Ortho wants teeth extractions

[LeslieG]

I've seen posts before regarding dentists and orthodontists, so I'm hoping to get some advice. My son is 10 and is in Phase 1 of orthodontic work. Had a palate expander, now just a retainer on top and then the wire on the bottom holding space. There's two bottom teeth the ortho says he wants out. I'm a little leary on two fronts. I guess I'm just naturally skeptical. First, should I trust that it must be done now, or wait until they come out on their own? And second, the dentist told me they use gas -- forget which kind -- when they do the extractions. How safe is this? Looking for those whose kids have had a similar path and can offer advice.

 

[Kimmumum]

MY DS11 is in the same situations with all of the contraptions in his mouth. He needed to lose 6 teeth and his ortho just said he would wait until closer to 12 to pull them. He has lost 4 and we will check back with him in December. I'd ask what the harm in waiting is.

 

[GinCar]

I know every mouth is different, so I will tell you what we are going through right now.
My son just turned 12 two days ago. We had our first ortho appointment a year ago and the second appointment (with a different ortho) last month. He has an overbite and crooked teeth. The reason we have not started any procedures is because both orthos and our pediatric dentist (who we saw yesterday) recommend that we wait until all baby teeth are gone.
I questioned this because I had teeth pulled before braces at his age and ALL 3 doctors told me that was not how they do it now. (?) So, we are in wait mode.
The pediatric dentist told me yesterday that if they saw something in the x-ray that he needed teeth pulled, they would. He then took more x-rays right then and said, let's wait.
Now about the gas, our pediatric dentist uses this for cavities, etc. None of my kids have had any side effects from it.

Hope this helps give another prospective.

 

[LeslieG]

There's three orthos in this office, and there's one I don't like as well, which of course is the one I ended up with this last time. He's a little pushy and impatient. He just said, "I want those teeth out." I understand that they're impeding the permanent teeth beside them and may make them come in crooked, but everything in his mouth is crooked anyway at this point, but he's not really the kind of guy who wants to discuss things. I usually ask for one of the other two orthos, but I had to take this last appt. as an emergency, because my son bent his retainer and couldn't keep it in. On my previous visit, the other ortho also said he'd like them to come out, which I understand, but I wish now I would have asked the first guy what's the worst that could happen if we wait.

 

[SusieStone]

My DS is 7 and we have already had 2 teeth pulled preparing for braces. He will get two more pulled in the fall and then 2 more in 6 months.

I love this approach. There is no way he has enough room inhis little mouth for all his teeth - so with pulling some teeth already, he has a beautiful smile and things are getting jumbled up while perm teeth are coming in. I chose to go that route for his self esteem and so he won't get picked on.

We go to a wonderful pediatric dentist that also has orthodontist so he has been going there since teeth statrting erupting and the ortho takes a peek in his mouth at no charge.

This way when it is time for braces my son is already use to the office and the DDS

 

[LeslieG]

SusieStone, how did your little guy handle the extractions?

 

[Sand]

Worked for an Ortho for many years. If your child can go thru palette expansion, extracting teeth is nothing! A good ortho is working with your child's natural progression of teeth coming in and will align the adult teeth so your child will have proper speaking and chewing ability. Having his teeth out now will progress the next phase of ortho, I am guessing it will be braces. I am not sure about the nitrous oxide and children (that is dental, not ortho) but I would guess the amount received would go by body weight. Having the patient sedated is better for the doctor. You can always request novacaine.

To put your concerns at ease, talk to other parents who go to the same doctor. American Dental Association also has a great website. Google your doctors names. Another piece of advice I would give you is, in years to come, watch the wisdom teeth. I have seen case after case where tweens got there braces on and off, they come back a few years later for retainer adjustments before going off to college and the wisdom teeth have crowded all the other teeth. A few thousand dollars down the drain. When your son goes to the dentist and has x-rays, YOU look at the xrays. You can also request a copy for you to keep.

