3 year old to have 3 Root Canals?

Question

My daughter needs 3 root canals. Is this normal? We are very concerned to get this work done to her at this age. She will be put under anesthetic. She also has a tiny piece of flesh in between her top front teeth and her gum. We have been told that she may need braces later on. Why not just take it out? Thanks for any info!!!

Answer 1

this is more common than people think the problem is usually due to the frequency of snacking, I dont think the dentist is trying to "screw you" and the teeth should be treated, if the child is snacking very frequently then they should be brushing more frequently also, and drinking/rinsing with water after snacks and meals sometimes helps

if left untreated then these teeth will spread their infection to other teeth in the mouth

Answer 2

Its actually very important for children to keep their baby teeth. They pave the way for the adult teeth to come in. I would see a root canal specialist called an endodontist to have this work done,especially if its the front teeth. The tiny piece of flesh being removed is called a frenectomy and is common. She wont need that done untill 7 or 8 years old.

Answer 3

This is not normal. A root canal is done to a tooth that has suffered a trauma that has damaged it. I will assume these are molars that she may have until she is 12 or more so they will be important to her for a while to come. The root is removed, the canals cleaned and filled. Usually a crown will go over that tooth to protect it since it is now essentially dead. They like to keep those baby teeth in to maintain proper spacing so that the permanent teeth will come in properly. Meantime you may want to take better care of her teeth, remember those permanent ones can last a lifetime and she needs to start learning good dental practices now.

Answer 4

PLEASE, PLEASE GET A SECOND, POSSIBLY THIRD OPINION.

You pose a very logical question--why not just take the teeth out? Also--WHY does this dentist think she needs the root canals? Are there nerve problems with her teeth--exactly what is going on here--infection, structural, functional, is this the only solution??--YOU MUST FIND THIS OUT.

It would be very beneficial for you to find, and get the opinion of a holistic and/or biological dentist. These dentists take a natural approach--as in "first do no harm" and realize that one's teeth are a part of one's whole body. They will also treat your daughter as a whole person as opposed to just isolating and dealing with her teeth. They use non-toxic materials and, often, incorporate other natural healing modalities/practitioners.

The mouth is a very vulnerable area of the body. Work done here, can, and often does, result in future problems, often in other areas of the body. Your child is growing and developing in all areas/aspects. Undue or unnecessary trauma inflicted upon this area of the body (specifically her mouth, jaw, cranium, neck, shoulder, back, etc.) can create problems down the road--both structurally and functionally.

If, after obtaining different opinions, the work is required you may want your daughter to receive CranioSacral Therapy--(a very gentle-hands-on therapy that can help restore any imbalances in the body, particularly the muscle-skeletal/nervous system). possibly BEFORE and definitely after the procedure. It is an excellent and very safe modality. AND, if this is a structural problem, it may be very possible to AVOID this by receiving CranioSacral Therapy. You can contact the Upledger Institute and speak with someone regarding this matter. They have achieved excellent results in areas concerning structural/functional problems--including dental issues.

Please be PROACTIVE in your daughter's health. Become empowered by becoming knowledgeable.

Listed below are some resources for you to investigate.

Very good luck to you.

Massage Therapist/CranioSacral Therapist

Answer 5

I don't know what to tell you. But, I sure feel bad for her!!!! I'll say a prayer for her.

Some people just have bad teeth no matter what they do. I have what they call mushroom teeth. Where they rot from the inside out and by the time you find out about it, it's gotten so bad they need pulled or a root canal. I had my first root canal at age 9.

Answer 6

Go get a second opinion. The fact is, they can put temp caps on her teeth, but there is no need to do a root canal. if her teeth are that bad, just ask the dentist to pull them and be done with it. Also, please do make sure she is taking extra good care of her teeth now. if you get her in the habit now, she will more likely to take care of her permanent teeth when she gets them!!!

Good luck

Answer 7

we don't do root canals on baby teeth. i think your dentist has wanted to mention it in a simple way that you would understand.
we call it pulpotomy or pulpectomy and they`ve only done on deciduous teeth.its so easy depends on your child whether she can cooperate with the dentist or not.visit a pedodontist(specialist in children dentistry) if she/he said that your baby needs general anesthesia you SHOULD do this cause these baby teeth must remain in mouth since 11 years old otherwise your child permanent teeth became crowded and she will braces later.
about that flesh in her gum you can do the surgery(very very simple one) when she grow up 7-8 years maybe.
it can be down in 15 min or less by local anesthesia.

Answer 8

Why on earth would a dentist perform a root canal on baby teeth. They will be coming out!! My daughter fell at age 4 and damaged her front tooth causing an abscess from injury to the nerve. Her dentist put her on antibiotics and then pulled it and we waited for the permanent tooth to come in.

Answer 9

I'm no expert, but I have never heard of a child that young having a root canal. I suggest you get a second opinion on this one. Second opinions can be valuable in dentistry, yet people seldom consider this. I had one dentist that wanted $1,056 for a crown; I went to another dentist that had been recommended to me and she charged me $642 (these are prices before insurance claims were filed). This saved me over $170 out of pocket.

Answer 10

These are not permanent teeth.They shouldn't need root canals.If the teeth are hurting you child it would be better to have them pulled because she will lose them in a few years anyway.This sounds like a dentist rip off .Carry her to a different dentist.