if a seven year old has major tooth decay in baby teeth. what do you do?

Question

a dentist told my friend that she should do nothing (as far as dental work) for her seven yr old and her teeth. and that since they are her baby teeth not to worry. this poor girl has like no teeth left in her mouth and i know she is in pain. i am not sure how long her teeth have been this way but i think she needs a second opinion from another dentist. her permanent teeth will greatly be affected. any opinions?

i am not sure of how the decay happened. i do not know her that well and feel out of place asking too many Q's. i babysit for the girl and her 9 yr old brother sometimes and his teeth are fine. 2 years ago when i met them i asked the girl if she had ever been to the dentist she said no, but that her mom made an appointment for her soon. that was 2 yrs ago and i still get the same answer each time i ask her. finally i asked her mom if she had been and she said yes she has. i don't believe her but whatever. she said she is supposed to have surgery on 1(yes only 1) of her molars but she's supposed to make an appointment after feb 2. that's when she told me about the dentist not worrying about the other teeth. i know she is full of it. i don't believe she has ever taken her even once. which to me is abuse and neglect!

Answer 1

There isn't a lot you can do without involving the authorities. It's a shame that people don't realize the problems they create emotionally and physically with children with this type of neglect.

There are a couple of things you can do. Try teaching the child good oral hygiene while she is in your care, by brushing and flossing. Maybe she will demonstrate her new found skill to her mom. Also if you pick them up(or not) from school, you could mention to the teacher that a dental health class from a local dentist might be good for the kids. I am sure the teacher will understand your motivation. Most dental offices have someone who does the class, you can get involved and organize it yourself. It will give you a reason to attend that day and ask questions. It will be hard for the mom to deny the problem then, and it may be reported without you having to do it.

It's tough to sit back and do nothing, so try to do what you can. It makes a world of difference to the child just knowing you cared enough to do something. Good luck! I wish I knew the outcome of this.

PS The only way a dentist would leave a decayed tooth is if it's loose, and the permanent is about to erupt. But not a mouth full!

Answer 2

Some dentists place these silver-looking crowns on the baby teeth until they fall out. If the teeth are too far gone to place a crown, they could be pulled until the seconds come in. I'm sure there even is a kind of denture or partial for these little ones, except it is way too expensive and most people just opt to wait for the permanent teeth to erupt. Yes, the baby teeth do fall out, but many dentists also believe, that the decayed baby teeth cause problems for the permanent set and should be treated accordingly.
I had a friend whose son had terrible baby teeth. All black in the front. Well, he went to bed with a bottle of milk. The kid falls asleep and the milk just sits in the mouth. It contains sugars, and they have a blast during the night. In the daytime she'd give him coke in the baby bottle which of course speaks for itself.

Answer 3

Maybe she just has deep grooves in her teeth, that makes it really difficult to get them properly clean, no matter how well you brush, and is a prime spot for decay to start. That's a problem I had when I was younger, but once my dentist realised it (after my first set of fillings) he made sure when my other molars came in, he put sealant on them early, before the decay had a chance to start. Also, do you give your daughter dried fruit? Because it's really high in sugar and tends to stick in the teeth, especially things like raisins. Change the squash to sugar free stuff as well, that might help. It's sad that she has to have fillings when she's so young, but unfortunately you can't do anything to reverse the decay now, and the sooner you get the fillings done the less painful it should be for her, and hopefully the experience won't be all that bad. Good luck.

Answer 4

Ah, bless her heart.

I think children should start seeing dentists around age 4. If not sooner. It sounds like this little girl's parents have not taken care of her teeth. Although there could be a medical condition that caused this.
Hopefully her parents will take her to another dentist for a second opinion. At the age of 5 she should have lost some of her baby teeth, and have a few adult teeth.
They need to be watched, since she has prior problems with her teeth.

Answer 5

Please get a second opinion, my daughter had this problem due to drinking juice at night in a bottle (i never left it with her but it still had the same effect because the juice was on her teeth all night, I didnt know, what can I say). They filled in all of her teeth because they said the new ones could grow in with this problem as they could rot from the inside before they reached the surface. She was younger when it was done so maybe its not an issue at this point but I wouldnt take any chances,the problem here is that it is a surgery that needs to have the child under anesthesia so most times it has to be done in a hospital.

Answer 6

First you take this child to hospital,and hope that this child doesnt die!!!... NOW Desease of the mouth is most serious,DEATH may occur,Because I can only rely on what info is available,This child is in serious trouble!!!,..wasthe Mother a drug addict? Isd the child being washed and cared for ?/ This is Very STRANGE,I HAD Soft TEETH as a child but never to the advanced state in whichthis poor child is in??Get THIS CHILD MEDICAL HELP NOW ,If YOU NEED money ,?the church ,the welkfare dept,or a branch of the government will help you !!Aseven yr old shouldent have teeth ROTTINGout of his head,IF i can help you ?/write to me [e-mail] Ilost 17 teeth at once from gum desease due to smoking.three years ago now i ware dentures,but iam 41yrs old.

Answer 7

Well there isn't much necessary in terms of filling in the cavities in the baby teeth. There is one thing that worries me. Kids usually start to grow molars before they lose their baby teeth, the molars are permanent and the cavities in those, if there are any need to be filled. If all the teeth are still baby teeth it's okay to do nothing about the cavities, as long as she is not in pain. Have them checked regualrly and tech her how to brush her teeth properly before the permanent teeth grom win.

Answer 8

A second opinion is the thing to do but my one question is what caused the severe decay in her baby teeth?

Answer 9

Stop feeding the baby coca-cola.

Always get a second opinion.