Hi All,
My two year old has a pretty large cavity on his front tooth. I took him for his first dental appointment today and the dentist wants to use Versed plus Nitrus to make it easier on him. He said the Versed is great because it will cause him not to remember.
Nitrus is fine with me but all I know is after researching this Versed- OMG no!! I just can't imagine all of this in a tiny little two year old body. Not to mention I'm very apposed to anything that messes with memory- even if very short term.
I was looking through old posts a few days ago when seeking a dentist and saw some people commenting on new technologies out there some dentists use that make this all much easier. I "think" (maybe I was dreaming) I even saw someone comment that there are dentists who use new technology that allows for no sedation at all? And that it is still painless???? I can't find the post... I was probably dreaming.
Anyhow, all I know is 1) I do not want him in pain so AM willing to sedate- to a certain extent though if possible (my gosh- TWO forms of sedation?!) 2) I would prefer not to sedate if it somehow (no idea how) was done painlessly- and will pay any price and go anywhere.
Any input on what new technologies are available and any reccomendations on who does them would be so appreciated- thanks so much in advance!
I don't have a suggestion for a dentist, but just know....you did not cause it. I nursed my son till he was 2 1/2. He stopped waking up for milk at night around 14 months but he is 5 and has no cavities. So please don't let them try to tell you it was your fault.
We also use Ted Loiben and LOVE him. My four year old had two cavaties filled without any sedative, just numbing with novcain. He was fine and did not mind going back for his next appointment. Dr. Ted is great with the kids and his assistants are all wonderful!!
There is apparently a way they can fill them with lasers now instead of having to drill and sedate and all that. We have not yet checked into that but probably will soon.
My daughter will be 2 soon and she has a large chip in her front top tooth due to caries and lack of enamel on her teeth (nursing itself does not cause caries- other sugar left on the teeth while nursing can, OR having a lack of enamel can contribute.) Also, too much fluoride in your water can WEAKEN teeth because it is toxic. (Google this- it's crazy why they fluoridate water- ugh.)
Our dentist is Steven Gordon. He is downtown on Michigan Ave. ###-###-#### He did 2 rounds of Ozone therapy on my daughter's teeth to stop the caries from growing and getting worse. She has VERY ugly teeth from the caries, but she does not seem to be in any pain.
We went to 4 dentists who wanted to restrain her or sedate her before we found him!!
Also, we use homeopathic remedies to keep her teeth as healthy as possible. Here is what all we do:
We got a Big Berkey water filter w/extra fluoride filters to use for all of our water (drinking and cooking.)
We use Hyland's Bioplasma tabs to provide her with mineral salts necessary to build good bones and teeth. At least 3x/day but you can do every 15 minutes. These are little dissolving tabs- you could even add them to water.
We eat from Nourishing Traditions cookbook as much as possible (very high fat dairy, whole foods, soaked grains... these things are found to be what indigenous societies consume who have very strong teeth)
She gets flax seed oil or cod liver oil once a day for the fat and omega 3s.
We brush 3 times a day (or more!) with a homeopathic fluoride-FREE toothpaste (try Weleda or Toms of Maine or Jason- from drugstore.com) and then follow up with MI Paste (don't get the 'plus' it has Fluoride in it!) The vanilla is the strongest.
We put Xylitol crystals in her water. I am still nursing (and yes, night nursing!) so I try to chew the gum at least once a day so I am passing some to her through my milk too. We order ours from www.Zellies.com
For when we are out and can't brush, I keep Spiffies tooth-wipes in my purse (they have Xylitol in them) to help.
We try to avoid sticky sweets like raisins, but usually I just make sure to brush afterward.
Also, if you go to www.mothering.com and go into their forum or the "finding your tribe" section, they may be able to offer more advice or help with finding a dentist. It is an attachment parenting board and very pro-breastfeeding, so I know they would be supportive for you.
If you have any questions about our routine or supplements, let me know. They also make ozonated water and olive oil that you can drink/use on teeth that is supposed to help.
For encouraging her to brush (toddlers!!) we play youtube.com with a "brush your teeth" song.
M.
I love our ped. dentist! Her name is Kelly Kirtland in Glen Ellyn. My 21 month old daughter recently cracked off half of her two front teeth and needed crowns. I was terrified of sedating her, but the dentist just numbed the area. I'm not sure about the cavity, but you can probably call there and talk to someone about it before you schedule anything. ###-###-####
Good luck!
I would recommend Dr. McElroy in Bloomingdale by Stratford Mall. He is great - I have been going there for 18 years - he uses the nitrus - his number is ###-###-####.
My pediatrician liked him so much - his wife used to drive their kids from the north shore to Bloomingdale just to see Dr. Bill!
M.
I had 3.5 year old who had two large cavities. The first dentist recommended putting her under general anestesia, as "there was no way that she can sit thru treatments" according to her. I wasn't comfortable with that and went to pediatric dentist Ted Loiben:
123 McHenry Rd
Buffalo Grove,IL60089
Phone: ###-###-####
He used novocaine to numb the area. He does the shot a certain way that the kids never see the needle and don't freak out. Then he did one filling, and then the second cavity was so bad that she needed a kids crown. He was done in about 40 min, and my daughter did pretty well. I won't say that it was entirely pain-free for her, but she is OK with going back there, as she got a "prize" at the end.
At one point she started to freak out, but the doctor said in a very convincing and strict way something like "no-no, stop it, you are not in pain" and she calmed down.
I am not sure if it helps, as you are looking into totally pain-free approach, but for us it worked well. I will be interested to know what you find out/ decide.
If you want a second opinion, I encourage you to call Kids Plus Pediatric Dentistry in Hoffman Estates. http://www.kidspluspediatricdentistry.com/
Under the treatment tab on their website they discuss sedation dentistry, and also have a "click here for more info" 6 page document on how sedation is handled. This may give some additional info. My kids haven't needed a procedure that requires sedation, so I can't speak to that specifically, but I am highly confident in both dentists in this practice and would have faith in whatever they recommend for a particular situation. Good luck!
