why do dentists now have to preform dental work on childrens baby teeth?

Question

I had to take my kid to the dentist and i know its been a long time since i was a kid, but when i was his age i thought they would just pull em. Now the dentist said that my son had 3 small cavities, and 2 (baby root canals) on his baby teeth. I dont know what the heck that means or how the heck he got em concidering he gets his teeth brushed everyday. I asked the dentist to just pull the ones with the root canals, and fix the others, but he said that pulling is a bad idea. I saw the bill and it was quite high. And the insurance only covers 60% on root canals (how conveinient). I asked him how much it would cost me if they were pulled and he wouldnt tellme, but just repeated how bad it would be for the big teeth. I feel they just want to charge money for no reason other then to lace their pockets with money. Anybody else have info or feel the same way.

Answer 1

Root canals and stain steel crowns are very common in the deciduous teeth of small children, even at the age of 3 or 4. The main purpose of this is to restore the teeth involved, getting the child out of pain, maintaining "this space" that is extremely important since it retains the needed space for the permanent tooth’s formation that is taking place and to erupt into, also keeping this tooth allows for the arch growth to continue at a normal pattern. There is more to it than just "lining" the dentist pocket; it's for the Childs best interest. Years ago, these teeth were just extracted and not given at thought about. Later, the child would have major dental problems such as; growth of the arches being too small, over bites and under bites, malaligned teeth and crowding. All of which I'm sure you don't want to have to repair with surgery or orthodontic treatment later.

Also removing decay and placing fillings to restore the deciduous teeth so they can remain for the years needed maintaining the space for development, is common in small children. Leaving decay to continue to destroy the Childs teeth is what leads to needing root canals and stainless steel crowns work preformed on small children.

Children should be seen by a dentist at least by age three, some say at a year old but I think three is fine myself. Parents need to supervise the child’s brushing technique twice a day and always follow up with checking and re-brushing areas missed by them. Also the drinks before bed should be only of water after brushing before bed, it’s the sugary milk or the acid in juices, that coats the teeth that adds to decay. There are many other things that I could bring up, but I’ll leave all of that to your dentist.

Over the years we have learned the reasons as to why so many dental problems have occurred and how to prevent them from happening to children now. Your dentist is trying to educate you and help your child so that these problems don’t happen to them. What seems expensive now with the needed work is nothing compared to what the repairs later will cost. Take my advice, trust your dentist to take care of you and your family’s dental health. Good luck and I hope I’ve been of some assistance.

Additional information: Root canals of deciduous teeth are similar to adult root canals but not as tedious or complicated. The same thing has occured though, the decay has reached the nerve of the tooth and the nerve must be removed to maintain the tooth. The tooth is opened from the top, a medication is placed in the tooth to kill off bacteria, then a filling is placed and the tooth is prepped for a stainless steel crown, with is cemented on permanently for the duration of the life of this tooth.

Answer 2

It has something to do with overcrowding. I read it somwhere if the baby teeth are pulled before the time they would actually fall out then the permanent teeth grow in too early and cause overcrowding. ?
Oh, so root canals are more expenisve, and more money out of pocket for you. It's less for the dentist to pull them, but he's telling you no?? I don't know about that. It could be what you say. Or pulling the teeth may cost you more $$$ down the line to straighten out the permamnet teeth. Maybe they simply don't need to be pulled, and the dentist wasn't thinking in dollars.

I've heard that kids drinking more bottled water is leading to more cavities. They are not getting the flouride they need from tap water.

Get a second opinion. I suppose it couldn't hurt to ask another dentist how he feels.

Answer 3

I've experienced the same situation. My daughter was 10 and we went for her six month checkup. The dentist came out and said she had two cavities and pressured me into making an appointment to get them filled. I declined and drove home wondering what that is all about, since these teeth are going to fall out very soon anyway. I felt like I was being conned. Well I never did get them filled and her baby teeth fell out and that's that.

You didn't mention how old your kid is. I would suspect if the tooth is severely decayed and not ready to come out for quite a long time then yes it might be a good idea to patch it up.

Answer 4

while baby teeth do fall out and are replced... its all in the timing.... and oral health
pulling teeth too early can affect the amount of space that the replacement teeth have to grow in to.... which could lead to the greater expence of plates and braces.... also if the teeth that need pulling are the molars (the back teeth) it could affect your sons ability to chew his food properly, and lead to muscle strain of the jaw...

also the bacteria involved in causing cavities can affect the underlaying teeth, bone structure, gum health and studies are also showing a link between poor oral health and heart disease.....

as for how he got them.... have a good look at his diet,...... there is a school of belife that a diet high in sugars and highly processed / refined foods affect oral health from the inside out (much like your skin)

as you havent said how old your son is..... i am going to ask a couple of questions... does he drink lots of fruit juice, soda, sugary drinks?? does he still drink from a bottle??? if so does he go to bed with a bottle (after brushing his teeth?)

also get your dentist to watch your brushing technique.... there may be ways to improve this to ensure your child has a better clean....

good luck

Answer 5

As professionals, dentists take an oath to care for and protect their patients. This means they can not perform procedures that are not in the best interest of the patient even if the parent asks them to.

Believe me, patients and parents of patients ask dentists to do bizarre things all the time that are definitely not in their best interest. It is not necessarily the patient's fault. They simply don't understand what they are requesting. It is the dentist's responsibility to do what is best for his patient even when it makes the patient (or his parent) angry.

Answer 6

Please, please, listen to Heather!
We know so much more about the importance of primary teeth than we did even 20 years ago. Isn't your child's well-being worth the money?

As for your insurance ("How convenient"), you are lucky to have any dental insurance at all and your dentist has nothing to do with your coverage. Your suggestion that a dentist wants to do unnecessary work on a child is an insult to a caring professional.

Studies suggest children should see a dentist as young as 18 months to screen for signs of oral disease. Poor diet, and lack of fluoride can contribute to a lifetime of painful oral diseases.

A dentist who pulled a child's tooth rather than trying to restore it would be rendering less than the standard of care and could lose his/her license. As a parent myself, I can't even imagine giving less to my child than the very best of dental care.

Answer 7

I feel the same way as you do. My son just went to dentist for first time (he's three) and they found 4 cavities that they have to fill. Quite expensive, even if insurance is paying for most of it. I don't remember kids having so many cavities filled at a young age.

Answer 8

i had a lot of teeth pulled when i was a child i was 12 or 13 before my eye teeth came in by that time i was already in braces i would say though if you are uncomfortable you always have the right and option of a second opinion

Answer 9

A lot of parents would save themselves a lot of money on braces if they took better care of their children's baby teeth. When I was a kid, we never got special treatment for our baby teeth, and we pulled them when they were loose. Guess what? My teeth are crooked because of it. That said, I've never heard of root canals for baby teeth. I would consider getting a second opinion.

Answer 10

This dentist is just a money hungry jerk. The only thing it may do to the big teeth is give them room to grow in early. That may affect the enamel a little, but I don't see where it'd be THAT big of a problem. Appearantly you've already taken him since you've seen a bill. I'd take the child to a different dentist. The only reason he wouldn't tell you how much it costs to just pull them was because he either didn't want to do it or he wanted the higher costing procedure to be done. Good luck!