My Daughter Had 3 Baby Root Canals & Crown the Crowns Have Broken Off

I have two grandsons that had problems with their top teeth also. the 3 1/2 yr. old at 2 yrs. had the top teeth pulled and they put nothing in place of them. 4 1/2 yr. old at 3 had root canals done on the top 4 and the put silver caps on them. I thought it odd for one to have them pulled and the other one capped.They too had medical but one had it done at Loma Linda and the other at a childrens specialist. Maybe that was the difference. I do hope this gives you comfort that you are not the only one. Best of luck C.

I'm sorry you are having so much trouble with your daughters teeth. My son had two caps put on his teeth when he was two. They stayed on until he lost his teeth. There is a credit card called care credit with very low interest rate. You can use to fix her teeth.

My other son had a baby root canal at age 3 and other bad teeth at 4 and 5. When he was 6, I found a homeopathic called (teeth and gum spray) by king bio it is to prevent cavities. I spayed it in his mouth almost every night before he went to sleep. His next check up about 6 months later was clear no cavities. I couldn't believe it. Then the same thing happened the next year and the next. This whole time I kept giving him the teeth and gum spray. He is now twelve and still gets clear check ups. when I was using it the dentist said it is the best he had seen my teeth. I believe if you start now you will be glad you did. It is allot cheaper than dentist bills. I got mine at the Vitamin barn by the elephant bar. My daughter who is 15 had been getting cavities just like my son. She too stopped when I started spraying her teeth also. good luck.
M. R

Oh my gosh, YES, it does hurt her. Teeth, once they have been ground are SUPER sensitive and HURT. Trust me, I'm telling you this from my own experience. The poor little thing is hurting. You need to get her to a dentist ASAP, please!!! Also file a complaint againt the dentist with Medi-cal. Yes, you can do this. I've done if for my dad before. They may be able to help you see a different dentist if you still have the medi-cal. They need to know this dentist does shabby work and then claimed they couldn't fix the problem. And there are other programs
besides medi-cal you may qualify for. In cali I think it's through Healthy Children or something like that. Very inexpensive!!!

Here are some dental schools in Cali incase they can help you: Professional Schools in California: Dentistry School

Loma Linda University
School of Dentistry
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California 92350
(800) 422-4558 or ###-###-####

http://www.llu.edu/llu/dentistry/index.html

UCLA
Center for the Health Sciences

Box 951668
10833 Le Conte Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668
###-###-####

http://www.dent.ucla.edu/

University of the Pacific
School of Dentistry
2155 Webster St

San Francisco, CA 94115

###-###-####

http://www.dental.uop.edu/default.htm

UC San Francisco
Admissions Information
513 Parnassus Avenue, S630, Box 0430
San Francisco, CA 94143
###-###-####

http://dentistry.ucsf.edu/

USC
925 West 34th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90089-0641

###-###-####

http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/

Since you have no dental insurance, is there any family/relatives/good family friends who can spot you some money? Explain the situation to them... you never know.

Now, some states have state sponsored/subsidized healthcare or dental insurance for people who qualify per income levels.
Try and research this. Sure, it will take time and paperwork to fill out.. but it is important, especially since you have a young child.
Here is a link for possible help and information:
http://www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov/Home/default.aspx

Or, would your Dentist be willing to 'understand' the situation, and per your not having dental insurance... correct the problem for you? Sure, this is a stretch.... but this is a desperate situation, and for a young child. You never know who will be willing to be charitable.

And another thing, the caps fell off! Geez... I would think your Dentist needs to know this.. it's HER handiwork after all. Tell her this. Its a health issue, not just cosmetics.

All the best, take care,
Susan

As a Mom that works in the dental field, you should call back the dentist and have the teeth fixed immediately! My son also had the front teeth root canaled and crwoned at 2 1/2. The teeth lasted until he was four. (they fell out) You are probably right about not getting good care because of medi-cal, but you need to insist that they do something for her, even if they say pull the teeth, which isn't good either. But if she doesn't let you brush them, they can still get cavities. In fact, they are more susceptable to cavities because they have been worked on and the protective enamel has been removed to make the crowns fit. Please go back to the dentist or go to a reputable children's dentist and have them fixed for your baby's dental health.

I root canal on a baby tooth, I never heard of it, now what happens when the permanate tooth wants to grow, it can't becuase they have removed the root & nerve of that tooth. If they could put a crown there from the start, then they should be able to glue it back in, I would get a second opinion, call medi-cal or its call denti-cal 800-322-6384
tell them you are not happy about what this dentist did to your daughters teeth, tell them you are seeking a second opinion, and to give you other dentist offices in your area, before you allow another dentist to do this to your babys teeth make sure they are a childrens dentist. It should not matter what insurance you have, to file a dental complaint, 800-430-4263 oh yea you better hurry the state of Calif if going to discontinue dental insurance, from medi-cal we heard sometime in late Feb.

K.,

Call the dentist that did the work, and explain what happened. My Mom has had crowns fall off, and usually what they do it replace them. But, if they charge a fee explain your situation and see if you can get on a payment plan with them. Or if they can refer you to a dentist who does offer that kind of service.

If you need to, I think Susan is right, explain it to family and see if they can help you out with the cash.

