F.A. asks from Concord, CA on October 14, 2010
Baby Teeth - Concord,CA
my daughter is 4 years old and i took her to the dentist and they want to put silver caps crown on her baby teeth the 4 front top ones and i really dont want to cause i found out they fall out from 4 to 6 years old and my daughter is going to be 5 in march so i dont now what to do should i let them put them on or should get a second opinion ?
So What Happened?™
well from the front they look nice and white but they say from inside they are getting cabity not bad i dont now i really dont wANT TO PUT THOSE AUGLY SILVER CAPS
Featured Answers
C.B. answers from San Francisco on October 15, 2010
I would ask the dentist if they can see the adult teeth starting to work their way down in the x-ray. If so, I wouldn't worry about the silver caps because the teeth probably will come out soon. If it doesn't appear that the teeth will be coming down any time soon, then I would consider the caps. Not all children lose their teeth at 5 or 6. My 8 year old granddaughter has only lost 2 teeth so far!
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T.D. answers from San Francisco on October 15, 2010
My daughter had cavities filled at 4, yes. Because you don't want the cavities sitting and then they couldl need a potential root canal. But the silver caps, does not make sense to me. Do they silver caps on cavities? I had a silver crown done when I was young. It feel out, so I don't know what the purpose is. Get a second opinion. Try Pediatric Dentistry in Pleasant Hill. They have been great with my 7yr old twins!
C.H. answers from Dallas on October 14, 2010
I think some dentists use white caps if the teeth are in the front, if you want to check around. Good luck.
K.M. answers from San Francisco on October 15, 2010
I know you've already anwered what happened but just a thought. It's never a good idea to just let things go in your mouth....even if they are baby teeth that are going to fall out. It can still cause gum problems. Plus, not all kids lose their teeth between 4-6 yrs old. In fact, 4 is kind of young to lose a tooth. Even tho you've already had the front teeth done, I suggest you get a second opinoin & from a pediatric dentist who has many years experience working w/kids. Good luck!
A.G. answers from Sacramento on October 16, 2010
If you are unsure about it then get a second opinion. But think about it this way if they don't fall out until 6 or in some cases kids hold onto their teeth longer, letting that decay sit there is not good. If you do nothing you run the potential of needing baby root canals or causing damage to the adult teeth. I understand you not liking the idea of the appearance of the silver caps, but you have to weigh the pros and cons. Active decay in your mouth at any time is not good.
I know it is a difficult decision because we don't like to have to do these kind of things to our kids, but in the long run if you get the caps you are actually doing what is best for him.
D.P. answers from Pittsburgh on October 14, 2010
Mu son just lost his upper front tooth an he's 7. Some kids lose them younger, but I imagine most lose them by 8.
A second opinion never hurts though. Why does she need the caps?
J.M. answers from Kansas City on October 15, 2010
I have a 5yo and he's had 4 separate cavities. We've had all of them fixed with silver crowns/fillings. While they are just baby teeth and will eventually fall out, if the cavity stays and gets worse, it can cause damage that will affect the permanent teeth before they come in. We decided that in the long run, it would be better to fix it now when it's small than to wait and risk it turning into a bigger problem.
E.B. answers from Sacramento on October 15, 2010
We took our four year old for her first dental exam/cleaning three months ago. She has two cavities behind her top front teeth. The pediatric dentist recommended waiting six months until her next dental exam. She also told us that teeth fallout between 4 - 6 years and as long as our daughter was not in discomfort or having difficulty eating, we could wait until the next exam.
I would seek a second opinion before putting your four year old through that and incurring that huge expense.
G.B. answers from Tulsa on October 17, 2010
A Pediatric dentist should want to use white material to fix the teeth. Why would you want to make your child suffer with bad teeth and possible tooth aches just because her teeth will eventually fall out. Bad teeth can abscess and the infection is mere inches from the brain and heart and if the infection gets in the blood and goes to those places they can die.
The child should have the work done in a hospital setting under gas/general anesthesia and get it all done in a few minutes and not have the trauma of the shots, the drilling, the grinding, the scraping, hours of sitting in the chair, etc...I never regretted taking ours to the Pediatric Dentist and letting her sleep through the whole thing.
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