Need to take 28 mo. old to dentist!

[TLC1994]

I just made an appt. for my DD to see a pediatric dentist this week. I am 99.9% sure that she has a cavity - and I told them that when I made the appt. and I asked if they would take care of it that day and they said the 1st visit is to see what's wrong, get her out of pain if she's in any and decide on a course of action. Have any of you found that this is a "normal" course of action? When my husband or I go, we're generally able to get any cavities taken care of on that visit - at least one, but if there are any more, sometimes we need another appt.

I don't know - maybe I just hate to waste the time of having multiple visits - but I'd love to get it all over with in one visit. Plus if she absolutely HATES the dentist, it'll be extra hard to go back a 2nd time.

For a child my DD's age, would you think a pediatric dentist is the way to go? We have another dentist that we like and my older daughter has gone to, but I'm not sure how my 2 yr. old would do there. Also - I've heard that ped. dentists charge more than other dentists. Is this true?

Thanks!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I would imagine they would want to do an initial exam then schedule future work as needed. That is pretty typical. Then again, I don't think I have ever called for an appt b/c something was wrong. Things get caught during routine cleanings so I have to get a future appt if I have a cavity.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the way they are planning to do things but you can certainly call and see what your normal dentist would do.

My ds comes to our family dentist as I think our dentist rocks. He has been going since he was around 16 months old.

Beth

[brittone2]

DS had a small cavity at 15ish months and I think they filled it like 2 weeks after our appt (like you, we were pretty sure it was a cavity before the initial visit). My own dentist always did fillings at a separate appt. than the routine visit.

I think some dentists are more comfortable w/ treating kids than others. We see a ped dentist w/ DS. In terms of making decisions regarding sedation, etc. if necessary, I personally am more comfortable w/ the ped dentist, but if I really liked and trusted my own dentist to care for DC, I would be okay with that too.

For me personally, the gentleness/demeanor is a big factor. Allowing parent in room, no matter what, etc. Not all dentists, ped or more general handle those things the same way.

[kaylinsmommy2]

Whenever I see a dentist for me, routine cleanings/xrays are always separate from the dental work. So it sounds normal to have 2 appts for your DD.

Our DD just went for her first dentist appt (with DH and my regular dentis) and it was great. She did very little - just count/check her teeth and brush them. But the purpose of the appt was also to make sure DD left on a very positive note. That way, she'd be likely to come back again the second time (and the rest of her life, I guess).

Also, our regular dentist has tv screens in every room so DD was able to watch Diego during her entire visit. I think it made a world of different - DD was hardly listening to what the dentist told her to do. I would specifically look for a dentist that offered this feature - especially for a young child who may need a filling done.

ETA: our insurance doesn't cover any of the local (within a 10 min radius) pediatric dentists. That's one of the reasons we didn't choose to go with one.

Caroline
mommy to Kaylin 6/5/04

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/bunbunadb20040605_-9_Kaylin+is+now.png[/img][/url]

and one on the way, due 2/26/07

[Momof3Labs]

They don't know that she has a cavity, so probably don't want to set aside the appointment time until it is a confirmed cavity. They know how long an exam will take, and if they find that she needs a filling, they'll know how much time to book for her. Could be, too, that they will find more than one cavity and require more time to do the work.

So, I'm not at all surprised that they wouldn't book an hour (give or take) appointment for a new patient to fill a cavity that (in their minds) may or may not exist.

We take DS1 to our regular dentist (my dad) and he does fine; I've heard some weird stories about ped dentists on the boards and don't really feel like taking the time to search for a good one when our current one is just fine.

[julieakc]

As others have mentioned, yes I think it is normal that they will want to do the exam and then schedule the treatment (filling the cavity); this happened to us too on DS's first visit (although it wasn't a cavity, but another treatment that was needed).

Personally, yes, I think a pediatric dentist is the way to go. But then again DS has some special dental concerns so I feel more comfortable with someone who specializes in kids.

Not sure about the fee issue. The routine exams/cleanings are covered 100% by insurance and any work is just our 20% co-pay. If the dentist is on your insurance plan then the bill will be subject to the insurance contract (they can charge whatever they want but doesn't mean they'll get paid that) and your co-pay will be based on the amount allowed by the insurance company.

[gatorruth]

No matter what dentist you take your child to, go buy a book or get one from the library about going to the dentist. We have a few- Barney and Dora. This will give them a sense of what is about to happen. My DS went when he was 2 and had no problems after reading the books for a few days in advance!
Good luck-
Ruth

[kransden]

For small children, a pediatric dentist is the way to go. They have the equipment that is the right size and typically lots of toys etc to play with. Afterwards there is lots of stickers too. They are also used to screaming kids if you have one of those.

My child has dental issues so she had to see a ped. dentist. When we moved, we took her to another one that gives out even more junk. She loves going. I would recommend to anyone to use a ped dentist until their child is at least 5 or 6. I'll probably use a ped. dentist until dd is a teenager. Our dentists didn't cost anymore than a regular dental visit.

Read the Dora dentist book (or some other book). It really helps your child understand what is going on.


Karin and Katie 10/24/02