Cavities in our 4 year old ...needs a general anesthetic?

My wife took our daughter to the dentist for a "routine" first check up. He said my daughter has 8 cavities and needs a general anesthetic. We are good parents and watch our daughters diet and brush her teeth regularly.





We are not happy about the general anesthetic and are even questioning the necessity verse trama that our daughter will go through for cavities. We are looking for advice, alternatives, past experiences, etc.

Cavities in our 4 year old ...needs a general anesthetic?
I would definitely get a second opinion.





He may only want to give her general anesthetic because she is so young, and with such a lengthy procedure, he may worry she will be a difficult patient or just scared.





However, all 8 cavities do NOT have to be filled at the same time. You could ask for two different appointments - it would be easier for her and probably eliminate any real need to want to use general anesthetic.





I had exactly 8 cavities when I was about 5 or 6, and I had only the usual shots of anesthetic and some 'laughing gas' or n. oxide. I had very bad teeth as a child - still do today - due to poor enamel, something I was born with, and has nothing to do with the fact that I regularly brushed my teeth and ate well.


Your daughter probably shares this.





If I were you, I would look up a pediatric dentist with a good reputation and give him a call. General anesthetic is very dangerous, especially on such a young child. I would not agree to what he has suggested.





******PS: You MUST have these teeth filled!! Do not listen to the ignorant people who said not to!! If left unfilled, the cavity (a bacterial infection) will get into her bloodstream and could cause sepsis and death! It could also penetrate into the gum, other teeth, or even her cheek and jaw and cause her to lose actual chunks of her mandible (jaw) or neck!!!!!! Look it up on the net, it has happened many times before to people who let their teeth go because they don't want to pay or think it is unnecessary!!





I HAD A BABY TOOTH BECOME ABSCESSED AND INFECTED (in my bloodstream) BEFORE IT WAS FILLED, AND IT WAS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION; TOOK ME MANY MONTHS AND ANTIBIOTICS TO GET OVER.





Good luck!!
Reply:baby teeth will fall out. don't worry about these teeth.





the "dentist" sees dollar signs.
Reply:If these are baby teeth. She doesn't need anything done. If not, see another dentist.
Reply:take her for a second opinion although i have known a couple children whom they have used this method for and it worked really well~remember we really don't WANT the little ones to become frightened of the dentist at such of a early age do to the fact there so little and it would be painful some kids just get more cavities then others i raised 3 and 2 were always fine but the 3rd was full of nasty baby teethe DON'T CUT YOURSELVES SHORT ON BEING GOOD PARENTS U ARE IT JUST SOMETIMES HAPPENS!!!!!!!
Reply:Baby teeth do fall out...However, the baby teeth having infection and decay in them will also affect the permanent teeth. The gum disease issues of having 8 cavities within the mouth may also spur the inflammatory response(which is responsible for weakening the immune system ,causing a route for infection, and contributing to heart disease).





I had very good results having cavities taken care of without anesthesia. I did fantasy thinking (we also know this as meditation) and got through my 3 cavities onmy baby teeth. I would aslo suggest not doing all 8 repairs at once.
Reply:I agree, these are baby teeth, leave them alone unless they are hurting her, they will fall out. I would find another dentist also as this one is seeing $ signs on his eyes. My son's dentist gave me the best recommendation I think. My son brushed %26amp; flossed good in my opinion, but he still got about 1 cavity a year somewhere. Dentist told me to get a "Sonicare" brush, no other brand would do the same thing. Paid close to 100 bucks for this thing, but he uses it twice a day %26amp; not had a cavity in 2 years since using it. Get one %26amp; get her used to using it now %26amp; when her permanent teeth come in they will do so much better.
Reply:Filling cavities requires drilling...she needs anesthetic or she will be in lots of pain.
Reply:Being a dental assistant, I can say not all of us are in it for the money (I'm going to be an oral surgeon). believe it or not, it can probably hurt her to chew, my younger sister had anterior carries on her front two teeth and she wouldn't bite off anything that was hard until her teeth were fixed. The dentist probably wants to help comfort her, especially if they're incisors or molars.
Reply:I don't know what these other people are talking about, but I absolutely agree with "Poissant." Cavities in baby teeth will affect permanent teeth and need to be taken care of. My son has had general anesthetic for cavity fillings and done just fine. They give him "happy gas" and he actually likes it. He goes to a dentist who specializes in treating children...I suggest trying to find a specialist in your area.
Reply:Firstly, there is a condition you should know about. This is a genetic predisposition to particularly 'soft' primary teeth. It can result in a disproportionatly large amount of cavities in the affected children. It's also common for every sibling to have this condition if the other one does. I can't recall the name right now, but I promise you, it exists.





As far as general anaesthetic goes, I wouldn't be too concerned about it. It's very safe, and I assure you that your daughter will go through much less trauma that way. With general anesthetic, she just goes to sleep, wakes up, and can't remember what happened. That's a lot easier for a young child to take, compared with the multiple injections and much drilling that would occur if she were awake. You could also ask the dentist about conscious sedation, although it might be difficult on someone so small.





At any rate, you will definitely need to get the cavities filled by a dentist. Cavities are caused by bacteria that converts sugar into an acid that dissolves the tooth. Once the tooth is gone, the root will follow, and soon your daughter could have a terrible jaw infection which can result in even more complications. Leaving it alone is the worst thing you can do.





Don't listen to these people telling you the dentist just wants money. They are probably small cavities, possibly in the pits of the molars - an area where a toothbrush can't reach. If that's the case, he'll remove the cavities and apply a sealant to prevent further decay in that region.





At any rate, go to the dentist and have the cavities filled. You have no idea the kinds of complications that can arise from ignored cavities.
Reply:I work in the dental field, I would go for a second opinion if she does have cavities sometimes we could fill the tooth without giving any anesthetic it depends how deep the cavity is. I know there baby teeth but if you do not do anything they could affected the permanent teeth. I also had a experience when they wanted to seal all of my son's baby teeth for $800 dollars I never told them I was in the dental field and went to see a former boss and he told me that his teeth were fine.
Reply:I would get a second opinion. If she does have cavities then you need to have them taken care of. Just because they are baby teeth doesn't mean that you don't have to have them filled. It is just as important as her permanent teeth. You can always take her to see a pediatric dentist and they can make her alot more comfortable. Good luck!
Reply:Ok first of all ignore the "baby teeth are not worth" your child is really young, so it will pass a long time before all the permanent teeth "arise", its important to correct cavities so they won't evolve into infections and damage the permanent teeth, second for cavities normally there's no need for general anesthetic, local can do just fine in almost all cases, of course if your child have a severe condition that makes impossible to the dentist to manage, general anesthetic is indicated, ok and last my friend, normally we try all to be good parents, however even when we brush her teeth and watch her diet, caries manages to create cavities, you should ask your dentist for prevention procedures! Hope this is useful! ;)

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