posted on August 22, 2000 10:51:05 PM new
Ok, I took my kids to the dentist today. First visit to a new dentist. The older one got a clean checkup and continues to be cavity-free. The younger one didn't fare so well. And herein lies my dilemma. I want to know if anyone can give me their opinion on what percentage of the dentists reccommended course of treatment is necessity and what percentage is BS.
First, he said that although my older one (almost 10) did not have any cavities he wanted to 'seal' his back teeth with some sort of fissure sealant to help prevent decay. These teeth are still his baby teeth and will be falling out soon. The price? $166.00.
Next up, Nicholas (8 years old in another 2 weeks): "Ah hah, mm hmmm" Nick has 2 cavities said the dentist upon examination, also in his baby teeth. Need to get those filled. (Even tho they also will be falling out.) His price was up to 300 something... oh, but wait, we're not done yet... in come the xrays! Oh joy! Nicholas the caprisun juice guzzling kid has oodles more tiny cavities seen in xray that the dentist couldn't see with the naked eye. Some in the same teeth. 12 to be exact. 12 CAVITIES?????
What the...??? After I picked my jaw back up, he handed me the printout of the 'estimate' for the damages to fill all of them: $729! AAAAGHHH!!!
SOOOOOO, any dentists or mothers who have been through this crap: How much should I get done. All of it? The first 2 that the dentist saw in examination, since those must be the more serious ones? Should I wait and see if they might not need to fill the lesser ones since they are all in his baby teeth which are going to fall out in the next few years? If it were his adult teeth I wouldn't hesitate. Do them all I would say. But since they are baby teeth... I just don't know. I don't want to mess up his adult teeth tho.
Help!
Oh, and yes, he has gotten quite the lecture. I showed him the estimate and asked him if he thought I was happy about that and he was very quiet. It's purely 'forgetting' to brush his teeth and too dam many juices. But that is behind us now... and what is before us is fixing the damage.
So how much damage is necessary to fix immediately, how much can wait, and how much is pure BS by a dentist trying to jack up his fee? And how about that sealant pitch on the older child?
posted on August 22, 2000 11:11:11 PM new
Try another dentist.
I think that much of what dentists do has more to do with paying their bills than it does with the health of patients. And their bills are open-ended and extraordinary.
They are not above playing the guilt card with parents, in general, and their work environment is very competitive. There are LOTS of dentists.
The University of Hawaii has a dental college, don't they? (I don't remember). If so, give them a call. Look for a dental referral service.
Use your status as a single mother and look into means scaled services that might be available. You don't have to be poor to qualify.
Look around some before you commit to a particular course of treatment. You have the choices.
And yes, except in cases where there is need for reconstructive or alignment work at your kid's ages, it does seem to be money that would be unnecessary to spend.
Think what your parents would have done, or what would theirs have done.
It was less than a hundred years ago that most dental work was performed at home with pliers or a string and a doorknob.
posted on August 22, 2000 11:17:50 PM new
Oh this is such a hard thing to decide. I have always been one to think if the dental work is not necessary, then don't do it. In some cases it needs to be done.
In the case of the sealant I don't think that needs to be done. If your 10 y/o has no trouble with cavities, then this is a waste of money.
In the case of your 8 y/o I would say get another opinion. I can see one or two fillings but not 12 and not if they are tiny. My son was 5 when he had to get 3 crowns and yes they were on baby teeth. There was nothing anyone could do for him. I paid over $1000 for that work alone. Until those teeth fall out, they can hurt just as bad when they rot.
I don't see the need to fill tiny cavities just to prevent them from becoming full decayed teeth. That is just overkill. In a lot of cases a good brushing 2 times a day will prevent them from becoming worse.
I know what it is like to walk out of the dentist with a huge bill. I just got three fillings today and have run up over a $600 tab. I am paying for all the coke I drank. I had 11 cavities and needed one crown.
