Dental work on baby teeth

Chris wrote:
On Jun 20, 1:21?am, Vickie wrote:
Hey,
I wanted to see where any of you all stand on this subject. I am
constantly wavering back and forth on whether to believe a dentist
telling me my kids need work on their baby teeth.

...

I would get a second opinion if I doubted my dentist to that degree.

*Ding*Ding*Ding*

I think we have a winner.

That's what I would do. If you're going to go to your pediatrician any
time soon, I would ask him/her for a recommendation.

Besides, we can't see your kids' teeth, but a pediatric dentist can.

You may also benefit from going to a pediatric dentist, if you're going
to a family or general dentist.

This site has a tool for looking up pediatric dentists:
http://www.aapd.org/ (I am not affiliated with pediatric dentists or
this site in any way).

You should also be able to find more info about your kids' teeth that
should help you with these decisions.


Jeff

...

On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:12:58 -0400, Marie wrote:

I had my molars sealed also, but I was told by a dentist a few years
ago that they don't do sealants anymore! I don't know why, I think
it's a good precaution.
I have been lucky so far that none of my kids have had any cavities.
One supposedly needs braces but we're still working on that. I was
told my oldest would need braces also, but once her permanent teeth
came in, our present dentist says her teeth are perfect.
Marie

Maybe it's just your dentist that doesn't do sealants. DS had his teeth
less than a year ago.

On Jun 20, 8:47 am, betsy wrote:
On Jun 20, 8:31 am, Vickie wrote:

Regardless of the dentist, I think if they propose work to be done on
these *borderline* cavity baby teeth, I will politely say, no, I think
we should just watch it for now. That would be ok, right? And then
if their next check-up proves to be that a cavity has formed there, I
will say "Fill it up!"

Vickie

Rather than just watching it, I would discuss a plan with the dentist
on how to harden it back up before it becomes a true cavity. I would
schedule an appointment in a few months for a quick check of the spot
to see if it was hardening up properly.

--Betsy

Yes, right. That was something I meant to comment on. I had never
heard of the things you had mentioned and I am wondering why?
Definitely going to do this. Thanks!

Vickie

On Jun 20, 9:09 am, toypup wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:12:58 -0400, Marie wrote:
I had my molars sealed also, but I was told by a dentist a few years
ago that they don't do sealants anymore! I don't know why, I think
it's a good precaution.
I have been lucky so far that none of my kids have had any cavities.
One supposedly needs braces but we're still working on that. I was
told my oldest would need braces also, but once her permanent teeth
came in, our present dentist says her teeth are perfect.
Marie

Maybe it's just your dentist that doesn't do sealants. DS had his teeth
less than a year ago.

Same here.
Vickie

On Jun 20, 8:55 am, Jeff wrote:
Chris wrote:
On Jun 20, 1:21?am, Vickie wrote:

You should also be able to find more info about your kids' teeth that
should help you with these decisions.

Jeff

...

Many thanks.
Yes, it is a family dental house, group, whatever. Not specializing
in kids. I will visit *your* site and hopefully gain more knowledge
on this whole thing., especially because I have such a long way to go
with my kids and a ton of money I will be spending.

Vickie

Marie wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:59:22 -0400, "Sue"
wrote:

If the problem is due to soft teeth or something that the child can't help,
then yes you need to have the work done. DD3 has had extensive work done on
her teeth already and she is only 10 yrs old. They have put fillings in baby
teeth because well they were causing pain. The dentist also put this
covering over the molars because they have deep grooves in them that are
more prone to cavities. I personally dental care is important. If you are
unsure, then see a pediatric dentist for a second opinion and see what they
say.

I had my molars sealed also, but I was told by a dentist a few years
ago that they don't do sealants anymore! I don't know why, I think
it's a good precaution.

??? Not only have my kids all had sealants at the
appropriate time, but I've gone in for another round as an
adult (they wear off eventually). None of my kids have had
any cavities.

To the OP, though, I would recommend a second opinion.
I often hear from folks that different dentists have had very
different opinions about what to do with their children's teeth,
and there are definitely some offices that recommend a *lot*
of questionable (not to mention expensive) treatment. There
are kids who just plain need a lot of dental work for assorted
reasons, but a second opinion should help you sort that out.

Best wishes,
Ericka

On Jun 19, 10:21 pm, Vickie wrote:

Plus, what the heck is a filling doing coming out 2 years later?
Eventually these baby teeth will fallout anyway, so what is too much
when it comes to treating them?

Agree with everything about finding a dentist you trust. If you have
a dentist you trust, then you will no longer have to second guess
about "borderline" cavities. Because I'm sure there are borderline
cavities that really do need procedures and some that can remineralize
on their own, and I sure can't tell the difference between the two.

As a general rule, there are two reasons why health of baby teeth is
important. One is holding the place for permanent teeth, which a
number of people have mentioned. The other is that cavities are
caused by bacteria in the mouth, and the burden of bacteria depends
partly on how many places they have to live. Cavities are full of
microscopic nooks and crannies that make a fabulous environment for
bacteria to multiply. So if they remain in baby teeth, that provides
a bacteria-rich mouth for the adult teeth when they arrive, thus
leading to quicker decay all over again.

Similarly, if mom has poor teeth then she passes on a higher burden of
cavity-forming bacteria to baby. So mom's dental health matters not
just for her, but for the kids.

