Dr Hive Pediatric Dental Problems

[susancollins]

My daughter had her dental check up the other day with a new dentist. She has good brushing but has cavities. We brush twice a day and use Act. My middle child has two cavities, and Carson doesn't have any. The doctor wants to put Stainless Steel crowns on each of her two back teeth including the top, the dentist won't fill them without the crown because he says it is just not fair because she will likely get more cavities because her tooth are so close together she has a constricted palate. Some of the cavities are teeny tiny. We don't buy soft drinks, or sugary juices. They do get candy but I try to limit them. My daughter left the office crying because she doesn't want people to laugh at her and she started crying. She is also going to need a 1515 with wire for a constricted palate, she has allot of overcrowding and it is hard to even floss between her teeth because her mouth is so small we think is why she has so many cavities. So should I get the stainless steel crowns what options do I have. If you got through all of this thank you. Please tell me what you suggest. My dentist told me to get a second opinion so that what I am going to do. I am heartbroken and I don't want this to affect Carringtons self-esteem. Thanks Susan

[dancer67]

My 12 yo had a stainless steel crown on the bottom side tooth that was easily visible. She had it done when she was 6 years old. It actually JUST fell out about a month ago.

 

With that said, she had it done because she had to have a pulpotomy done. Kind of like a baby root canal, and the baby tooth needed to be crowned.

 

I am not sure why any dentist would choose to place a stainless steel crown over any tooth for prevention. For a root canal, or a large filling, yes.

 

Nobody made fun of my daughter for having the steel crown. Everyone though it was "cool".(And she got 10 bucks from the tooth fairy since that was a pain in the butt tooth...LOL)

 

I would get a second opinion if you could. I know crowns are not cheap either, and some insurances will not pay for it unless it is necessary.

[Mom2J112903]

I would never allow anything metal in my child's mouth minus braces.

 

If it were a baby tooth, go ahead and pull it. If it was an adult tooth, root canal it or fill it, but not with anaglam. This is actually what my Mom did for both my sister and I myself when we were younger.

[susancollins]

This has to do with her baby teeth. Two of the cavities are small to medium size the other few are very small the dentist says its not fair to her to have more work done, because if she fills them she will probably need more work on the same teeth. They want to place the crowns for prevention even though some of the cavities are small and don't need a pulpectomy. I was thinking about having the tooth removes and have a spacer placed has anyone had this done. Thanks for the responses thus far.

[Teachin'Mine]

Personally I would opt for keeping the teeth in place rather than having them pulled and a spacer. My dd had a stainless steel cap - it actually fell off before the tooth came out a few months later. It was probably poorly done to begin with. If the caries are small, couldn't they be filled and the rest of the surface of the tooth sealed? That should help to prevent decay until they are replaced with her permanent teeth. If the crowns will be put on her back molars, they probably won't even be seen. :)

[Mom2J112903]

FWIW, J lost his two top teeth on the same day back in early Spring. They *just* came thru this summer. Came in very straight and no problems with spacing. His one bottom tooth is just now starting to come thru, it too has been a while since the baby one fell (literally) out. No problems with spacing. I am honestly not certain why a spacer would be needed.

[dancer67]

A spacer would be needed so the other teeth do not "shift" and you can end up with a whole set of other dental problems.

 

Spacers do not always work so well. It really is going to depend how long the adult teeth are going to take to come in.

 

I would not though, place a crown over a tooth that did not need a huge filling or a pulpotomy.

 

Stainless steel is your best option though, IF your child needs a crown. :lol:

[gingersmom]

My teeth have been hard to floss between since I was a child. No amount of dental work is going to change that. The only floss I can use is glide. Everything else gets stuck.

 

I would be hesitant to put crowns on my daughters teeth.

[ColoradoMom]

I worked at a big pediatric dental office in Southern California for several years and pretty much saw and did it all when it comes to baby teeth. If you trust your dentist I'd go with what they say. It is not unreasonable what they are telling you to do and pulling them will lead to more problems. In addition, what's the difference between having a spacer and a crown? They will go through very similar procedures. She will still need an impression, a model, and to have it cemented in place. Two appointments minimum - so you will not really be saving her any time in the chair. Plus, she'll get all kinds of food trapped in that spacer.

[datgh]

I would get a second opinion and preferably from a pediatric dentist. If the verdict is that the crowns would be the best option, see if you can find a dentist that uses a CEREC machine to make the crowns. A crown done with a CEREC machine can be done in one visit with no icky impressions. The dentist takes a digital picture of the tooth, preps the tooth than takes another digital picture of it. He than has the machine grind a piece of porcelain that matches your tooth color into almost like a puzzle piece that fits perfectly on your tooth. He cements it into place and your good to go. You can't even tell you have a crown on your tooth. The whole thing only takes about an hour and would be so less traumatic on your dd and you. My dentist charges the same for a tooth crowned this way as he would a crown done the regular way. My insurance has no trouble covering it. Also, check to see if she can use more floride than she is getting from the Act rinse. My dentist started me on a prescription strenght floride tooth paste about three years ago and I went from maxing out my deductible every year to just having regular check ups. When my son started with braces the orthodontist had him using a rinse that is much more concentrated than Act and you can get it at most box stores. I don't know if the prescription strength would be ok for a young child but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

 

Another thought would be to find a pediatric dentist that also does orthodontics since it sounds like your daughter may need one in the future. The Orthodontists know enough in today's day and age that they can do certain things when the kids are young that will save them a lot of time in braces as they get older. I also would vote not to pull any teeth. My daughter had a spacer for a couple of years and lets just say we will be seeing the orthodontist shortly for her.

 

I feel for you and dd. Anything related to dental work with the kids has always been the hardest on me. I have all to do not to cry when they are in having a filling. The key is not to let her see you sweat. I only crumble when my kids aren't looking so they won't pick up on my anxieties about the dentist. It does get easier as they get older!

[susancollins]

Thank you all for the replies and encouragement. We are going next week to get a second opinion. I just hope it is not so hard on Carrington. She is such a sweet and loving child.

[LaissezFaire]

My dd had one at age 3 and as weird as it sounds, it kind of became a part of her. Now she is 12 and has no baby teeth and I will always remember her little baby smile with the 'sparkle tooth' in the back. We always called it her sparkle tooth to make it sounds like it was a unique part of her.