What to do about cavities in toddler

[Liliduvent]

My 2 and a half year old daughter has 3 and maybe more cavities in her front teeth.  The dentist who I take her to said that she should be put under a general anesthetic in order to fill them, a procedure which I will not be able to be in the room for and which I am not fully comfortable with.  I have also received 3 other dentists opinions in the town I live in, in Ontario, and all of them say that she should be put under anesthetic as she likely will not sit still long enough to have work done on her teeth and it would be very painful for her otherwise. 

Does anyone have any experience with having such a young child put under anesthetia, or any alternative suggestions as to what can be done to stop the cavities without using strong drugs and sedatives?

Any suggestions welcome!

[HRJ]

My son had 6 teeth filled in a chair w/ just novacaine at 22 mos.  If you want to forego general (which I did), I would keep interviewing dentists until you find someone who is willing to let dad or grandpa hold your child while doing the work.  My dad held my son tightly so he wouldn't flail.  I would get them done b/c we almost lost 2 of my sons teeth.  They ended up being capped, but if we'd waited another month, we'd have lost them.  It took 5 visits.  My son did cry until he puked the first appt, but the dentist was patient.  He didn't believe in any other sedatives - didn't feel they were safe for such a young child.  It was a chair w/ novacaine or general in his mind. 

[HRJ]

Also, my dentist did feel it was better if dad or grandpa held my son.  He said children just don't do as well (they freak out more) when mom is back there. 

[Liliduvent]

Thanks for this...I am still in the process of searching for a dentist who has a similar perspective as my own in regards to anesthesia use in toddlers, but I'll keep looking around. 

[K1329]

Unfortunately, I just found out my ds has 4 cavities. :( I was shocked and mad at myself for not being more diligent about his dental hygiene. Dd, at 7, has never had one and I just assumed ds would be as lucky. Our dentist is going to use novacaine and perform the fillings with no sedatives. He is 3, turning 4 next month. I've explained to him what to expect and I guess we'll see how it goes. We haven't discussed what will happen if he doesn't tolerate it - she seems confident that he will do fine with it. Keep us posted!