 

[rbork]

My DS12 just had 6! (yep, 6) teeth pulled last week in preparation for his braces. He did it w/ only Novacaine, no gas needed. But they did have it available if needed. My regular dentist pulled them because they were for the most part "simple extractions". Some won't and send you to the oral surgeon. I only heard him yell once from the back of the office (broke my heart). Otherwise, he did amazing and has a good pain tolarance. The dentist said if he needed gas it was available and once it's off, there are no lasting effects.
If you wait,the adult teeth may come in all squished together if the baby teeth are still in. My kid's adult teeth are just poking thru now. He is due to get lower braces and his expander next week.

 

[lindsmom]

DD7 (almost 8) had her bottom front 6 teeth pulled over two sessions - front 4 then one on either side. She was getting her permanent teeth in (shark teeth), and they were just wedging the baby teeth in more firmly. Her ped. dentist had us consult with an ortho who requested the 6 total being pulled. She now has a space maintainer and luckily her top teeth are starting to fall out on their own (maybe they got scared when they saw what happened with the bottom teeth )

We premedicated with valium and then when she was there she got nitrous oxide in addition to novacaine. The valium made a huge difference (although i was hesitant at first to give her such strong meds) as it mellowed her out. Her first four came out fairly easily - she was so, um, happy, that she watched the tornado scene from Wizard of Oz without thinking it was scary - ha! The canines were much tougher - looking at the teeth, you can't tell which end is the root and which is the tooth, the roots were that fat!

I was concerned before getting it done, but I put my trust in the ped. dentist and she did a great job. Well, both the dentist and dd did a great job.

 

[LeslieG]

DD7 (almost 8) had her bottom front 6 teeth pulled over two sessions - front 4 then one on either side. She was getting her permanent teeth in (shark teeth), and they were just wedging the baby teeth in more firmly. Her ped. dentist had us consult with an ortho who requested the 6 total being pulled. She now has a space maintainer and luckily her top teeth are starting to fall out on their own (maybe they got scared when they saw what happened with the bottom teeth )

We premedicated with valium and then when she was there she got nitrous oxide in addition to novacaine. The valium made a huge difference (although i was hesitant at first to give her such strong meds) as it mellowed her out. Her first four came out fairly easily - she was so, um, happy, that she watched the tornado scene from Wizard of Oz without thinking it was scary - ha! The canines were much tougher - looking at the teeth, you can't tell which end is the root and which is the tooth, the roots were that fat!

I was concerned before getting it done, but I put my trust in the ped. dentist and she did a great job. Well, both the dentist and dd did a great job.

See, now you're making me nervous. The receptionist at the dentist's office made it sound like those baby teeth pop right out, no problem. And they didn't mention novocaine or valium, just gas. Maybe it depends which tooth it is. I have to look in his mouth again. I know it's on the bottom. I think if you start at the middle teeth, it's the second one over on each side.

 

[lindsmom]

See, now you're making me nervous. The receptionist at the dentist's office made it sound like those baby teeth pop right out, no problem. And they didn't mention novocaine or valium, just gas. Maybe it depends which tooth it is. I have to look in his mouth again. I know it's on the bottom. I think if you start at the middle teeth, it's the second one over on each side.

Oh, I'm sorry - i wasn't trying to make you nervous! At your son's age, it's very possible the roots are shorter and the teeth are more ready to come out (althouth I would be hesitant to take the receptionist's word - they want to make you feel comfortable no matter what - not that that's a bad thing).

We made sure that DD was MORE than comfortable because she had had a very traumatic experience at a previous dentist's office and we couldn't risk another bad visit. Hence the strong medication. All I was trying to say is that while I was nervous at first it turned out great in the end, and DD kept saying how much she liked her dentist even after all that work they did on her.

