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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
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 |
#2
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
Wendy Marsden wrote:
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? Are you concerned about all forms of being knocked out? My pediodontist gives chloral hydrate to kids over 3. Or maybe Versed would be an option. The other thing to consider WRT general anesthesia is that this is a different kid - 15 months makes a big difference in a small child's life - and maybe you could talk to the anesthesiologist about the prior bad experience, s/he could look at the medical records and maybe identify something the previous anesthesiologist used that caused a bad reaction. But of course if your instinct is telling you not to let him be put under, that takes precedence. -- iphigenia www.tristyn.net "i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. i do not think that they will sing to me." |
#3
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
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 |
#4
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
In article ,
Jenn wrote: In article , "iphigenia" wrote: Wendy Marsden wrote: 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? Are you concerned about all forms of being knocked out? My pediodontist gives chloral hydrate to kids over 3. Or maybe Versed would be an option. The other thing to consider WRT general anesthesia is that this is a different kid - 15 months makes a big difference in a small child's life - and maybe you could talk to the anesthesiologist about the prior bad experience, s/he could look at the medical records and maybe identify something the previous anesthesiologist used that caused a bad reaction. But of course if your instinct is telling you not to let him be put under, that takes precedence. my FIL is an anesthesiologist and he is explosively opinionated about using general anesthetic in a dental office -- the death rate of office administered general anesthetic is pretty high -- especially considering that they are administered for trivial problems to healthy people I guess you have to define trivial. I'm not sure I could have managed having my wisdom teeth out without a general. OTOH, I am sincerely dentist-phobic. I think I'd like to find a hygenist who cleans under a general . . . meh -- Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care |
#5
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
In article ,
dragonlady wrote: In article , Jenn wrote: In article , "iphigenia" wrote: Wendy Marsden wrote: 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? Are you concerned about all forms of being knocked out? My pediodontist gives chloral hydrate to kids over 3. Or maybe Versed would be an option. The other thing to consider WRT general anesthesia is that this is a different kid - 15 months makes a big difference in a small child's life - and maybe you could talk to the anesthesiologist about the prior bad experience, s/he could look at the medical records and maybe identify something the previous anesthesiologist used that caused a bad reaction. But of course if your instinct is telling you not to let him be put under, that takes precedence. my FIL is an anesthesiologist and he is explosively opinionated about using general anesthetic in a dental office -- the death rate of office administered general anesthetic is pretty high -- especially considering that they are administered for trivial problems to healthy people I guess you have to define trivial. I'm not sure I could have managed having my wisdom teeth out without a general. OTOH, I am sincerely dentist-phobic. I think I'd like to find a hygenist who cleans under a general . . . meh me too -- I remember waking up alone in a room on my back with my mouth full of cotton rolls and wondered what would have happened to my brain if some of that had gotten lodged in my throat while I was unconscious |
#6
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
"Roger Schlafly" wrote in message . net... "Wendy Marsden" wrote 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 Get a new dentist. Do not pay any bill (since he didn't do the work requested). There is no need to use anasthesia or painkillers for simple fillings. Just say no. Why put the kid through filling which may actually be quite painful to them. When i was a kid, my parents took me to a reduced rate dental clinic and one of the ways they reduced the rate was to skip the pain killers. Today, over 50 years later, I am still very apprehensive about returning to a dentist, and get a mild case of me pre-combat anxieties that I got when I was in Vietnam. |
#7
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
"Wendy Marsden" wrote in message ... 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 had some kind of panic attack at the dentists while on nitrous as a teenager ...never used it again!! I have had all my wisdom teeth pulled with just novacaine. same with the root canal I had and any fillings. as a child we had a fillings done with nothing IIRC. Certainly not nitrous. Do they need something for pain? ther aren't any nerves in babyteeth are there? |
#8
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
x-no-archive:yes
"JoAnna" wrote: "Wendy Marsden" wrote in message ... snip 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.) I think I'd go back to my regular dentist and ask her to do one filling at a time. snip 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 had some kind of panic attack at the dentists while on nitrous as a teenager ...never used it again!! I have had all my wisdom teeth pulled with just novacaine. same with the root canal I had and any fillings. as a child we had a fillings done with nothing IIRC. Certainly not nitrous. Do they need something for pain? ther aren't any nerves in babyteeth are there? There definitely ARE nerves in baby teeth at least until they are ready to fall out. I had fillings done as a child not only with no anesthetic but with the old slow drills. It did hurt. DD#1 had a couple of baby teeth pulled (canines I think) without anesthetic and I'm sure it hurt her too (I didn't know they weren't going to use anesthetic until afterwards - she wasn't too happy about it - she was about 7) I never actually had any anesthetic for regular teeth work until I was about 26. I did have sodium penthol (sp?) (as a gas) for impacted wisdom teeth when I was 18. The next ones I had out I had some other anesthetic. grandma Rosalie |
#9
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
I think it depends on the dentist. My 5-yr-old had one cavity that was
filled without any anesthetic at all (not even Novocaine) , the dentist was fabulous and just talked him through the whole thing. He was horribly expensive though. He wasn't even a ped. dentist. The only pediatric dentist in our town is the Medicaid dentist who I knew about through the grapevine of the county MH/MR agency (who I used to work for) . I refused to use him. I went through five dentists before I found a good one. "Wendy Marsden" wrote in message ... 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 |
#10
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Dentist uses Nitrous Oxide?
I had some kind of panic attack at the dentists while on nitrous as a
teenager ...never used it again!! I have had all my wisdom teeth pulled with just novacaine. same with the root canal I had and any fillings. Root canals are usually not particularly painful - by the time you need one, the nerve is usually dead. as a child we had a fillings done with nothing IIRC. Certainly not nitrous. Do they need something for pain? ther aren't any nerves in babyteeth are there? YES!! Baby teeth most definitely have nerves. By the time they fall out, no, because by then the root and nerve are long gone. I had one filling done with no anesthesia other than nitrous. It was shallow, and didn't penetrate much beyond the surface of the tooth, and wasn't anywhere near the nerve, but it was still very uncomfortable. Never again. I wouldn't force a little kid to have that done. And doing so is likely to turn out a child who is scared of the dentist, and won't be as willing to go. PLEASE don't make little ones do it without some sort of anesthesia (doesn't have to be nitrous - there are alternatives) Cathy Weeks Mommy to Kivi Alexis |
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