I took my 4 yr old son to the dentist and he said he had 8 cavities. My son never complained about pain. I am thinking about getting a second opinion but am worried about the need for xrays again.
Get the x-rays from the first dentist. They can't refuse to give them to you. Medical/Dental records belong to the patient, not the doctor.
Cavities only cause pain if the tooth is very badly decayed or there is infection present. Your son may indeed have eight cavities and zero pain from them. But they would still need to be dealt with ASAP.
As for x-rays, I would ask your dentist for copies of your son's x-rays. You do not have to say why you want them. .Any good dentist should give you copies of X-rays or other scans and for us at least, there has never been any charge. Then you take them to the second dentist.
If you are basing your doubts purely on the fact your son didn't feel pain, look up cavities online and you'll see that pain has little to nothing to do with it. Whatever you do regarding a second opinion, get this dealt with soon before there is more decay. Did you talk to the dentist about whether your son has soft enamel, a genetic predisposition to cavities, problems with his dental routine at home, etc.?
Hi Maria,
I just went through this with my son! A new dentist I took him to for routine cleaning said he had 2 cavities. Because my son has a dental phobia I decided to get a 2nd opinion. I had the original dentist send the x-rays to the new dentist and the new dentist said he has NO cavities!! I was shocked and so happy I got the 2nd opinion. Makes it hard for me to know who to trust in cases like this. By the way, the 2nd dentist took additional x-rays and charged us nothing for the x-rays or the visit. She will be my son's new dentist! If I was you, I would get a 2nd opinion for your child. I wish you the best!
The dentist should give you a copy of your xrays to take with you. One problem you may find is your insurance won't cover the second visit.
Have you considered just going over the xrays with the dentist having them show you where the cavities are. My experience they are easy to see. Also in my experience cavities don't hurt until they are really bad.
See about getting a copy of the xrays (many dentists are digital now so they can be emailed or put on a CD) and take to a second opinion.
I would believe that a 4 yr old could have cavities he didn't complain about. My SD had a ton of cavities as a teenager and never complained, though some were pretty deep. But people have different tolerances for pain. She had to have her teeth filled in stages because there were too many.
Xrays aside, did the dentist show you the cavities? Our dentist will point out the ones on the surface on the teeth themselves and show the ones he found with either his video tool or xray on the screen, so you know what he's seeing and what areas he's concerned about. Do you have a reason to distrust your dentist's opinion?
I always have the dentist review the kids' x-rays with me there in the office. My younger daughter had a cavity once, and she felt no pain from it. But you could definitely see it on the x-ray.
If the cavity gets to the point of causing pain, it's so bad that there's risk of infection (and possibly root canal) - don't let it get to that point. Get it taken care of now. I would go back to the dentist and ask him to show you the x-rays, and talk it over regarding a plan of action. If you don't trust what he is telling you, then you can always take the x-rays to another dentist for review. (But Jo is right, your insurance won't pay for a second opinion...)
I had something similar happen to my daughter. I stupidly let them drill in her mouth. The second time it happened I thought it was insane. My daughter flosses and brushes her teeth daily. She doesn't eat sugar or candy sticky stuff especially. I took her xrays (digital only) to an adult dentist who said she has NOTHING wrong with her teeth, it's shadows and she could have some sealant on her molars, that's what we did. She's been fine ever since.
They are your x-rays, so if you want them, just ask for them, and take them to the other dentist. I wish I had done that with my son, and I was sorry I didn't. If you feel you need another opinion you should get one. Good Luck!
Yes, they will have to do a complete 2nd set of X-rays and this will be an out of pocket expense as will the exam and all other stuff. They just paid for the same thing and they won't pay for it again.
If you feel your child does not have the cavities it may well be worth it to do the 2nd opinion though. I'd call the insurance company to verify before doing anything though.
