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Question about tooth decay....

3 replies

neverputasockinatoaster · 23/01/2012 21:42

Hello.
My DS is 7. At his last dentist's check up they pointed out a tiny hole in one of his baby molars. It was tiny and they said as it was his bay tooth that it was a 'keep an eye on situation'. I saw the hole and it was tiny. DH is in charge of tooth checking and is really thorough although we may have been a bit lax over Christmas.... DS was brushing twice a day as usual but we may not have been as vigilant with checking. DH is adamant there was no hole before Christmas.
We saw dentist on11th Jan. Today I was called by school as DS was in great pain from toothache. I got him an emergency appt and he has an infection in his lower jaw. This is being treated with ABs. While we were there the dentist checked the tooth with decay and pronounced it now so bad that it was too bad to fill and would need to be extracted or some form of children's root canal done. (This is a baby tooth). DS has ASD tendencies and became very distressed so the dentist recommended we were referred for it to be done under sedation.
I'm of a mind to ask for an extraction as it is a baby tooth and I feel that the distress to DS would be minimal compared to a root canal....
So, what do I push for?
And, is this kind of speed in decay soemthing that can happen?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
yummytummy · 23/01/2012 22:32

hiya, dentist here. it sounds as if an extraction would be your best bet. generally rct in kids teeth doesnt have a great prognosis and the tooth ends up being taken out anyway. also sedation probably best for this.

with regards to decay yes it can progress quickly and sometimes holes which dont look that big can still get infected quickly and unfortunately once that happens the tooth usually has to come out. hth

neverputasockinatoaster · 23/01/2012 22:59

Thank you yummytummy.
He's been crying tonight. I know it really hurts him because he won't normally take calpol (texture thing) but he has taken it tonight......

He's got his 'Beddybear' microwaveable cuddly bear barely warm held against his face. It's tyoical it happens this week when I have ofsted at work.... sigh.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 23/01/2012 23:00

i would go for extraction too, and i say this as someone who had a baby tooth pulled out at around the same age!

i didn't even realise the dentist had pulled it out until he showed it to me lol

hope your little boy is ok and the AB's kick in soon

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