Good Luck!

i was treated unfairly when i had medi-cal. they skimped on the fillings i got and my teeth started to decay underneath them, when i went to a family friend who was a dentist he told me that he would have sued the dentist who did that to my teeth. if the dentist is not treating your daughter when he can actually help her then you can probably scare him into a lawsuit.

get a second opinion, if you cant get medi-cal anymore, go for healthy families. more drs take that for kids. its so easy to get health care for your kids! please, get insurance and take her to a new dentist and tell them straight out that if they dont do everything they can to help her then you are going to report them or whatever you can do to get them in trouble.

our childrens health is important!
my daughter has very sensitive teeth as well, she almost had to have two root canals when she was two, but the dentist was able to get all of the rotten parts out without going into the root. we have medi-cal too and they were a great childrens dentistry called the tooth fairy!

Hi K.,

I have never heard of a dentist doing such extensive work on such a young child. I may be very naive, but I would certainly call a pediatric dentist.

Find out if they will give you some advice on the phone so you dont incure any charges.

I wish you luck.
Blessings,
R.

My neice had to go a few years with missing teeth. She's fine. My son lost his early and started kindergarten with no front teeth. It's not that bad, but it's up to you. Did you put her to bed with a bottle in her mouth? I'm not sure what caused the decay so early.

My daughter fell and broke one of her front teeth before she was two. They were able to bond to it and finish it off. It held for about two years and then she broke it off. The tooth was starting to die, so they did a root canal and bonded to it again. It only lasted about a day and she broke it off again. She was about five by then, so we gave up and we're just waiting for the tooth to come out - it's discolored and chipped, so we hope it will be soon! They told us not to pull it if we didn't have to because it holds the spot for the adult tooth. So, you won't want to pull it unless they give her a temporary appliance to hold the space. If it's too small to hold a crown, maybe they could bond to it to make it look a little better and protect the tooth. Try the many recommended options of talking to different dentists and trying for insurance - but also look for a local dentistry school - they offer services free or at no cost.

Hi, there is a good HMO insurance called Smile Saver, it is only $7 a month and the dentists are good. Check it out.
K.

Hi K., our stories are similar. My son had 3 baby root canals (front teeth) at two years old. I had Delta Dental insurance and through a deal with Smile Care they accepted only what the insurance paid. I got what I paid for, unfortunately. They sent us to a pediatric dentist miles from home. The caps fell off a couple of times plus he bit through them also. One cap he bit through was pushed up into his gum and became infected. Smile Care said we'd have to put metal caps on his teeth. All I could think of was Goldfinger in the James Bond movie. He had the tooth pulled and a spacer (with a fake tooth attached) put in at 3 years by another dentist who is great. She said he'd been given only partial root canals (and of course, charged for completed root canals) plus they hadn't removed a coating on the caps, so they didn't harden. That is why he bit through them. The new dentist, Dr. Haleh Shaheedy in Encino, CA, said she had never put metal caps on a child's teeth. I complained through my union about Smile Care and was refunded for all the replacement caps. That's our story.

My first recommendation is to find a pediatric dentist who takes Medi-cal (Healthy Families is somewhat better if you qualify) in a good area of town. Many (of course, not all) of the dentists in lower income areas are more of a dental mill - quantity vs. quality. Find a private pediatric practice if you can. Also ask about how they treat kids with baby root canals and caps. I hope this works out for you. Good luck.

Dear K.,

I'm sorry I have no advice- just praying for you and your little one that you receive good care for her please lets us know how things work out for you.

G.

Hi K.,
I too with my first child had medi-cal. Despite their policies on NOT discriminating against families who need medi-cal vs. a family who pays for their medical care through insurance, I experienced a similar situation with my pre-natal care. I literally walked out of the office due to this doctors "God" complex!
Although I can't offer any soulutions on how to fix your doughters teeth (as I am not a dentist), I would definitely take her to see another dentist for a second opinion to see if maybe they can help? Your daughter's gums are probably sore so brushing might be aggitating them, but I would think it's not a bad habbit to get her used to maybe with a rubber baby tooth brush for now -you know the "first" tooth brushes that you get in those baby kits that fits over your finger?
Also, you may already know this, and I don't know if you do this with your daughter, but if you let them fall asleep with a bottle this is usually a big cause of early tooth decay (especially milk). So if you are doing this, you should wean her off of falling asleep with the bottle and maybe start brushing right before bed? These are only suggestions and information I have heard from other moms and read about in magazines. Good luck!

I would suggest getting insurance for your child through Healthy Families. You can find them on the web. They offer dental and it's very affordable. This should be taken care of immediately. I know how it is to not be insured but there is always help for your children. I urge you to call and get insurance ASAP. I wish you and your little one the best. Take care.

If there is any monetary way to go to another private dentist that is what I would do. Try to find someone who might allow you to make payments.

Don't know where you are located, but I take my 2 y.o. to Dr. Reder in Culver City. She is great with my son and a regular check up with x-rays was only $45. (We don't have dental insurance either, so everything is out of pocket and I searched long and hard to find a dentist with good patient reviews, who took children, and had reasonable rates.) Have no idea what more extensive work would cost, but she seems fair and reasonable. Good luck!

Dear K.,

Make some phone calls to find your nearest county-sponsored health services, which can be a life-saver for families with lower incomes and without health insurance. Sometimes these clinics have dental services, too or can refer you to low-cost options with honest professionals staffing them. (As you said, one wonders about the quality of care or even ethics of dentists whose work uniformly fails after such a short time.)

Also, take a look at what your daughter is consuming to look for possible reasons why she started having tooth decay so early. Did she as a baby or does she now drink sugary juices? Do you allow her to eat candy? Have you been able to instill good dental hygiene habits? Does she get plenty of vegetables in her diet, and low or no starchy foods like pasta, potatoes, and white rice? Any of these habits can promote tooth decay in young children.

Best of luck!

S. I., L.Ac.