelled like home. Hang in there and best of luck!!

 

[Tink415]

My youngest dd had to get her front teeth capped due to decay when she was two. She had the caps placed under GA in a hospital. We had to pay what the insurance didn't cover for the white caps; I don't remember how much but it hurt at the time. They lasted until her front teeth fell out at 5. I considered the money well spent.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[lisadr]

I totally understand what you are going through. I would offer the advice to have them put him under. I know it is scary to use anesthesia on a child, but when my DD(5) had to go through it it was torture for both her and myself. I had to try to be reassuring and then turn my head to bawl my eyes out as they worked on my baby! She was so traumatized that if i even mention the dentist she hyperventilates! Just going for a check up it hell! Just an opinion based on what we went through.

Good luck and stay strong.

Oh P.S. She has silver molars and a white incisor-the person who had the most problem with them was her.

Yes you're right. I am worried about the surgery as well. It was either have him put to sleep or have him be strapped down to a table while they shot him up with needles and put the caps on. My husband and I just can't put him under that kind of stress. I don't know why it wouldn't be the same kind as adults have. I've never had to have any teeth work done so I'm clueless about dentistry work. I think they said that it was actually the stainless steel caps and to make them white they drill a hole in them so that the white stuff has something to stick to and they spread it across the front of the cap. The back of the tooth will still be silver.

 

[Nicholfamily5]

I completely agree with a pp to get another opinion. She said it all! You still have time, and you can postpone the surgery for a short time to get another opinion. I would also opt for the white caps. I couldn't even imagine seeing my baby with all that silver! ACK!
Although, don't feel badly if it turns out that is what you have to do. I don't mean to disparage any choices you may be forced to make financially.

 

[averill94]

Hmmm maybe start with a second opinion...

I did not get a 2nd but my son went through same thing at 2 1/2. He had 4 stainless in the back and luckily the 2 front teeth were worked on but "bonded" somehow.

Please do not put stainless for his front teeth! ( Especially b/c he is so young still and has a ways to go!)

Good luck in whatever you choose.

 

[kimmie]

Please put on the white!

DD was 2 when we had to put 6 white caps on. She was born without any enamel on her teeth and they began to decay. We did GA at the hospital and were very pleased with everything. They fell out when her permanent teeth came in.

I really feel for you, but it will be fine.

 

[rluey29]

Alot of you are saying to get a second opinion, but I have already done that. The second person also said that he needed caps but he just wanted me to let him strap him down to do the work.

Could those of you who've put the white crowns on your kids please let me know what type they were, especially if they stayed on well.

 

[punkin]

Where are the crowns going? If it is on a molar, I wouldn't worry about it. My DD has 4 of them and no one can see anything. If it is in the very front, I think I would spring for the better quality caps.

On the other hand you can always say they are "grills"

 

[spima3]

Just talking with my cousin about this last night. Her 6 year old son had to have 4 caps and 3 fillings done and they decided to have it all done at one time and go with GA.
However, he was a premie and has already had a few surgeries, so they weren't so much concerned with the GA as the cost. Even with their insurance, they spent $3500 on his teeth. Yikes! I think they borrowed the money from her parents.
It is a tough decision, and I hope you can afford to do what you would prefer.
One side note, by oldest DD, also bad teeth, had to have a cap done a few years ago. I spent about $120 on it, it was the white one as it was near the front. The tooth fell out after two months.

 

[DVCsince02]

A few of you are talking about your adult crowns, but I'm pretty sure they won't do porcelain crowns on baby teeth.

Correct.

Could those of you who've put the white crowns on your kids please let me know what type they were, especially if they stayed on well.

It was Stainless Steel with a porcelain coating on the outside and top (not inside). So far it's has been fine.

My DD had the laughing gas and some lidocane to assist with the pain. No GA.

 

[SpaceGirl]

Please try and find the money for the white caps, my nephew had his front teeth caped with the silver caps and yes children can be mean they called him "Metal Mouth."

 

[rluey29]

It is his 4 top front teeth and 3 of his bottom front teeth so it would be where everyone would see them. I feel bad when I see a child with a bunch of silver teeth so I can't imagine doing it to my own child if I can find the money to make them white. It will cost me over $1000 to have them all done though. Hopefully I can talk the DDS into knocking a little money off of each tooth. I'm definitely concerned about the GA. Anything can happen!

 

[hambirg]

My son had one of his front teeth capped when he was about 2. They used GA and the cap was white. Our insurance covered it. That being said, he knocked it off after about 3 weeks. I couldn't stand to put him under GA again so I just had them pull the tooth.

 

[DisneyNic]

Oh and bring a favorite stuffy or blanket. This was the best idea another mom gave me. Iit was something familiar and smelled like home. Hang in there and best of luck!!

This is great advice. I wish someone had mentioned it to me before my DD's procedure. As I was sitting there trying to calm her down I told my mom that I wished I had thought to bring her blanket from home. She has slept with a certain blanket since she was little and I know it would have comforted her to have that, but I didn't think about it beforehand.

 

[Reagan&Co.]

DS had to have a couple of teeth pulled and a crown put on one (on the bottom towards the back) due to decay when he was about 6. He didn't mind the silver crown at all. He told us it was where he kept his "powers".

Oh, that is funny!!! My DS has to go next month for dental surgery. It must be pretty common, because the pediatric dentist here goes to the hospital every Friday and is booked up.

I have felt horribly guilty, and cried at the dentist several times, although they have by no means made me feel bad about my DS's teeth. I'm sure they see much worse. Anyhow, my DD inherited strong teeth and my DS did not. I don't know how else to explain it. He did nurse "long and often",too!

 

[Buckimom]

my dd5 had crowns put on when she was 1 and 1/2..they have held up wonderfully with regular 6mo checkups..it was a lot out of pocket but well worth it. u can see a little of the silver but we to call it her grill..lol my dentist was great enough to setup a payment plan. it was a difficult enough situation.

 

[DebMcDonald]

My recommendation would be to go with the white ones. My DD (5) just got back from the oral surgeon today, as she had an extra front tooth pulled this morning and I'm upset that she will now have a space between her two front teeth for a couple of years, but I think I could handle that better than having silver teeth for 6-7 years. Kids can be so mean and he'll always get questioned about it.

Good luck with your surgery. My DD did great this morning, but it was only one.

 

[nicolet]

I have a question? Do the teeth hurt your son? Did you get a second opinion?

My son was about 2.5 and a dentist told me that he had to be put under and have 4 teeth capped -they were molars. I didn't feel right about the whole thing. Plus I didn't want him to be put under young. I called around and found a different dentist. When I told the first dentist that I wanted to wait a while for the second opinion before scheduling the surgery, they got very nasty with me. Told me that wouldn't be me dentist anymore. I then received a nasty letter. I was glad to wash my hands from them.

The new dentist said that 1 tooth needed the cap it was a molar. The other 3 were small not bothering him. He said they would let them go if they got bigger do something about them. They gave him general anesthia in the office and he was fine.

I just thought I would share my story with you......