First Dentist Appointment

My girls age 11 and 13 dentist waited until around age 8 to put on the sealant on back molars. The had to take a pill to reduce the saliva in the mouth. This was the hardest part.

I would be hesitant to sedate a young child and would seek a second opinion with another pediatric dentist before I made any decision.

Is your child experiencing dental pain now or was this on a routine check? If not in pain then what happens if you wait?

Hi K.!

I have had a very similar experience. My son was not quite 2 yet and I noticed problems with his teeth. At that point I took him to a pediatric dentist who gave me a very grim outlook. He (without doing any Xrays or even cleaning my baby's teeth!) declared that he had 8 cavities that required baby root canals immediately. Of course, for this they would have to put him under general anesthesia and do the work. My son was scared and crying and they refused to even clean his teeth without anesthesia! The total prescribed work was almost $4000!!!

I was VERY uncomfortable with the idea of putting my baby under general anesthesia. There is a small risk of death and I was not willing to risk that.

Thankfully, I gathered myself together (feeling like the world's WORST mother!) and got my son in to a second pediatric dentist for a 2nd opinion. He looked in my baby's mouth and had an entirely DIFFERENT result. They actually cleaned his teeth and inspected closely before telling me that yes he had 4 cavities (these I could see and knew about) and that was it. Also, that he has very very soft enamel and that is why this was happening to him. His recommendation was to fill those cavities and watch his teeth closely. We did that 2 years ago and he has been perfectly fine! Total cost less than $300 (with my discount plan)!!! And NO anesthesia. He was scared and he did cry, but it was a very short procedure!

So, my advice is to seek a second opinion. And I would avoid putting her under if you can. Yes, these teeth need filling to prevent spread of decay, but I think your dentist is a little over-zealous!

If you are in need of a dental plan check out www.SplendidTeeth.com - this is my website and I can help you save some money on this and the rest of your family's dental needs.

Good luck!
M.

When my daughter was around 3 she had cavities also. (A result of antibiotics for ear infections) It is necessary to fill the teeth so that the decay doesn't 1)Cause her pain and 2) to protect the permanent teeth forming. I am not so sure about the sealant - if they are back teeth, I'd probably go ahead and seal them since those permanent teeth don't come in for a number of years. Hope this helps!

1000. sounds really steep. Is this a pediatric dentist? Sometimes they charge more. You might call around and find out from family dentists in your area what the normal amount for cavities and sealant cost might be. Ask if they will see younger patients. We do not have dental insurance either.
As for our dental experience, my son (who is 11yrs) has never had a cavity but had sealants at a very early age. My daughter has had cavities and sealants. She received the sealant after the cavities were filled. She was 4 and did not require sedation. No cavities since the sealant for either child. Sealants are well worth the cost in my opinion.
I would educate myself on the "going price" in your area for fillings. We do not go to a pediatric dentist. Our family dentist is fantastic with kids and much cheaper than a "specialist". I can't tell you how wonderful the dentist is and how patient he is with children. My kids totally trust him which is very unusual. Our dentist is in the Bryan/College Station, Texas area.
With that being said, make sure the dentist that you choose, like any doctor, is trustworthy. I have had experiences with doctors that were in my opinion cruel and heartless with my children. The cost of procedure should be analyzed but most of all the quality of care is most important!!

A second opinion never hurts. That sounds really expensive. I would think closer to $400 for the fillings and then about $100 for the sealants. Normally they will give you a cash price. Those teeth may have deep crevases so you could seal them and then come back later and seal the others.

My mom let me sleep with a bottle... by first grade most of my front teeth were rotten. I have a terrible time with my adult teeth now. So it isn't good to let them be. My oldest is 13 and still losing baby teeth, so if you leave them, she may not lose them for 10 more years, so that is 10 years for the decay to spread and during that time they will get adult teeth and they could become issues.

If you just pulled them then that can cause spacer problems- especially as young as she is- and her adult teeth could come in funny and then you have to see the orthodontist and that is even more expensive.

Also, one of my children had a spot on their tooth and the dentist was able to use this technique that uses sand and the instrument blows the sand really hard on the tooth. It isn't painful so their is no painkillers or gas. I am thinking that it is so expensive because of her age they are going to sedate her. I would call around. Call pedi dentist and such and ask what techniques that use.

Good luck!

A child with decay needs to have the teeth filled, just as you would fill your own. She could end up with a tooth ache, abcess, possible root canal and crown. She probably has decay in her molars which she won't loose for many many years. They can fill them now or she can get stainless steel crowns which I don't think are very attractive. Keeping the baby teeth are important because it holds open a space for the permanant tooth. I hope you took her to a pedodontis because they work well with young children. Ask for a second opinion. Get copies of the x-rays and go for a consult some where else. My children see Dr Bain at Small Smiles in Pflugerville. If it were my child I would get the teeth fixed. Be sure to brush your daughters teeth after she does it. You may want to use an ACT floride rinse(my kids love it) at bedtime. Use a tooth brush, dip it in the floride rinse and brush it on her teeth (do this after she brushes with toothpaste). Be sure she spits it out. Look into CareCredit. It's a dental credit card that has no interest if you pay it off in a certain time. Hope this helped.

I didn't think baby teeth were very important, but the are. They do need to be filled and I would guess since they want to do sealants there might be an issue and they are trying to prevent more cavities. Most dentists will work with you on a payment plan.

Even though her baby teeth are going to fall out, they need to be filled. If you dont fill them, you run the risk of the cavity rotting the tooth up into the gums. Then you'll really have problems. I've heard pros and cons to the sealants. It seems justified to me.
A little warning; whatever you decide to do, dont go to The Castle Dental. They claim to be the cheapest in town, however, you get what you pay for. I have had to have two procedures "re-done" because of their sloppy work from a few years ago (before I got married and obtained dental insurance)
Good Luck!!
M.:)

I am a Registered Dental Assistant. Some dentist over treat, just like other professions. This is good, but there is always better! I would fill the cavities that are current. Next seal the adult teeth. These start to come in around age 6. The back teeth are the only ones that should be sealed. They have deeper grooves & no matter what brush you use none will get into those grooves. Do you have flouride in your water? If you have well water it is not. There are good product otc you can have her use if she can spit it out. Do not let her swallow it. If you can use toothpaste with flouride, again if she will spit it out. Bare minimum is best. If you do not fill the cavities, the teeth can abcess. The will then need a rootcanal & stainless steel crowns or to be pulled. If the adult teeth are near coming in you will not have room because the other baby teeth will shift. A spacer can be placed. I have a 4 yr old daughter. She has fillings, but I have lots. She got bad teeth from me & my husband. I try to do my best with brushing. The more comfortable she is in the office the better. You don't want to establish a fear she will carry throughtout her whole life. If you are not comfortable she will since this & respond the same way. If there is a lot to be done sometimes hospitalization is best. One time & she is done. Take care of the rest and have routine checkup. At least every 6 months. Let me know if you need anymore info. I hope this helps.

I don't want to be a broken record so take a look at what every one has mentioned.
And call your local health department they MOST often have a program for youngsters. they will also have a list of dentists in your area who will do the work and work with you on a payment plan.
What ever you do, don't let them tell you that you can't be in the room when the work is done. I had a cow when they tried to tell me that. I stayed right there with them when they had their work done.