Four y.o.'s and cavities

[Sophia]

My 4 y.o. has a cavity :sad:

 

None of my children have had one at such a young age so I'm a little concerned about pain management.

This dentist doesn't use nitreous (sp?) oxide and said if it's necessary, he'll slip Sam a shot and Sam will likely not even realize it.

 

Really? Do you think that's true?

Sam is my......challenging child.

 

Ugh...I think dh is going to have to take him to that appt. Call me chicken mom :tongue_smilie:

 

Also, $170 for a filling sound right?

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

My 4 y.o. has a cavity :sad:

 

None of my children have had one at such a young age so I'm a little concerned about pain management.

This dentist doesn't use nitreous (sp?) oxide and said if it's necessary, he'll slip Sam a shot and Sam will likely not even realize it.

 

Really? Do you think that's true?

Sam is my......challenging child.

 

Ugh...I think dh is going to have to take him to that appt. Call me chicken mom :tongue_smilie:

 

Also, $170 for a filling sound right?

I had many cavities as a young child and never had gas. My dentist was an expert at giving the shots so that it was unnoticeable.

[Joker]

My younger dd had to have a baby tooth pulled about six months ago. The dentist slipped two shots in there and she never knew. She said something pinched for a second but she was fine.

[Perry]

Our dentist uses a numbing medicine on a cotton ball applied to the gum before he gives the shot. The kids barely notice it. It really isn't a big deal at all.

 

I'd avoid gas unless it was absolutely necessary.

[SonshineLearner]

Yup

my kids had their first without pain management. said the shot was more painful than the pain of drilling... she did fine...

:)

[MelanieM]

My daughter had a filling at around that age and they didn't use anything at all for pain. It was a non-issue. So I think the dentist is onto something about only giving a shot if necessary.

 

Also, if the cavity isn't too bad you might give it some time to see if things resolve without intervention. I had four small cavities and when I went in a year later three of them were no longer issues. My son (just turned 5) has a small cavity and the dentist recommended monitoring over filling as it isn't soft and likely won't become a big issue. We'll see how it looks at his next annual and take it from there.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Yup

my kids had their first without pain management. said the shot was more painful than the pain of drilling... she did fine...

:)

 

 

My son has always been more cavity prone than my other two kids. Don't know why. But, he had his first FOUR cavities when he was four years old. Pediatric dentist didn't use nitrous oxide at all. He gave shots for the first two fillings. Then, when son balked at the idea, he suggested that the cavity was small enough that if he went slowly (didn't push too hard), he could do it with less pain than the shot would cause. I okayed it, and he did it. No problem whatsoever! Ds was much more relaxed without the shot. The drilling didn't bother him nearly as much as the shot.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Our dentist uses a numbing medicine on a cotton ball applied to the gum before he gives the shot. The kids barely notice it. It really isn't a big deal at all.

 

I'd avoid gas unless it was absolutely necessary.

 

:iagree: There are risks with the gas and the shots are much safer IMHO.

[Sophia]

Thanks everyone.

You all have helped set my mind at ease which will aid greatly in keeping my little one calm, too :)

 

Thanks for the reminder about the gas. I think I knew that in the back of my mind, but it's been awhile since we've had cavities.