It sounds like your dentist may have his best interest in mind instead of yours and your children's. Prevention is one thing but when it is unnecessary and way to costly, then it is BS.
I feel bad for you because I know what you are going through.
posted on August 22, 2000 11:28:52 PM new
kiheicat-I'm not a dentist, but am a mom, who had kids that age, with the same bs given to me by thier dentist at the time..
My 2, one had great teeth, no cavities, and they wanted the sealants on the baby teeth, which made NO sense at all, but she 'explained' how taking care of the baby teeth, will make the adult teeth healthy or something....... this was awhile ago! anyway, went with the sealants on the baby teeth, at that time, it was $25 a tooth, and ins covered most of it, back then, on Blue Cross.... my other daughter, had cavities everywhere, and they wanted to fill them, and they were baby teeth too... same explanation about how the baby teeth affect the outcome or health of the adult teeth later... SO I had them fill them......
NOW? I think I wouldn't have done it, their baby teeth fell out not long after, even with ins. covering most, it seemed like a waste. BUT! Those sealants WHEN they get their adult teeth, YES, I did that, and it was probably the best thing. I believe that they have to be 're sealed' every 3 years, and they had theirs 're done' one time, oldest daughter now, has zero cavities, but younger one has to have a root canal, yuck!
SO with all that, IMO, I believe working on baby teeth is a waste of money, they ARE going to fall out, and I am not sure that doing all that, will promote healthier adult teeth.... but that is only my very very humble opinion and it seems so long ago....
Personally? I think dentists rip you off left and right.... and you really need to question everything they do....
I would go to another denist. This is ridiculous but then I am fuming over my denist visit yesterday. I had two little coverings (can't remember the correct term) put back in where my gums had receded or I had brushed too hard. The first time he put them in they fell out. No drilling or anything this time and I got charged 118.00.
I agree with krs. Find a community college or University of Hawaii which teaches dental stuff and take them there. You will get a second opinion and won't get ripped off again.
As for the cavities, I'd say as long as the tooth doesn't hurt don't worry. As far as the mouth at that age is concerned I think all you have to worry about is infection from a badly decayed tooth. We also did the sealant thing but it was alot cheaper back then but the kids were told to not eat ice which is one of my daughters favorite things to chew on. She is finally getting two cavities filled on Thurs. Now my son who was terrible at brushing before he discovered girls doesn't have a cavity in his head after all of my warnings. Humph!
And 12 cavities? That denist will have your son terrified of denists.
posted on August 23, 2000 01:17:36 AM new
Thank you SO much all of you!!! Once again, Maui was right... she said "Post it in AW and someone will have an answer that makes sense" and you all make sense. I will be mulling this one over for awhile but I am inclined to possibly get the 2 filled and do a 'wait and see' on the others and if they begin to get bad then fill them too.
He is in no pain and has not given me any indication that any of his teeth are bothering him. That's why I was floored by the diagnosis. You would think that someone, especially a sensitive child, who's teeth were in dire straits would feel at least a twinge of discomfort but there is none.
Funny how families have good teeth, bad teeth ppl... my mother has always had lots of dental work, while my father had his first cavity at age 21 and only a couple after that. hmmm
On the humorous side, Nicky brushed his teeth 3 times since we got home this evening, lol... once as soon as we got in the door, once before bedtime, and again just to 'make sure'.
posted on August 23, 2000 03:57:09 AM new
If you have dental insurance, I would call them and find out what they consider to be reasonable and customary charges. If you don't have dental insurance, get a friend that does to call their company. A few years ago, my dentist wanted to do a root canal on a back tooth. I told her to pull it. She didn't want to. Went to another dentist and he pulled it and it was much cheaper then a root canal. I would definitely find another dentist.
posted on August 23, 2000 09:05:27 AM new
some children really didn't know how important their own teeth were, how to take care their own teeth, nor what cavities mean......
to some kids, it's another stupid routine chore to do....taking care of their own teeth.
posted on August 23, 2000 05:42:55 PM new
In regards to your youngest son: *do* get a second opinion regarding the *number* of cavities he actually has. Some of the 12 your dentist mention might only be what is called "pre-cavities"--which may or may not actually develop into actual cavities.
