My dentist is trying to talk me into sealants for the kids.$$$

[FredS]

If you don't want sealants for your family that's your choice. But to compare your dentist to some fluncky at the bookstore is ridiculous. Your dentist is an educated and highly trained doctor that is looking out for the best interest of your family's dental health. Sealants were found to be benficial in maintaining a person's dental health by the American Dental Association and the FDA many years ago. They are not trying to sell you some insignificant book club membership.

I totally agree. Sealants are routine and their value has been established for years. Your OP even included $$$ in the title, so it seems that money IS the issue, even though you now say money isn't an issue. You were ready to dump your dentist for "talking you into" something so basic that probably his assistant was a little surprised that you needed to be persuaded. Perhaps she could have been a bit less assertive but I think that in her shoes I would have been thinking about your kids and how a relatively simple, inexpensive thing can go a long way towards preventing very expensive, painful dental work.

You seem very defensive in reaction to the vast majority of posters agreeing with your dentist. I don't quite understand, but hopefully you will do the best thing for your child(ren).

 

[tinkarooni]

If you don't want sealants for your family that's your choice. But to compare your dentist to some fluncky at the bookstore is ridiculous. Your dentist is an educated and highly trained doctor that is looking out for the best interest of your family's dental health. Sealants were found to be benficial in maintaining a person's dental health by the American Dental Association and the FDA many years ago. They are not trying to sell you some insignificant book club membership.

Thank you for responding to my thread. However I was not comparing my dentist to a book store flunky but rather the hygienist's "hard sell" approach to the same "hard sell" approach at the book store. Thanks for your input.

 

[tinkarooni]

I totally agree. Sealants are routine and their value has been established for years. Your OP even included $$$ in the title, so it seems that money IS the issue, even though you now say money isn't an issue. You were ready to dump your dentist for "talking you into" something so basic that probably his assistant was a little surprised that you needed to be persuaded. Perhaps she could have been a bit less assertive but I think that in her shoes I would have been thinking about your kids and how a relatively simple, inexpensive thing can go a long way towards preventing very expensive, painful dental work.

You seem very defensive in reaction to the vast majority of posters agreeing with your dentist. I don't quite understand, but hopefully you will do the best thing for your child(ren).

Thank you for responding to my thread. In response to your posting I would say that $$$ is an issue and a consideration in most everything most people do, and in some cases the driving force, however it is not the driving force here. However $$ questions were not the point to my thread, none of my friends have sealants nor do any of their children so I'm trying to get some first hand information. My biggest concern was and remains my lack of knowledge on the subject when I was approached by the hygienist. While I am sure that most hygienists are perfectly lovely people, this particular individual was pushy even when I told her that I wanted to research it and talk to my DH. A perfectly reasonable request when any of us are faced with making a decision about something we have very little knowledge.

So now thanks to many posters on this thread I have done some research and am happy with some things I find and not so happy with other things. Before anyone asks those things are the fact that some of the sealants contain BPA, a "potentially" cancer causing product found in some plastic bottles and lined on the inside of some cans and a product that my family has been actively trying to avoid for some time. So armed with this new information I now have additional questions for my dentist.

So thanks to everybody that posted, it is OK for us to not all agree on a subject. I also probably won't come back and post what we did, because strangely enough some people have gotten riled up about dental sealants. I had no idea it was such a popular subject and people had such strong opinions about it. Thanks to everybody though, I like to weigh the pros and cons and than make a good decision and you all helped me to do that.

 

[Haley/Hayden Mom]

Ahh yes....braces.....a whole different can of worms. DD9 has already had her first round of braces due to a really bad cross bite. So far DS11 has managed to escape them.....only time will tell. If you have a health flexible spending account you can use that for braces too.

We've already been weighing the FSA at DH's work. Prob will help out in the long run. I dread when we have to start that.

 

[ccgirl]

I haven't read all the replies but my dental insurance covers sealants on the children's permanent teeth not baby teeth. I'm sure that's because they are just going to fall out anyway. I will have my DD7's sealed when her permanent molars are all the way up. I think that will be her next appt.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Thank you for responding to my thread. In response to your posting I would say that $$$ is an issue and a consideration in most everything most people do, and in some cases the driving force, however it is not the driving force here. However $$ questions were not the point to my thread, none of my friends have sealants nor do any of their children so I'm trying to get some first hand information. My biggest concern was and remains my lack of knowledge on the subject when I was approached by the hygienist. While I am sure that most hygienists are perfectly lovely people, this particular individual was pushy even when I told her that I wanted to research it and talk to my DH. A perfectly reasonable request when any of us are faced with making a decision about something we have very little knowledge.

