Does DC need a precavity filled?

[daisyd]

DS1 is 5.5 years old and has had a precavity for about a year now. At his last visit the dentist had an Xray taken and she felt that the tooth needed to be filled. I've always thought that kids this young lost their teeth and then the healthy permanent teeth grow. He's not in any pain right now and the tooth in question looks like it used to. I'm no expert though. Does DC really need to have this tooth filled? Please share your experience. Thanks.

[Katigre]

I would ask for "watchful waiting" and not fill it until/unless the cavity progresses.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk

[daisyd]

Thanks Katigre.

[smilequeen]

IDK, it kind of sounds like your dentist has already been watching it and now thinks it needs to be done. I would do it. Why watch it get bigger? It gets bigger and more of his tooth needs to be taken away. It's gets bigger and you have a bigger filling. I never did a lot of watching. If it's a cavity, it's a cavity. The only way I'd watch is if it was questionable whether it was a cavity or not. If it's a back tooth, it will be there for a while. Once cavities start growing in primary teeth, they can grow fast. Don't wait for it to hurt. By then it will be too late (and why would you want your child to have a toothache?)

[daisyd]

Thanks for your input smilequeen. I'm confused about this because I didn't go to the appointment with DS. DH relayed the info to me and seems skeptical whether this was the dentist's way of drumming up business for herself. He pointed out that we never had fillings done when we were kids unless we had a full fledged cavity. I feel that I'd rather get this done than take a chance and wait it out. So I did some researching both here and elsewhere. There was mention of sealants and complications related to sealant cracking or containing BPA that worried me, which is why I posted.

[SnuggleBuggles]

As a mom of a kid who had to have 2 root canals and one extraction, I'd always treat minor stuff.

[123LuckyMom]

Thanks for your input smilequeen. I'm confused about this because I didn't go to the appointment with DS. DH relayed the info to me and seems skeptical whether this was the dentist's way of drumming up business for herself. He pointed out that we never had fillings done when we were kids unless we had a full fledged cavity. I feel that I'd rather get this done than take a chance and wait it out. So I did some researching both here and elsewhere. There was mention of sealants and complications related to sealant cracking or containing BPA that worried me, which is why I posted.

When I was in college, I came home to see my childhood dentist. He claimed I had four cavities, and I was shocked, because I had never had any cavities, and I had seen him six months earlier. Well, I got them filled. Coincidentally, my dentist was putting an addition on his house. About a decade ago, the fillings fell out. My (new) dentist said not to bother refilling them. There was no sign there had ever been any cavities, and the fillings were so shallow that there was no need to replace them. To this day, I have never had a cavity.

SO, unethical dentistry can happen. However, I think it's extremely rare, and I wouldn't risk my child's developing a more serious problem over debates about a single filling. Call the dentist and ask some more questions about why the issue should be addressed now, and listen to the dentist's expertise. Ask her, too, about your BPA and other concerns. Once you have all the information you need, you can make a decision. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that she's after the money, though. I'd hear her explanations as to why she wants to proceed now before deciding to wait longer.

[daisyd]

Thanks Beth and 123Luckymom, calling the dentist now.

[stinkyfeet]

IDK, it kind of sounds like your dentist has already been watching it and now thinks it needs to be done. I would do it. Why watch it get bigger? It gets bigger and more of his tooth needs to be taken away. It's gets bigger and you have a bigger filling. I never did a lot of watching. If it's a cavity, it's a cavity. The only way I'd watch is if it was questionable whether it was a cavity or not. If it's a back tooth, it will be there for a while. Once cavities start growing in primary teeth, they can grow fast. Don't wait for it to hurt. By then it will be too late (and why would you want your child to have a toothache?)

Dentist here! I agree with smilequeen. Good luck with your decision.

[nfowife]

I would call and speak with the dentist yourself. My questions would be 1) what tooth is it (in terms of when it would fall out on its own) and 2) how much bigger has the cavity gotten since it was first monitored. If it's a tooth that is not going to fall out in the near future and the decay has started to get bigger, I'd fill it.
In terms of sealants, they are placed on healthy teeth. Once a filling is in a tooth they will not seal it over the top.