Dentist wants to extract 6 teeth from 18 month old

[MCherepak]

I took my son to the dentist last week and she wants to extract his top 4 teeth and bottom 2 teeth.  She has said the extraction won't affect his speech or ability to eat and that when he is 3 he can get a denture implanted for the top 4 teeth.  How could this not affect his speech or eating?  Would caps be a possibility?  I felt totally blindsided after the appointment and couldn't think of anything to say.  I left her a message to call me to ask her about some alternatives.  What should I ask her today??

[Caittune]

Yikes!  I would feel blindsided too.  I was coming to ask a question, but I didn't want to read your post and not put an answer.

My 20 month old is going for dental work in 3 weeks and the dentist is going to try and save her teeth.  My DD will likely be getting caps on 3 and possibly be losing 1 tooth.  

I would for sure ask for a second opinion before allowing them to extract the teeth.

[kitchensqueen]

First of all, I'd find out why she thinks this is a good idea. These are baby teeth - they will come out on their own and be replaced with adult teeth soon enough. 

I had several of my baby teeth extracted when I was very young, and my dental work has been a nightmare ever since. When my adult teeth started to come in, they came in crooked because there wasn't the natural spacing of the other teeth around them (as would happen losing one tooth at a time). I also had problems with crowding. Crooked, crowed teeth are much harder to keep clean than straight teeth, so I've had to go to the dentist twice as much for cleanings and such. I've been in orthodontics because of it of and on. I'm 28, and I still don't have have my teeth perfectly straight. Not saying this will happen to your child (especially since dental work has come a long way since I was a kid), but it's something to think about. 

[cameragirl]

Extractions are painful while the gums are healing, and your LO would likely need to be sedated. Why does she want to pull the teeth rather than repair damage? It is definitely possible to put a crown on baby teeth. We keep DD's teeth clean, and the dentist agrees that they are clean, but she gets cavities easily. I've had to do my research and call around to find new dentists after one recommended we put her in a papoose with no sedation while they worked on her teeth. (Strap her down and scare the heck out of her? Great way to get her to like going to the dentist.)

I would definitely get a second opinion before going ahead with extractions.

[asraidevin]

My dentist wants to pull my son's top four teeth. I came home and cried. But I also don't want them to end up absessed. I'm feeling totally lost, but I can't keep seeing dentists either and paying for them. We don't have any coverage for a bit longer as my DH just started a new job.

[seraf]

This looks to be a couple of weeks old, has the issue been resolved yet? My kids both had nursing carries. My DS is 8 now and finally about to get his 4th top tooth since he was 2.5. We were offered caps but the statistics on longevity weren't great at that time and he fell a lot so we opted for extraction. One of the teeth was infected anyway and would have been pulled eventually. He has gaps between his teeth. He had gaps between the baby teeth, too, so I think his eye teeth maintained the spacing he had before. He had had them all filled at 13 months, but they barely lasted a year.

DD has been luckier, hers have been filled multiple times but never needed to be pulled.

The procedure, he went under general for the extraction. Both had all their fillings placed without restraint, sedation or numbing until we got to molars. They are both excelent with the dentist.

The healing wasn't too bad. He nursed a lot and learned to eat with his side teeth. Now that he has front teeth, he forgets to use them most of the time. The teeth came in later because callouses developed over the gum tissue there. He will require braces, but so will his sister. I expected it when I chose to get pregnant since everyone in my family had braces.

Good luck with your decision.