Updated: Kids Teeth/ Dentist

[House4Me]

Personally if you think she needs any fillings I would go to the pediatric dentist. They specialize in kids. How old is she? If she is like 11 or 12 then I would say a family dentist is fine. If she is 4-7 years old I would do pediatric dentist.

We just learned one of my kids has to have a cavity filled next week. It's laughing gas then a shot of novocaine to "put the tooth to sleep" -- I get to sit by her the entire time which is good b/c she is only 5.

[caramia17]

I think this is very kid and dentist dependent.

If your kiddo is anxious and/or needs a lot of work, I would opt for a pediatric dentist. They have staff that are accustomed to treating little ones all day and they have kid-specific instruments that many general dentists may have, but not every.single.specific.one or fewer of the ones that they do have. Pediatric dentistry is an extra 2 year residency and the overall mean reimbursement is actually usually lower, so folks who go into it generally do it because it is a "calling" (you can pretty much say this for almost every pediatric medical specialty--more time, littler patients, less $$). Much of the additional schooling is spent on patient management techniques and they are really great about being quick and reading patients very well. This is, of course, not to say that there are not general dentists who are not awesome with kids and pediatric dentists who are not as awesome, but in general I lean towards someone who has had that training, especially for a really little one or for a situation with a fair amount of work.

FYI, I am a dental specialist (not a general dentist or pediatric dentist) and Caramini sees a pediatric dentist. I know lots and lots of great general dentists in town, but I want her experiences to be in a kid-specific office with kid-sized chairs and fun stuff in the waiting room and kid-friendly hygienists, so that she grows up with a good experience about dental care.

Good luck to your kiddo (and to you!).

[barefootcontessa]

can you get her with a pedi dentist that is covered by your insurance?

[jena]

Yay! Glad you got better news! Fwiw, my pediatric dentist kicks kids out when they are 12, so you probably won't be paying extra her entire childhood.

Also, that extra patient management training is totally worth it. Dd1 has had 2 filings and got 2 shots each time, BUT SHE DOESN'T KNOW THAT. that's right, 4 injections in the mouth and she has no idea that dentists give shots. Her dentist is amazing. Totally worth it.

[caramia17]

Sept 30, 2014 20:57:52 GMT -5 @bluesky said:

Thanks guys!! Got a second opinion and she only needs 1 filling and two sealants. New pediatric dentist was totally against general anesthesia (saying DD was impressively compliant), and fully explained the discrepancies between his analysis and the previous dentist. What a relief!!! I am much more comfortable with this dentist and we are switching permanently We have the filling and sealant appointment scheduled and DD is actually excited to go back LOL.

Great update! I am glad that they took the time to explain the differences in the assessments and that you felt comfortable. 

All the best to her (and you!) with your appts.

[lauralala]

These are great updates! Hooray for finding patient dentists who will explain what they are seeing.