Dentist apt tomorrow, please help!

[Karamom]

My two older children have a dentist appointment tomorrow and I'm really nervous about it. Trying to do all the research I can but maybe you can help me out a little since it is tomorrow!

I've never taken them to the dentist before just because I'm convinced that the health of your teeth is all about diet. But now my 4 yr old's front 2 teeth are turning gray. He says it hurts a little. I been reading Cure Tooth Decay and implementing strategies from the book.

As far as the appointment goes- my gut feeling is to say no xrays. They don't need the radiation exposure. Do they usually do xrays on little kids? I remember getting them every year when I was a kid. What are your thoughts on this, do they really need them?

As far as the tooth decay- I know I don't want any mercury fillings. What are my other options? Is it reminelize or a filling? My son already has other health problems and I really don't think his body could handle any more toxins.

I always get so nervous when I go to professionals like this because I'm not very good at explaining my reasons for doing things naturally and I'm always scared they are going to say I'm negligent and call cps. Of course nothing could be farther from the truth but I'm very very very scared of cps.

So any advice?

[Karamom]

Ok I've been reading for nd hour or so and I'm feeling much better about this.

Still nervous but better- We will see what happens tomorrow

[Alenushka]

They would call cps if you refused resonable treatment and your child ended up sick with sever jaw infection in the local hospital.

They not gonna call anyone for the garden variety cavities.

If only diet could fix everything....it does not. If it did, neither cardiologists nor dentists would be in business.

Occasional dental x-ray is not like living in Chernobyl. They are really safe. Particularly if you dentist uses the digital kind.  At this age they would want a set of x-ray to see how far your kids teeth are damaged already.  I would totally get them because many things can;t be determines simply by a visiual exam.

I have not had mercury filling h in years. My insurance covers composites and most of them do now.

Dental health is very important .  Any person who gas ongoing cavities, essentially has ongoing infection.  It had strong influence on overall health such as development of hear desease later in life.

It is very important for you to stay calm while at the dentist for the sake of you kids.  You can refuse any treatment you want but give a provider a chance to explain all the risks and benefits.

I do not mean to scare you, but there have been cases of kids and adults dying because they did not have proper care.  A filling takes 15-20 mins, a crown 40-60 mins, but a dental abcess can take days and days of antibiotics and even surgery.

[mbravebird]

Keep in mind that different dentists, even different traditional dentists, will all say very different things about the same kid and same set of xrays. Don't take any recommendation as a sealed deal, and go in there with an exploratory attitude, and that will cut down on the stress. My son had severe decay from some meds he took, and the recommendations were all over the place. We took him to four dentists before we settled on a plan of action. The most extreme told us surgery under GA, an extraction, a root canal and ten caps. Most of that ended up being unnecessary -- it was just more convenient for them to do it that way.

We ended up with an extraction, a partial pulpotomy, and the rest fillings, which we are going back and doing bit by bit. No caps at all, and certainly no surgery, and no antibiotics.

The extraction was because one tooth was abcessing -- but even an abcess is not always the awful situation that the previous poster described. Ds needed no antibiotics, and the dentists weren't worried at all -- two dentists let him go several weeks before addressing it. They pulled the tooth, it healed, and that was it.

So just be willing to get several opinions. You should be fine. The gray might not be that serious, even.

[Alenushka]

I agreee second opinion is alway a good idea. We did it for orthodontics and were much happier with another doctor who provided  a solution tahe worked great.

However, an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure. Regular check up and timely fillings help to avoid things like antibiotics, caps  etc etc etc and pain.
 

Originally Posted by mbravebird 

Keep in mind that different dentists, even different traditional dentists, will all say very different things about the same kid and same set of xrays. Don't take any recommendation as a sealed deal, and go in there with an exploratory attitude, and that will cut down on the stress. My son had severe decay from some meds he took, and the recommendations were all over the place. We took him to four dentists before we settled on a plan of action. The most extreme told us surgery under GA, an extraction, a root canal and ten caps. Most of that ended up being unnecessary -- it was just more convenient for them to do it that way.

We ended up with an extraction, a partial pulpotomy, and the rest fillings, which we are going back and doing bit by bit. No caps at all, and certainly no surgery, and no antibiotics.

The extraction was because one tooth was abcessing -- but even an abcess is not always the awful situation that the previous poster described. Ds needed no antibiotics, and the dentists weren't worried at all -- two dentists let him go several weeks before addressing it. They pulled the tooth, it healed, and that was it.

So just be willing to get several opinions. You should be fine. The gray might not be that serious, even.