BUT: on any actual cavities, DO have them taken care of! Yes, they are baby teeth & will fall out--however, untreated decay in baby teeth *can* affect undescended adult teeth above them. Not only that, you definitely do not want absesses forming (& it can happen with untreated cavities)--I speak from experience here! As a child I had two untreated cavities form absesses, one on each side of my mouth. It was so bad, it took the doctor three weeks to reduce the infection enough for the dentist to get in & remove the teeth. The pain & swelling were awful.
JUst because they are "baby" teeth, do NOT neglect them!
posted on August 23, 2000 11:14:40 PM new
bunni - I know what you are talking about
I, too, was Nick's age when my mother discovered a rotting (I mean grey rotting) back tooth. Gee, I honestly thought everyone went through that and rarely complained... couple weeks later, it was yanked out with a combination of a very good dentist, novicane, and the wonderful/laughing gas wwheeee!
I agree, back teeth are the worst (perhaps the difficulty of cleaning them with a regular toothbrush).
which reminds me ~~~sighs~~~ few more weeks - the appointment with the dentist.....
serious question: had anyone experienced with or seen wisdom (back) tooth growing sideways?
posted on August 23, 2000 11:58:42 PM newtoomanycomics: Yes, one of my upper wisdom teeth came in sideways (well, 3/4 slant, pointing outwards). I finally had it pulled as it kept scraping the inside of my cheek.
posted on August 24, 2000 04:51:30 PM new
Get a 2nd opinion for sure - but as a kid with bad teeth - I learned the hard way.
REAL cavities in high pressure areas of a baby tooth should be attended to. Otherwise you run the risk of having a broken/shattered tooth, when you consider a kids consumption of rocks, sticks, coins, pencils, jawbreakers, ice, Etc. Cavities weaken the structure and resistance of the tooth.
If it breaks and exposes the nerve - Disaster. This is not the guilt trip thing - just reality.
Small cavities in non pressure areas of teeth that are due to fall out soon? - Well.
Sealant for teeth that will fall out within a year or so? No thank you - I'll not have any of that pie.
posted on August 24, 2000 04:58:05 PM new
toomany, been there done that with the wisdom tooth... had to have an oral surgeon cut through bone to get remove one of my wisdom teeth. OUUUUUCH!
posted on August 25, 2000 02:24:44 AM new
There was a Reader's Digest article within the past few years on dentists. Basically they took a guy and had his teeth fully examined by a team of dentists. Then concensus was that he needed 'X' done (about $500) Then he went around the country going to various dentists to get their opinions.
Needless to say, he got widely varying estimates. The worst one was for $30,000 (yes, thirty thousand dollars) from a dentist in NYC. But the vast majority of estimates were for way more than $500. It was a scary article.
Personally I would wait on the 'pre-cavities' - heck, my dentist would say to brush more and they won't get any worse. I'd hold off because these are baby teeth. I *would* do something about the two cavities (assuming they actually exist). Any way you can get a second opinion on those? Don't both with the sealants - since your boys are 8 and 10, they won't have the teeth much longer and they're old enough to realize that they have to brush more responsibly. It would be different if they were 4 or 5.
Also, my dentist doesn't put sealants on adult teeth usually. He told me the reason once but I've forgotten.
Speaking as someone who had all four wisdom teeth removed two weeks ago, I've been spending way too much time thinking about teeth lately. (grin)
anyway, went with the sealants on the baby teeth, at that time, it was $25 a tooth, and ins covered most of it, back then, on Blue Cross.... my other daughter, had cavities everywhere, and they wanted to fill them, and they were baby teeth too... same explanation about how the baby teeth affect the outcome or health of the adult teeth later... SO I had them fill them......
wwheeee!