We recently found out that DS1 (almost 5yo) has several cavities, including one that's severe enough to cause him pain. We've been shopping for a new dentist, and found one that I thought was great. He's VERY apprehensive about the dentist, and really does not like anyone near his mouth, plus he has a very strong gag reflex, so we agreed with the dentist that we should do conscious sedation to have the work done.
DS2 had some crowns put on using conscious sedation a little over a year ago. They used a cocktail of versed and tylenol and it worked wonderfully, so I figured we'd be doing the same thing for DS1 this time.
I took him in Wednesday. The assistant brings him back and takes his vitals, then the doc comes in to talk to us. I asked the doc, because the treatment plan specified "sedative + nitrous", "So we're doing versed and nitrous right?" and she said "Yes." So the assistant gives DS the little cup of green goo and he drinks it and we wait for him to get sleepy.
He never gets sleepy. After about an hour, the doc decides she's going to try to get x-rays (which they couldn't do while he was fully awake because of his fear and his gag reflex.) I agree, thinking even if he's not sleepy he at least won't remember this. We had to hold him down and use the little pliers to hold his mouth open, just to get the x-rays. The tech spoke VERY harshly to DS and threatened to "make mommy leave" if he didn't cooperate. Again, I was thinking this was very harsh but I thought he was under the influence of versed and would not be likely to remember any of this.
After struggling so much with the x-rays, doc decides she's not even going to try to do any work. Good call. So she starts talking about what to expect from IV anesthesia (next step up in her practice from CS) and then at the end hands me a form that says she gave him DEMEROL. Nothing else, just DEMEROL!
Um, what? First of all, Demerol does literally NOTHING for me. I've taken it for tooth issues and if anything it intensified the pain. Second of all, DEMEROL is at best a MILD sedative. That is NOT conscious sedation!
I'm furious. I had to pay $98 out of pocket for this "conscious sedation" AND of course DS remembers the whole thing, including the tech who was so mean to him. And also, he's STILL IN PAIN.
I want my money back, and I definitely want to find a new dentist. I want to write a letter to this dentist explaining why I'm upset. Am I justified in being so furious? This was outright incompetence IMO, and I am just steaming.
(FWIW we're working on diet and supp changes to help DS heal some of his decay, but he's in pain right now and definitely needs some work done.)
DS2 had some crowns put on using conscious sedation a little over a year ago. They used a cocktail of versed and tylenol and it worked wonderfully, so I figured we'd be doing the same thing for DS1 this time.
I took him in Wednesday. The assistant brings him back and takes his vitals, then the doc comes in to talk to us. I asked the doc, because the treatment plan specified "sedative + nitrous", "So we're doing versed and nitrous right?" and she said "Yes." So the assistant gives DS the little cup of green goo and he drinks it and we wait for him to get sleepy.
He never gets sleepy. After about an hour, the doc decides she's going to try to get x-rays (which they couldn't do while he was fully awake because of his fear and his gag reflex.) I agree, thinking even if he's not sleepy he at least won't remember this. We had to hold him down and use the little pliers to hold his mouth open, just to get the x-rays. The tech spoke VERY harshly to DS and threatened to "make mommy leave" if he didn't cooperate. Again, I was thinking this was very harsh but I thought he was under the influence of versed and would not be likely to remember any of this.
After struggling so much with the x-rays, doc decides she's not even going to try to do any work. Good call. So she starts talking about what to expect from IV anesthesia (next step up in her practice from CS) and then at the end hands me a form that says she gave him DEMEROL. Nothing else, just DEMEROL!
Um, what? First of all, Demerol does literally NOTHING for me. I've taken it for tooth issues and if anything it intensified the pain. Second of all, DEMEROL is at best a MILD sedative. That is NOT conscious sedation!
I'm furious. I had to pay $98 out of pocket for this "conscious sedation" AND of course DS remembers the whole thing, including the tech who was so mean to him. And also, he's STILL IN PAIN.
I want my money back, and I definitely want to find a new dentist. I want to write a letter to this dentist explaining why I'm upset. Am I justified in being so furious? This was outright incompetence IMO, and I am just steaming.
(FWIW we're working on diet and supp changes to help DS heal some of his decay, but he's in pain right now and definitely needs some work done.)