 

[momxx5]

1. This is your child, so you should only make decisions that you are comfortable with. 2. You can request which Orthodontist you want to see, you may have to wait a bit for an appt but don't settle for the one of three that you don't like. 3. Ortho is a luxury, so no matter how pushy they are remember that only is a few cases is is absolutely necessary for one's health/well being. 4. You can wait, there is not specific time frame for braces, etc. It seems that everything is happening quicker that it used to.....first graders must learn to read & write 100 words, and now braces are being put on 8-10yr olds. What is the rush? 5. Remember you are the customer and should be satisfied with all the plans so don't be afraid to ask about options or explanations or even get a second opinion. Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[toystorymom]

Thanks for starting this topic! To the OP, I guess I would ask what the advantage is to extracting the teeth v waiting for them to naturally fall out. Once you know the logic behind the two options, you can decide. I would make an appt for one of the orthos you like, no point wasting time with one who doesn't like to explain things.

I'm also glad to see there are other 12 year olds out there with baby teeth. We have been taking DS12 to the ortho every year, just to get checked and every year he says, we'll see him next year. Well, now he's 12 and still has 9 baby teeth! At our appt 2 weeks ago, the ortho said it was time to make a decision, took xrays, impressions, etc. We go tomorrow to see all those results and hear his recommendations. I am a little worried! Don't know if he'll suggest having the teeth pulled, they don't seem to be coming out on their own. Plus, I'll get to find out what this is going to cost me. Wish me luck.

 

[momxx5]

I forgot to mention, that if for any reason you are hesitant check with your child's pediatrician. Any type of heart murmur or problem will be much more sensitive when dealing with teeth/gums, etc. This is more important with grown ups and elderly, but my youngest has a heart murmur and we have to get Ped. approval before any dental work. Just a FYI, not to be an alarmist.

 

[rockiesfan]

I agree that every mouth is different.

My DD12 has had a lot of orthodontic work done. She has big teeth and a little mouth When she was 9, she had two baby teeth pulled that weren't due to come out for two more years, to give the permanents behind them room to come in straight. The dentist used nitrous oxide (gas) but unfortunately she turned out to be in the 5% or so that it is ineffective on. Not a good experience. Next two more baby teeth out, this time with oral surgery, a great experience. The permanents did come in straight, but everything was still hopelessly crowded. So phase I braces for a year, a three month break during which she had four permanents pulled with the same oral surgeon, and then directly into phase II braces. Now everything is on track for a great outcome. All the gaps from the extractions have filled in and everything looks so much better, like it fits.

I liked how our orthodontist walked us through his rationale for everything. I felt comfortable with all our decisions. Also, because DS16 went through orthodontics with the same doctor a few years earlier, and his was very straightforward with no teeth pulled, I knew the doctor didn't recommend pulling teeth on a whim. If you aren't satisfied with the explanations from the ortho you spoke with, get in with one of the other partners and have him explain the pros and cons.

Good luck!

 

[SusieStone]

SusieStone, how did your little guy handle the extractions?

Great.

But, I have always been the kind that says I 'm sorry but we've got to did it. Suck it up. Don't get me wrong I am very loving and nurturing but I have always let him know that medical stuff like shots teeth etc are just parts of life and have to be done. No questions asked.

We tried the gas one time - didn't work. He gets worked up about the novacaine shot because it is a shot - know what I mean. But after the novacine takes effect - he is a champ.

A couple of months ago he got two pulled, it was inthe AM and I was going to let him stay home from school. Nope we went right back at his request. He stopped and got a drink no straw of course but by the time he got to school - the feeling was pretty much back and he was the brave hero of the 2nd grade.

I have also had some tweens teens and adults talke to him about braces and he sees it as a rite of passage/badge of honor thing.

I am so glad we started young but everyone is different. Now mind you he doesn't offer to go to the dentist/ortho but I don't drag him kicking and screaming either.

I only schedule with the DDS in the practicec he is comfortable with.....if he isn't available I wait. After all - it is my choice and my money. Now if it were a medical emergency that is different.

