Surprisingly shocked at dental visit~ children & crowns

[blueberrymamma]

I took my 5 yr old daughter to the dentist this morning under the notion she was having 1 cavity filled.

I was asked to sit outside of the busy room full of children & dentists/assistants & outside at the viewing window, & am now kicking myself for not asking questions. At the end of the visit I met her inside to find they had crowned her bottom tooth, 3rd from the center w/ stainless steel.
I can't believe this wasn't discussed w/ me beforehand on options involoved. Her dad brought her in initially & was told she needed to come back for filling. While we'll bear the weight for not asking questions, we need to know if this is the best option. She now has a silver smile & I was told she'll have this tooth until the age of 11 or 12. That's an awefully long time to have metal in her mouth. Are there any negative effects on stainless steel in the mouth?

Having checked the archives here for any info, one mama said her child's veneer crown mouldings fell out & that stainless may be longer lasting.

I called the dental office to tell them I was shocked to find what was done. She apologized & said she'd take note that they should inform parents beforehand. I was then told nearly all pediatric dentists use SS because the teeth aren't permanent. I'm wondering if dd could have had a filling w/ the risk of it not lasting because the toothe may not be used as heavily for chewing. Our insurance doesn't cover porcelain crowns although I would have happily made up the difference in order for her to have a higher quality material in her mouth..

Thank You for any suggestions~ Am wondering whether it's possible to cover the SS & if it would be a smart thing to do. At this point it seems removing it for porcelain would be another painfull trip along w/ being expensive as I'm not sure insurance would cover this.

any experiences w/ crowns?

My poor little girl is on the couch in pain & would rather be at kindergarten. Had we only known!!:(

[gurumama]

They performed a dental procedure without your written or verbal permission?

I would not return to them, and you might consider consulting a lawyer. That sounds outrageous to me. What sort of pain relief did they give her? I'm sorry she's in pain and also that you're facing this. Why on earth would they do a procedure that they didn't get consent for? What if your insurance doesn't cover it. Or will the copay be far higher for a more extensive procedure? You shouldn't be expected to pay for something you weren't consulted on!

Good luck,

Mel

[Arduinna]

I completely agree, where is the informed consent here? I'm completely shocked that 1 and Dr or Dentist thinks they can do a procedure without the consent of the parents, and 2 that they didn't discuss the options other than a crown.

I would not pay the bill, or step foot in their office again and I'd report them to the state liscensing board.

[malamamama]

Wow:eek
You definitely should have been informed of the treatment and procedure. I would definitely look into your rights there.
I would definitely call the dentist and find out just what prompted them to cap it. What is the status on the root area? Did they do any thing besides cap it? (ie: root canal) Just how bad was that cavity?.... And if you have options, you might think about going elsewhere next time! That seems totally unprofessional...way off base! And your dd didn't even have the opportunity to be prepared for this and supported by you!:(

Alas, its on and you are right, taking it off would involve numbing and the whole procedure over again.
The porcelein veneered caps are fused onto stainless steel before it is in the mouth. I don't know of any health risks of SS in the mouth. It is not the same as amalgam which is 50% mercury.

My dd's porcelein veneer fell off of the stainless steel cap. They drilled down the front of the cap and filled it with composite. I didn't ask enough questions either and was kind of shocked to see what they were doing. But didn't say anything as it was already under way. I later read here that this procedure makes the tooth more prone to absess:confused:

I am sorry that you and your dd had this experience. You know they are supposed to write everything down in the charts. Perhaps you should ask for copies of both visits and to see the x-rays too.

[willowsmama]

I would make sure to let the office know you won't be returning due to the lack of consent. Then I'd call the state dental agency and complain, after them i'd place call to the insurance company. All 3 should be interested in your complaint. i definatly see if the dentist would be willing to replace the SS with porc. for the amount it would have cost you from the beginning.

It's because of stories like this that i'm the flaky mom who refuses to leave her kids side. Drs. and nurses alike usually hate me as they can't pry me from the room with a crowbar. I'm very careful to stay out of their waybut refuse to leave. As I told one nurse "I don't know at all, I should leave my child with you because of your job?"