Cavities in 4 Yr Old

My 4 year old had a lot of cavities even though I did everything I could to avoid them. One day she got an infection and we went to the dentist. The dentist treated it and she did do a root canal treatment (it was not painful for her and it did not take long). I did not want to have the tooth out since she was only 4 and the new tooth ( a molar)takes a long time to come out. She did say that if the infection comes back, she will have to take it out. There was no crown since the dentist did not see the point of it.
After a month, the infection came back so we had to take the tooth out. Now she has a spacer to keep the space for the new tooth. So there are other options if you want. My kids' dentist is a pedriatic dentist. Maybe you should talk to one, too. Good luck!

Arent those teeth gonna come out for her adult teeth? Why put her through so much???? Not you, but dentists....Hmmmmm. I have no advice here. I do know a mom, who instead of going through a root canal for her 4 yr old, they just told her to let it fall out, and the new tooth will come in sometime.

Hello J.,
So sorry to hear about your daughter's teeth problems! I have some advice for you. In my research, fluoride is toxic and is not good in any way for health. Please visit www.mercola.com and type in fluoride to search.
My family uses a toothpaste with Xylitol in it. It is suppose to be super for cavity prevention. My two boys have been using it since they had teeth. The name of the toothpaste is Spry. I buy it at Akron Nutrition. You can read about xylitol at www.sprydental.com.
Your daughter may have something genetic, since you are doing everything possible for her and she still has cavities. I still suggest Spry toothpaste. By the way, Spry is fluoride-free.
I sure hope things make a 180 degree turn for her. If you have any questions, please email me. Wishing you success.
~V.

floride is not a good thing for anyone no matter what the dentists try to tell you. go to www.toothsoap.com and listen to the youtube movies on the products and why traditional toothpastes do more harm than good

HI J.,
I have a coworker who's son is 4. He just had to have two crowns on his back teeth b/c of something the dentist called "overactive tongue." Brushing didn't help prevent this and that was the first time I had ever heard of baby teeth being crowned! But I guess it's not all that uncommon. (She said he went through it like a champ--came home and ate a glass of milk and a Pop Tart--never missed a beat.)
I just asked a question on here about the extraction of a baby tooth due to decay. I guess a decaying tooth and infection left untreated may permanently effect the second tooth. If you don't have these cavities treated, she may end up with discolored or misshapen adult teeth. MY son had a small abcess on his gum above a front tooth, most likely from an old fall or injury.)
As always, I would get a second opinion so you feel comfortable with the advice you have been given. Good luck to you!

I went to a specialist once to have a tooth pulled, and we got talking about one of my daughter's teeth that came in with no enamel. He asked me about childhood diseases, and told me they could actually tell you when a child was sick because if she ran a high fever while a tooth was forming, it ran the risk of not forming correctly or completely. Hence, the tooth without enamel.

That's no real help to you. But I have also learned that it is very very difficult to get novacaine to work with baby teeth because they have a different nerve configuration than the adult and permanent teeth. I think I might get a second opinion before I spent a ton of money. You want to do everything you can to help her have a healthy mouth and it sounds like you are working hard at it, but I agree with you. I sure wouldn't want to spend TONS of money on baby teeth -- esp crowns and stuff. It also makes a difference if you're talking molars vs front teeth which fall out first. Some of those molars she'll need until she's close to 12.

If you don't get much info from a regular dentist, set up an app't with a periodontal specialist (they do dental surgery and stuff) . . . just to get information. If you find a good one, he'll probably xray your daughter's mouth and be able to tell if there are problems under the gums that are causing some of this stuff. Or maybe he'll (or she'll) just be able to give you a broader understanding of the situation and help you to evaluate what you do and its impact on her adult teeth.

I was just talking to a friend that said reflux caused a lot of decay in her daughters teeth. So my first though was if she had any signs of reflux as the acid would ruin the teeth, despite your best efforts. Congrats on having such great dental home care at that age. I'm not sure why her teeth would have come in that way, unless there is a mineral or something either present or lacking in her diet that would cause that. I guess what i'm saying is Look Outside the box. maybe try to google it there might be some sort of medical reason. Do high fevers effect tooth enamel??

As for the crown, I would really say no to that one on baby teeth, but i would have them take xrays first to see if there was an adult tooth in that space. Although you don't always see the adult teeth on the xrays.

I hope you have some luck figuring this out since it sounds like 2 drs now haven't been very helpful. Do you have a pediatrician that might listen to you more and do some research for you??

let us know what you find out.

I would get a second opinion, but my daughter had the nerve therapy and treatment done when she was about four also. She too is very prone to cavitites. I have a 15 year old who has had about two cavities her whole life, then I have her!I too brush, floss, and treat her with fluoride, but she still gets cavities. I have been told she may have a very dry mouth, so it naturally doesn't clean itself out as well, so to drink water (or brush) after a meal, also try ACT fluoride rinse. I still feel sometimes it has to be a genetic factor - I've tried so much!

