In article ,
Wendy Marsden wrote:

My four year old finally, FINALLY got his dentist visit today, four months
after an x-ray showed a startling five cavities. Our dentist promptly
referred us to a pediatric dentist, saying she wasn't set up to do that
much work on a small kid. The pediatric dentist fit us in for an initial
exam and a teeth cleaning, but couldn't get us an appointment to treat him
until today.

Things started out fine, everyone was cheerful and no one was scared or
anxious. He got in the chair and was laughing and fine. But five minutes
into the nitrous oxide he suddenly started whimpering and curling up and
got clingy and weepy and scared. I wasn't able to figure out what was
causing the anxiety - I really think it was a reaction to the nitrous
oxide. The dentist just thought I had a wimpy boy that I babied - which
wouldn't be a crime if I did, but that doesn't happen to be the case.

The damn dentist threw us out. So much for pediatric dentists knowing
how to work with kids! He offered no solution beyond we'll try again on
Monday. Meanwhile, this dentist is a 45 minute drive from my home, he
isn't a preferred provider in my insurance plan and he thinks I've caused
my son's mouth problems through neglect (which just isn't true.)

The pediatric dentist was talking about scheduling an OR for sometime in
the winter (months and months from now) to do all four fillings at
once. I'm disinclined to put my kid through general anasthesia
again. (Long story, but probably related to why he has such weirdly
horrible teeth: he had a traumatic illness and hospitalization 15 months
ago.)

I'm thinking of finding a dentist that does NOT use nitrous oxide but who
will prescribe a valium before the visit. What do you think?

-- Wendy



I can't believe they gas kids for simple dental procedures

years ago my young teen son had nitrous for an extraction -- I was
reluctant to allow it because I know nitrous is often abused as a drug
and I didn't want to introduce it to him -- I needn't have worried --
the effect was much as you describe for your child. my son had a sort
of nightmarish experience -- really miserable, anxious, depressed --
and swore he would never have the stuff again and didn't