 

[bumbershoot]

I love this approach. There is no way he has enough room inhis little mouth for all his teeth - so with pulling some teeth already, he has a beautiful smile and things are getting jumbled up while perm teeth are coming in. I chose to go that route for his self esteem and so he won't get picked on.

If he gets picked on, why not address the rude kids?

Of course he doesn't have room, he's only 7. He's not full grown yet. His face is not as big as it's going to be when he's 20.

Listen, they said the same nonsense to my mom when I was 9. I had 4 permanent teeth taken out, palate nonsense (torture...do you guys KNOW how much those things HURT?????), braces...

My teeth looked just the same as they did before.

And I have SCADS of room in the back of my gums. Why? Because they didn't wait for my face to grow to adult size. Nonsense. Ridiculous.

It helps them get immediate results so people are happy paying thousands for them. And by the time the kid is grown up enough to know what nonsense it was, the adults are out of the kid's healthcare aspect, and the kid probably doesn't tell the parent b/c what's the point? I know I didn't. My mom paid the earth, and she did so b/c the ortho scared her and b/c my dad was a jerk who made her do EVERYTHING with the fear of custody battle hanging over her, and what would be the point of making her feel bad for treating my small face and jaw as though it was adult size?


OP, I know that if DS faces something like that, I'm waiting. If kids tease, I'll address the rude kids and their parents. I was teased a lot b/c I was very shy...I dealt with it. Until one time I had enough, and I told on the girl...she was suspended for what she was doing (verbal teasing and being physical) for a couple days, and she NEVER came near me, nor spoke to me, again. I wish I had told on all the others, too. Rude kids will be rude unless they are taught to not be, and altering our childrens' appearances so that rude people won't have anything to be rude about is NOT the way to do it, IMO.


(man do I dislike orthodontia...)

(I also have a child who lost one baby tooth at 6 months old, then had to have two baby teeth extracted at 2 years old, and I know what it's like to see big gaps where teeth should be, and it hurt...DS is 5 now and is finally noticing the gaps where his canines were, and it bugs him, and I can't wait for his permanent teeth to grow in. I just can't see pulling them on purpose as a child...let them make the decision, and pay for their decision, about their teeth once they are adult.)

 

[LeslieG]

I guess that is what I'm wondering. Is this being recommended for cosmetic reasons or some other reason. I'm going to have to make another appt. and ask more questions.

 

[ceecee]

I've seen posts before regarding dentists and orthodontists, so I'm hoping to get some advice. My son is 10 and is in Phase 1 of orthodontic work. Had a palate expander, now just a retainer on top and then the wire on the bottom holding space. There's two bottom teeth the ortho says he wants out. I'm a little leary on two fronts. I guess I'm just naturally skeptical. First, should I trust that it must be done now, or wait until they come out on their own? And second, the dentist told me they use gas -- forget which kind -- when they do the extractions. How safe is this? Looking for those whose kids have had a similar path and can offer advice.

Are these permanent or deciduous teeth that he wants to pull? My DD had her permanent cuspids horizonally impacted and so we removed her baby teeth a few years earlier than they would have fallen out and her permanents finally came down on their own. I am in the dental field and took her to an oral surgeon who used gas (nitrous oxide) and numbed her and she did fine, she has never had a filling or any reason to be numbed so she was a tad scared, but she did fine. Baby teeth can still have roots but they usually come out easily.

 

[LeslieG]

Are these permanent or deciduous teeth that he wants to pull? My DD had her permanent cuspids horizonally impacted and so we removed her baby teeth a few years earlier than they would have fallen out and her permanents finally came down on their own. I am in the dental field and took her to an oral surgeon who used gas (nitrous oxide) and numbed her and she did fine, she has never had a filling or any reason to be numbed so she was a tad scared, but she did fine. Baby teeth can still have roots but they usually come out easily.

I'm talking about baby teeth, not permanent.