Kate, ignorant foot soldier of the medical cartel
and the Bug, 4 years old

On Jun 20, 12:09?pm, toypup wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:12:58 -0400, Marie wrote:
I had my molars sealed also, but I was told by a dentist a few years
ago that they don't do sealants anymore! I don't know why, I think
it's a good precaution.
I have been lucky so far that none of my kids have had any cavities.
One supposedly needs braces but we're still working on that. I was
told my oldest would need braces also, but once her permanent teeth
came in, our present dentist says her teeth are perfect.
Marie

Maybe it's just your dentist that doesn't do sealants. DS had his teeth
less than a year ago.

I believe insurances stopped paying for sealants to baby teeth, but
not to the secondary molars. My no-cavity-son had the deep groves
(forgot the technical name at the moment even though I think I just
read it) and ours paid for his sealants when he was 9 and got his
braces on. My dentist sealed my daughter's six-year molars due to the
sensitivity she was having when she was 5 and they refused the claim.
I wrote them a note explaining that she was suffering from sensitivity
to the point that we had to run into the bathroom and use luke-warm
water to brush any remnants that had lodged into those teeth out and
she wouldn't be able to do that at school. She would cry it caused her
so much discomfort. I also wrote that I considered the sensitivity to
be a condition worth coverage and since the dentist's attempt at
relieving her pain was the sealants that happened to have worked, I
believed they should be covered. They then approved the claim and
covered them.

I want to say first that we are avid brushers in my home and
flossers. Both my 11yo and 9yo have soft enamel probs. Both had
gotten the sealant put on their teeth, and both are still having these
*borderline* cavities. I don't want my kids to suffer any pain if
there is a honest to goodness cavity that needs to be filled, so I say
fill 'em. It is just the *maybes* I am wondering about.

It isn't anything to be embarrassed about; this coming from a mom who
cried when her daughter had to have her front tooth filled at the age
of 3. I was so upset that I had failed her somehow. lol. My dentist
laughed and explained that HIS VERY OWN 4-y/o had to have a root
canal, and it was discovered on their camping trip. That is how I
learned that genetics can play more of a role than the dental hygiene
practiced.



I wasn't informed about a spacer at all. Dentist just said she would
have a hole where the tooth had been for about a year. Now I am going
to call up and ask, so thank you.

When the dentists mention the potential problems my daughter's 6-y/o
molars may face in the future, pulling the teeth are the last option
due to the problem it can cause with future development and the bite,
etc. The plan is to cap them for now, which will eventually need to be
replaced as the tooth matures and grows upward further out of the gum
line in hopefully many years, but if something goes wrong with decay
or anything underneath that cap or with the tooth as it is now, she
could be facing a root canal, extraction, etc.



I also have a 4 yo that is more than likely going to be having issues
also and I don't want anything unnecessary to be done.

Regardless of the dentist, I think if they propose work to be done on
these *borderline* cavity baby teeth, I will politely say, no, I think
we should just watch it for now. That would be ok, right? And then
if their next check-up proves to be that a cavity has formed there, I
will say "Fill it up!"

I think it may depend on the location of this potential cavity though
too. The locations can effect how things need to be done in the
future. I agree that there are ways to halt decay further and that you
should find a dentist who knows of these things. I know what you mean $
$-wise, as our insurance doesn't cover the cost of the tooth-colored
fillings, which I think are called composite fillings, and only the
amalgam (thanks I couldn't remember that name). Anyway, while the
amalgam may contain mercury, there are incidences where it was
warranted for strength and durability, unless you want a cap
eventually. If a filling is deep or wide enough and the composite
doesn't hold, you can lose that filling and then crack the remaining
tooth which causes severe pain when biting down. That crack can be
refilled, but that biting pressure eventually causes it to get wider,
if you can picture putting a wedge into a slit that will eventually
need another wedge and another. Once that happens, you can be facing
root canal and extraction as well. Good luck, but it looks like you
received a lot of different, good information here.

On Jun 20, 3:51 pm, Akuvikate wrote:
On Jun 19, 10:21 pm, Vickie wrote:



Plus, what the heck is a filling doing coming out 2 years later?
Eventually these baby teeth will fallout anyway, so what is too much
when it comes to treating them?

Agree with everything about finding a dentist you trust. If you have
a dentist you trust, then you will no longer have to second guess
about "borderline" cavities. Because I'm sure there are borderline
cavities that really do need procedures and some that can remineralize
on their own, and I sure can't tell the difference between the two.

As a general rule, there are two reasons why health of baby teeth is
important. One is holding the place for permanent teeth, which a
number of people have mentioned. The other is that cavities are
caused by bacteria in the mouth, and the burden of bacteria depends
partly on how many places they have to live. Cavities are full of
microscopic nooks and crannies that make a fabulous environment for
bacteria to multiply. So if they remain in baby teeth, that provides
a bacteria-rich mouth for the adult teeth when they arrive, thus
leading to quicker decay all over again.

Similarly, if mom has poor teeth then she passes on a higher burden of
cavity-forming bacteria to baby. So mom's dental health matters not
just for her, but for the kids.

Kate, ignorant foot soldier of the medical cartel
and the Bug, 4 years old

Yea, I had poor enamel as a kid. And I don't know if my husband's
teeth have anything to do with it, but his are terrible!
I suppose I am questioning all this baby teeth work because, honestly,
I don't remember having anything but cleanings done on mine. I had
work done around age 13, but those were adult teeth.

I also never had braces and the dentist tells me all my kids need
them. My 9yo, who is going to have her tooth extracted, has already
had permanent appliances put in for an underdeveloped palate and a
retainer for a small cross-bite. She was also tongue tied and had
that snipped, this being the reason for the underdeveloped palate.

It just seems like everytime I take them to the dentist, there is more
*bad* news and more money being spent. And I don't mind spending the
money, as long as I know it is well spent.

Vickie