Did your daughter require high doses of iron when she was an infant? My daughter, now a mom herself, had a blood disorder at birth. It required strong doses of iron, and some of her teeth came in decayed and discolored. to top it off, when she was about 2, she fell and struck the front of her mouth and damaged her 2 front teeth. Back then, I knew little about supplementation, knowing then what I know now, I would be be giving her mangosteen juice and calcium supplements.
The good news, she lost the baby teeth, and all but one of her permanent teeth came in fine. One just never came in.

that seems a little extreme for a baby tooth since it will probably come out in the next two years any ways. it sounds like the dentist wants to make money. see if there is a pediatric dentist to take her to that takes your insurance. i have heard of people's who saliva that makes them more prone to cavaties. may be when her grown up teeth come in they will be fine.

Hey J.
Lots of people responded to you,and that is great but unless your child has been through this,you really have no idea.My 6 year old son has 5 crowns,all done in the past year.Up until that time,I thought crowns were waste in preschoolers.My son had a lot of cavities as well.Our regular family dentist filled a couple of them,and then our son wouldn't cooperate for more.They tried using the gas to calm him down and fill them.They recommended a ped dentist,which we agreed with.The first cavity he simpled filled and with the next visit,he did a crown without consulting us.I have to say,I was horrified when my 5 year old came out of the room with blood in his mouth.However,my son wasn't overly upset.We decided to seek the opinion of our family dentist before the next app,as we was having more crowns,and yes,they were very expensive,even with insurance covering them.Our regular dentist said that often with cavities placed in baby teeth,they can fall out,especially in a tooth that likely not fall out for 3-5 years,and is still expensive to do,since our son needs the gas to keep him calm.He agreed with the ped dentist with the crowns.The crowns protect the tooth and surrounding area,and will simply fall out with the tooth.Get a second opinion,but in our experience the crowns are worth it.Thankully,with better teeth brushing,he hasn't had any cavities since,crossing my fingers,his next check up is all good.

S.
www.SwitchStoresForHealthyLiving.com

my daughter was 4 when she had her first crown. we too did lots of brushing, but our dentist attributed her many cavities to years of cough syrups and asthma meds from 18 months on. he thoroughly explained it to us this way.... if the tooth is not treated, then it will have to be pulled. if it is pulled, it may be years before the tooth under it comes in, and by that time there would be no room for the tooth to come up, because the other teeth shift. so, not only does the crowned tooth act as a spacer, but it is also an important chewing surface. if the tooth is no longer there, then other teeth compensate for the chewing surface and there may be some changes in the jaw....etc, etc...more big words...etc.

it does not hurt to get a second opinion, although, you may have to pay for it out of pocket cause most insurance only covers one evaluation check up every 6 months. whatever you choose to do, pull it or get it crowned, i would do it soon. once the cavity reaches the nerve or it gets infected, the pain is severe.

wish you all the best! if you have any other questions, dont hesitate to ask. my daughter has had 4 molars crowned.

Hi J.,
I am a dentist and I see a lot of children, so I can provide some advice. A nerve treatment and crown are very common in baby teeth. Consider it a baby root canal. It is not painful (she will be numb), and it will keep the tooth in place until the adult tooth comes in.
With all of the history you gave, sound like you guys have the hygiene under excellent control; so her high cavity rate is a little unusual. Does anyone in your family have a history of "soft" teeth (could also be called amelogenesis imperfecta or dentinogenesis imperfecta). This is a condition where the enamel is very thin and allows bacteria to come in into the teeth easily.
Another question, have you had your daughter checked for any GI problems, or anything that would undermine her immune system? And finally, were you sick during pregnancy (or was your daughter sick early in her infancy, like high fevers, etc)? Illness during pregnancy sometimes causes the teeth to erupt with brown or white or even yellow spots, and the teeth may be softer. It is more common for the adult teeth to be affected by this, but it could happen in baby teeth as well.
When it comes to dental treatment, make sure that you are comfortable with your dentist. You can always request a second opinion if you don't feel comfortable.
Hope this helps out,
All the best,
I.

I would definitely get a second opinion...this does not sound right.

Hi J.,

What does your dentist suggest?

Just want to know? D.

Hi J.! Yes, my middle daughter had 4 crowns with "baby root cannels done when she was 5. She had an enamal problem with 4 of her molars. At the advice of our Peditrician we took her to Dentistry For Kids in Monroeville. (We had just moved here from Ohio.) The Dentist and staff were amazing! The procedures were handled well and my daughter never had problems with those teeth afterwards (although the tooth fairy was a bit more generous with those 4 teeth when they came out naturally!). I recommend that you go to a ped's dentist if you can...and of course I recommend Dentistry for Kids. We have been going there for 9 years now and my girls love going there, they have no cavities, and what more could you ask for? Good luck & best wishes!

I have a son who is seven now but we had the same problems with his teeth and he now has some crowns on his molars. He also was four when he had this work done. Our dentist only told us that he had soft teeth and there was not alot that could be done but they do not like to pull the teeth at such a young age as molars are not usually lost until age 9 or 10. It was very hard for me to go through and I think in the end much harder for me than him. Ask what options there are for the work as some dentists offer different types of pain relief for younger children such as gas or sedation. You may also want to ask about specific mouth washes. A friend of mine unfortunately has a son who has also gone through these problems at the same age and her dentist told her he had "bad" bacteria in his mouth that brushing will not always help and suggested some mouth washes.