Dentist Recommended Tooth Extraction for My 5 Year Old. Stories?

Hey there darling... When I was five I had a baby tooth infront of my grown tooth. It just wouldn't come out and the dentist pulled it. The shot my gums up with novacaine and it didn't hurt one bit. My mouth was so very small and all my teeth came in funky. when I was 10 I went to a orthadentist and he got me started on a plan of when I should get braces. when I was 13 I got top braces and then at 14 bottom braces. I had 6 adult teeth taken out. four on top and two on bottom, not to mention my wisdom teeth as well at 18. I had braces for 6 years. I hated it. But am soooo happy now. and I guess really I didn't hate it when I was younger in the since I was mad I just didn't like the pain that they gave me... but was happy at the time to have straight teeth!

I was a part of who I was. No one ever made fun of me. and my mom NEVER EVER made me wear head gear when I would go to friends houses for the night (only had to wear at night).

I am not sure if that is the kind of story you wanted.

I am also a stay at home mom to a 13 month boy, step mama to a 6 year old (dec bday) girly girl that is in kindergarten. I am who ALLLLL my friends and few of their friends go to talk about their pregnancies. I love every thing about babies, before and after.. except being prego my self. and I drive my husband to and from work which is in st. johns (we live in beaverton)

I hope you had a great mothers day and a wonder (said to be warm) weekend ahead!!! :)

I know 5 seems awfully early, but I would take her to an orthodontist before I let a dentist start pulling out teeth.

I knew both my kids would need braces, so when the older had all her permanent teeth, I took her in, that was at 11. Her little brother came in too. The older had to have 4 teeth pulled, because i waited to long. However, the 8 year old was just in time. If I'd have waited longer they would have had to break his jaw to fix it. They put in an apparatus that widened the jaw & made room for the teeth to come in. Amazingly all the crooked teeth straitened out (mostly) He still needed braces later, but that was to correct the bite.

If the Ortho wants the teeth pulled, I'd go ahead, but then you'd have the whole story.
A.

S.,
My daughter has a very narrow jaw also. The dentist widened her jaw, and put her in 2 different sets of braces. Her teeth look lovely! He said that tooth extraction used to be the answer and that some dentists still practice it, but he would rarely recommend it. With age, our skin looses elasticity and hangs off our face. If your daughter's teeth are removed, she will have a narrower jaw than she should and her face will look shrunken/hallow. I can't explain it very well, but my daughter looks alot like her grandmother who had 4-6 teeth removed. It is true, her jaw is narrow and her face looks a little shrunken in. Please get a second opinion. I can recommend a dentist in Hillsboro who might be able to refer you to someone closer to Portland.
B.

I am a pediatric dental hygienist and I think I would get a second opinion and be very clear that you understand the origal treatment plan. The other advice of seeing an orthodontist is a great idea...although it is a distance from you, I would recommend Dr Dischinger or Dr Klein both in Lake Oswego. I work for Dr Patricia Ridgley in Tualatin, we'd be happy to look at the situation and give you a second opinion.

Hi S.,

I would recommend getting a second opinion.

I would strongly recommend getting a few other opinions before you and your husband make a decision. I am sure that each dentist will given you different recommendations.

Also it is very important the you make sure that your children never get an amalgam or silver dental filling. An amalgam dental filling also called a silver filling is 50% mercury. A mercury amalgam container comes into a dental office with skull and cross bows on the label and warnings that it is hazardous material. The mercury amalgam material not placed into the cavity has to be treated as hazardous waste. Why would want to put that into your children or your mouth?

I would like encourage you to select a mercury free dentist. A mercury free dentist is a dentist that has NO amalgam in his or her office so NO young or other dental patients ever gets an mercury amalgam filling. To find a name of a mercury free dentist in the Portland area, go to www.dentalwellness4u.com.