My 4 Y/o Needs 2 Cavities Filled and the Dr. Wants to Put Him to Sleep to Do It.

my daughter is three and has autism and she had to have atooth removed (she broke it ) and the pediatric dentist i went to was wonderful my daughter was very aggresive and outright uncontrollable at the consultation but they didn't even suggest putting her to sleep they suggested a seditive med that they would give her in the office wait a half and hour and she would be in lala land and then do it that appointment went great and i then had to wait six months and her next appointment went ok....i never heard of them putting them asleep for cavities i would get a second opinion.

M.,

My younger daughter was 4 when they found a cavity that needed filled. Even though she was great at her first appointment, they told me that since she was young, and it can be a scary experience even for adults, they were going to give her something to relax her during the filling. If I remember correctly, they gave her Atavan, and after it kicked in and she didn't care about anything anymore, they put a mask on her and gave her Nitrous Oxide. She sailed through getting her cavity filled, and told me later that she thought she was flying. I don't know about putting a child to sleep, but I know that the Atavan and Nitrous Oxide was wonderful. She was conscious, but didn't care what they did, so she wasn't scared at all. Maybe this would be an option for your son, instead of putting him to sleep?

M.

Hi Michelle,
I am a dentist (general) and I see a lot of kids. If you have any doubts at all about anything that the pediatric dentist suggested, please get a 2nd opinion; it is really important that you have complete trust in someone who will be dealing with your child's health.
Make sure that if your child will be asleep for the procedure that it is administered with an anesthesiologist (or that the dentist is licenced in anesthesiology). If you are talking about general anesthesia, it should be done in the hospital (I'm assuming they suggested IV sedation?).
In any case, I suggest you seek a 2nd or even 3rd opinion. The dentist you saw will not get upset if you question his treatment plan.
Hope this helps,
I.

Hi Michelle, both of my nephews were put to sleep for their cavities. It was explained to my brother and his wife as a safety precaution because they are a little scared now, they havent even seen or heard the drill yet. They will have a meltdown if they see a needle. They turned out fine after it was over. Alittle groggy but not traumitized from a cavity. I have 2 girls and so far no cavities for the almost 7 yr. The 2 yr hasnt been to the dentist yet. Good luck with everything.
(they do this all of the time, they wouldnt advise something if it was unsafe.)
Take care,
K.

It's understandable that your worried. I was also when my Daughter was 5 and they did the same to her. they took very good care of her and us we had no complaints.only advice i can give is make sure it's a peds denist. keep us posted on how she did.

This seems to be a trend in pediatric dentistry, but I'm not comfortable with it. Anesthesia is controlled poisoning. Sounds harsh, but that's really what it is. Drugs used to sedate or put people to sleep are very powerful. Anesthesia in children is tricky because of body weight and metabolism differences, along with other variables. When my son needed a simple procedure done years ago (not dental), I took him to Children's Hospital in Phila because I knew that the anesthesia people there deal ONLY with children. I wanted their special expertise. Anesthesia is the riskiest part of any procedure, so before my little one were put under anesthesia in an outpatient setting, I'd want to know EVERYTHING, and I'd want another opinion. Ask if there are options that do not include putting your child to sleep. Ask what drugs will be used and then research those drugs. Ask who will be administering the anesthesia and who will be monitoring your child through the procedure. The dentist should not be administering anesthesia, doing dental work and monitoring your child's vital signs at the same time. That's too much for one person to do. What are the certifications and training of the person administering the anesthesia?
Children have died in dentists' chairs under general anesthesia for cavities. Whether or not it is a rare occurrence won't matter if it happens to your child. And if your child has never been under anesthesia, it's hard to gauge his reaction to the drugs. I had surgery last summer, and I had a very long meeting with the anesthesiologist beforehand to go over all sorts of health issues, allergy information, a physical exam, etc. And that was after I had already had two other surgeries under general and had no problems. I don't like the idea of just going into a dentist and sedating or doing general anesthesia on a child with no history of exposure to those types of drugs by someone who is not specifically trained to deal with children's anesthesia. Do some research before you make your final decision.

Hi Michelle,

Personally I would not put my kids under. My 2 yr. old had to have cavities filled and he was awake for the procedure. My Pediactric dentist doesn't let the parents go back, which I had a really hard time doing and cried, but he did great and came out happy with his prize. I am no expert, just sharing my situation with you. Hope it helps a little.
S.
http://www.LovePrints.net

Is your dentist very kid-friendly? They have many pediatric dentists now that are very kid-friendly. My son almost enjoys going to the dentist b/c of all the games, movies, and neat stuff they have in the waiting room and back room. There was one time though that was the worst experience of my life. When my son had his cavity filled for some reason he got scared at the last minute. They strapped him down on this board that had what looked like a straight jacket attached. It was the most horrifying experience of my life. They kicked me out of the room and said it would be better for him. They told me that he was better when I left. I would try to get a second opinion if you can. But also be aware of the alternatives. I was completely unaware that they would even think about strapping my son down. If it was traumatic for me it must have been horrible for him. I didn't know what to do. I know that they would have a hard time filling a cavity if the child refused to open his mouth but I am not sure I agree with strapping a child down for cavity fillings. My nephew had to do it for stitches but that's an emergency situation that is traumatic anyway. I just wanted you and other moms to be aware of the possibility that this could happen to you.

I would look into another dentist. My then 4-year-old had the same issue, except he had more work than that that needed done. I didn't like the idea of putting all the way under, so I looked into a pediatric dentist 2 hours away from my home. He did all the work at one time and used only conscious sedation, which was much easier on my son (and me). I personally wouldn't let them put your son under without at least getting a second opinion.

Hope this helps!

IT is normal to put them to sleep for this procedure at this age. My niece was about 4 and was also put to sleep for it. SHe did really well. It is not in response to you child not sitting back. Imagine having a drill in the mouth of a 4 year old and telling them not to be scared and to stay completely still!!! That is tough for most adults!! Good luck!
D.

My 4 year old had to hav teeth fxed as well but they used laughing gas and oxygen that they put a little mask thing on there nose and it smells like candy. My son likes so maybe ask the dentist if he has this.

Very common, this way they can get the procedure over quickly with no trauma for the child and less pain they remember. I wish they had done that for me as a kid, I would not have the fear I have now of the dentist.

My 4 year old had 3 filled and they put her to sleep. She came out of it fine had no problems.With children that young it it hard for them to sit still through the whole thing so they like to put the under so it goes smooth with out them jerking around. They use a system called allert anesthsia so they are awake when it is done. Hope this helps you.

I would let them put him under. They are going to be using drills to clean out the cavity, etc. It would be easier for the dentist, and your son if he were asleep during the procedure. Just my advice though.

Hi M.~~

My son is now almost 8 yrs old, but when he was younger he had a lot of cavities and our dentist always put him asleep to fill them. He said the reasoning is because if they move while he is drilling he could slip with the drill. He had to get this done 4 times over the course of 2 years and he was fine when he woke up. Now that he is older, they do not put him to sleep. I am sure it will be fine, and it is a lot quicker and less traumatic for the child. I hope this helps!!....B.

M.,

I have gone through this with my daughter. She was about four when she had cavities, and they did put her to sleep. I was a nervous wreck, but everything turned out okay. It was very scary for me though because I held her until she was out, and watching her fall asleep like that was very scary. I think that they just recommend putting them to sleep at this age because they don't want the kids to squirm around the whole time and/or develop a fear of the dentist.

L.