So now thanks to many posters on this thread I have done some research and am happy with some things I find and not so happy with other things. Before anyone asks those things are the fact that some of the sealants contain BPA, a "potentially" cancer causing product found in some plastic bottles and lined on the inside of some cans and a product that my family has been actively trying to avoid for some time. So armed with this new information I now have additional questions for my dentist.

So thanks to everybody that posted, it is OK for us to not all agree on a subject. I also probably won't come back and post what we did, because strangely enough some people have gotten riled up about dental sealants. I had no idea it was such a popular subject and people had such strong opinions about it. Thanks to everybody though, I like to weigh the pros and cons and than make a good decision and you all helped me to do that.

The latest dental sealants are BPA free. The information is on the National Dental Association's website.

 

[mnasf]

My kids have all had them and one of mine had a cavity which they thought was due to a medication. I have 3 kids 15, 10, and 6. However, I heard a dentist say they don't always do them because you need to make sure the teeth are in good shape. You don't want to cover up or seal a problem. I think researching this is a good idea. But I had lots of cavities as a kid and mine don't. Result of sealants? I don't know.

I'm starting to think that I may have to find a new dentist soon. The dentist himself is nice and seems competent, he remembers your name and chats you up, but than he has the hygienist doing the hard sell. When I had my kids in last week the hygienist said that she was scheduling the kids next appt in 6 months and she was allowing enough time to put sealants on the kids teeth, and by the way, insurance won't cover them. Alrighty than. Once I absorbed all of this information I said to her that I wasn't certain I wanted to do this and I would discuss it with my husband and let them know. She acted like I was practically guilty of child abuse for goodness sake and then proceeded to spend the next ten minutes telling me all the reasons I needed to do this yada yada yada. I very politely but firmly stopped her and told her that I would research this option and let them know what I decided to do.

So I'm internet researching and browsing some websites and looking for advice from people who did this. Did you? Is there a particular reason you did? Was it pricey or did insurance cover yours? And is this the new norm for dentists? Thanks for all your input!

 

[stitchfamily]

youngest to oldest!

My 13YO son has only had them on Perm. Molars... NO cavities! My (almost) 16YO had all them sealed and cavities a many (she did have some corrective jaw surgery done too)... Their dental insurance paid for all of that with $50 co-pays per visits.

NOW for my oldest daughter 18YO, she has Graves Disease and has had two rounds of targeted radiation to reduce a monster goiter, she gets sealants twice as often as normal and has gotten ANTI-RADIATION washes these are MUY $$$$ her HEALTH INSURANCE paid for most of it DENTAL picked up the rest... her baby teeth were horrible (my fault, baby bottle too too long) she has not had a single permit cavity THANK G-D!

 

[MousePrincess]

I'm starting to think that I may have to find a new dentist soon. The dentist himself is nice and seems competent, he remembers your name and chats you up, but than he has the hygienist doing the hard sell. When I had my kids in last week the hygienist said that she was scheduling the kids next appt in 6 months and she was allowing enough time to put sealants on the kids teeth, and by the way, insurance won't cover them. Alrighty than. Once I absorbed all of this information I said to her that I wasn't certain I wanted to do this and I would discuss it with my husband and let them know. She acted like I was practically guilty of child abuse for goodness sake and then proceeded to spend the next ten minutes telling me all the reasons I needed to do this yada yada yada. I very politely but firmly stopped her and told her that I would research this option and let them know what I decided to do.

So I'm internet researching and browsing some websites and looking for advice from people who did this. Did you? Is there a particular reason you did? Was it pricey or did insurance cover yours? And is this the new norm for dentists? Thanks for all your input!

I didn't read through all the posts so I apologize but I just wanted to say I had these when I was in elementary and middle school and am now in my 30's and have never had a cavity. So I am def a fan and will get them for my kids whether I have to pay or not. I am terrified of the dentist and it was the best thing my parents could have done. HTH

 

[tinkarooni]

The latest dental sealants are BPA free. The information is on the National Dental Association's website.

This is useful info,I will check it out. Thank you.