PollyOR Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I admit that I have been lax with my 7yo when it comes to brushing her teeth. We went to the dentist this week for the first time in 4 years. Everyone came out fine except the 7yo. She has eight cavities. Dentist said one needs to be filled but most of them are just starting. I can't see getting a bunch of fillings for teeth that aren't going to be around much longer anyway...especially if the cavities are just starting. I don't plan to go to another dentist. We feel comfortable with him. I just need to know how to plead my case when he wants me to schedule more appointments. When I only scheduled one appointment I could see his surprise. BTW, I've butted heads with him over keeping my wisdom teeth before. I still have them. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 When my dd had problems w/hers, they pulled and put spacers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 If they get bad enough before the permanent teeth come in, the permanent teeth can begin to decay before they come in. If they are very minor, you can take a take very good care of the teeth and watch them approach. This is what our pediatric dentist does. For my very sensitive child, he once scooped the decay as best he could without anesthesia and drilling and sealed it to help last longer. We still had to watch it but it never had to be drilled and filled properly. My son currently has a small cavity. It was first seen about 7 months ago and put on a watch. At the most recent appointment, it hadn't grown any so it stayed on watch. If he continues to brush his teeth well, it is expected to not need filling before it falls out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Yes, baby teeth can need fillings. If they're deep enough, the decay can affect the permanent teeth just under the baby teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisp Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 When my dd had problems w/hers, they pulled and put spacers. This is what our ped dentist did too because my dd's cavities were too bad to fill. Turns out, she has a genetic (according to the dentist) lack of enamel. (Sort of a relief that it wasn't due to lack of brushing ;) ) Our ped dentist says that saving the baby teeth is preferable to pulling and putting in spacers but that either will help avoid orthodontic work later. OTOH, my ds was almost 4 when he went in and had 11 (I think) cavities...all between his teeth except the ones on the front 4 on the top. (She said those were because he was breastfed, which I didn't buy.) She wanted to put him under general anesthesia and cap the front teeth. The whole thing would have been about $2500 out of pocket. I got a second opinion (ironically from another ped dentist the same age, trained at the same dental school) and she said that if he were her child, she'd just wait and see if they got worse. So, wait we have... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 We just had Tazzie's teeth done. His were quite bad. Dentist figures its bad genes, because Diva hasn't a one, and we take care of their teeth very well. Wolf's teeth are horrid, as are mine, so we figure poor Tazzie got a double whammy from us. Bad cavities can cause a lot of pain, as well as ruining the adult teeth. I wasn't willing to let my kid be in pain, so we didn't wait and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Children's teeth need to be filled and kept as much as possible. Early loss of teeth compromises oral development and speech. Kids should be seen by 18 mos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Our dentist said that baby teeth are very soft and a cavity can spread through them quickly. He said that in a matter of 6 months to a year, he has seen a baby cavity become problem enough to require removal of the tooth. I trust his judgement on the matter. He watched a bad spot between dd's teeth for over a year before he said it was time to fill the tooth. He did recommend that we go with silver filling for a baby tooth, since it is cheaper and easier for kids to sit through the procedure. Dd's filling isn't very obvious, and it was on a tooth he said that she wouldn't lose for several years. Did your dentist say to fill them all, or just the one? If he wants them all filled, ask if you could wait and have some of them reevaluated in 6 months. If he says they are in danger of the cavity reaching the root, I'd fill them now. FWIW, we still have to brush and floss our 7yo dd's teeth. She has really small spaces between her teeth, and is apparently prone to cavities. :tongue_smilie: I'm sorry for you and your kiddo. That is no fun. I have an appt. next week and I am always nervous about cavities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted July 31, 2009 Author Share Posted July 31, 2009 Yes, baby teeth can need fillings. If they're deep enough, the decay can affect the permanent teeth just under the baby teeth. Oh, I will definitely have him take care of the ones that need filling. He gave me the impression that he wants to fill all eight. I have a hard time believing they all need fillings. Thanks to everyone. It helps to have different opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 As others have said, filling baby teeth helps protect the adult teeth. I also think it helps prevent pain. I know that when I have a cavity, it can hurt to eat or drink. My older three kids (4 - 9 years) have all had cavities filled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Molars often don't fall out until 12 years old. To prevent infection it would be best to have them filled. I wouldn't worry about any other teeth. My .02. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eight_gregorys Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I have a DS, 5 who had a cavity for a year that dentist was watching because DS is very reluctant to let the dentist clean his teeth much less let him fill cavities. DS went in March for his every 6 month visit and the dentist said all was fine (the cavity hadn't gotten bigger, it would be okay to continue to watch). Well in mid-April DS started complaining of his tooth hurting. We took him to the dentist and he went from needing a filling to need a baby root canal. We went ahead and booked the appointment for 3 days later to get it taken care of. When we came back in to have it done, his tooth had abscessed and the dentist needed to pull it and will need a spacer when he gets his third molar. DS was actually very happy about this because the tooth was causing him a lot of pain. If I had it to do all over again, I would have just had it filled. Even though the dentist said it would be fine, it went from fine to abscessed in 5 weeks. HTH, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I have one child that has needed quite a bit of work. One thing the dentist said was that the cavities matched up....the top tooth cavity matched up with a cavity in the bottom tooth. It is like the bacteria transfered to the other tooth when left unchecked. We did everything the dentist recommended except the back of the two front teeth which had already infected each other (and they will be the first two baby teeth to be lost, so I am comfortable wih leaving them). I would not say if this is common but it is something to consider when deciding whether to deal with cavities in a young child. Once cavities start they seem to progress very quickly in some mouths. I hope you find a comfortable solution for your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Mac Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 This is what our ped dentist did too because my dd's cavities were too bad to fill. Turns out, she has a genetic (according to the dentist) lack of enamel. (Sort of a relief that it wasn't due to lack of brushing ;) ) Our ped dentist says that saving the baby teeth is preferable to pulling and putting in spacers but that either will help avoid orthodontic work later. I've got a daughter with the same genetic enamel thing (can't remember the real name - hypoplasia??) Our ped dentist put stainless steel caps on the four worst affected molars and afterwards, when her 6 yr old molars started coming through, he put a clear sealant on them. His reasoning was that the baby teeth act as place-holders for the adult teeth. If the baby teeth aren't there then there's likely to be a problem with the other teeth coming through. I like the idea of pulling the teeth and putting spacers in; I'd never heard of that before. Maybe the dentists in Australia don't do it :confused: To the OP, could the dentist just smear the protective coating over the cavities that are only just starting to form? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 We used composite instead of mercury for the baby teeth- the govt dentist refuses to do it for adult teeth, but will for baby teeth, so I didnt mind having them filled because it didnt cost us anything. (FOr adult teeth, rather than use the govt dentist, we go to a private one who will also use composite- not mercury. My kids know if they dont take care of their teeth, from now on, they pay for their fillings). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted August 7, 2009 Author Share Posted August 7, 2009 Thank you to all who shared! I took 7yo in today to get her first fillings and while I sat there I realized that I should have this done. As much as I don't want to pay for these fillings, I have to admit that this is a consequence of not taking her to the dentist regularly and being lax with brushing her teeth. We are reaping the consequences. It's time to pay up. Thankfully it isn't her permanent teeth. That's the good news. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Here's the funny thing though. Due to multiple insurance changes our kids have been to a bunch of dentists. Oldest dd had a cavity (small) on the front of her tooth. Dentist didn't do a thing. I asked him if it was a big deal and he said no. Fast forward 5 years and new dentist, middle dd has same exact cavity in the same exact place and dentist wants it filled asap. She just turned six and I imagine she will be losing these front teeth very soon. :001_huh: Whatever. Also I took dd to dentist when she was three. He asked me why I waited so long. Tried to take ds to dentist when he was one, dentist wanted no part of him. Then I took dd #3 at 3 and was yelled at for waiting so long. You can't win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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