My dentist want to give my 6year old multiple filings?

[twinklingfairy]

I am quite upset about this because we truly do our very best.
I follow all their guidlines re sweet things. We don't eat many and what they do get comes after a meal (as they told me to do) They don't get juice, as a rule, only water and milk with the odd, very watered, down diluting which DD gets with her lunch (again, within thier rules)
We brush religiously morning and night. I don't scrimp, I do the very best I can to ensure that every single tooth in that little head (and her brothers) gets a good cleaning.
They gave me disclosure tablets which I used on her teeth after I had brushed them, was this right? I wanted to see what I left behind because they basically implied that it was her oral hygeine that was a fault.
And there was barely anything left on her teeth.
I took one myself, before I brushed my teeth, so that we could compare. Mine were pretty purple! Hers hardly had any.

I feel that I am doing absolutely evrything that I can for my daughter and being made to feel like a failing parent
They also gave her a scale and polish. The dentist at that point said her enamal was thin. It almost looks like constant yellowing plaque on her eye teeth. I was concerned but was reassured not to, that that was just how her teeth were and that hopefully the next set would be stronger.
That is also quite upsetting. I eat a healthy diet and did as a pregnant and BF mother (LOADS of milk) so why are her teeth so weak?

She has only lost 4 teeth so far (top two came out early because she fell going up the slide the wrong way, gah! And her teeth took the brunt of her fall)

I don't really see where I can go from here but the dentist says 6 fillings!
Actually she didn't say it at all! I only found out her plans when I had to sign the consent form.

Btw, when I was in, they said I was fine and sent me on my way. Hours later they called me to say I needed 2 filings? I questioned it and the following day they called me back to say, oops your right you don't need anything.
Makes you wonder though. Does my DD really need 6 or is that also a mistake.

And, mainly, does she really have to have 6 when she will lose them all anyway?
The dentist only said that one was developed. I have no idea where the other 5 are!

We are in an area where it is extremely hard to get to see a dentist so going to another isn't really an option, I don't think?
Going private could mean she gets thrown out of the nhs list (I don't know if it is true for children, but if I were to see a private one, I know that I would be struck off their list)
But I would like to question it, I just have no clue where to start

Can you go for a second opinion from another dentist in the same practice?

Otherwise I'm sure you have a right to a second opinion from someone. So ring another practice and ask if you can go just for that, rather than going on their books as a patient.

Hi, don't feel bad, children's teeth can be a nightmare. Snacking on fruit even contributes to decay but who in their right mind would eliminate fruit? Anyway, if you do want a second opinion do try private practices, some tend to only be private for adults and still take nhs children. Ring a few thou, not all do this.

I would phone the dentist and ask them to clarify the treatment plan. Believe me, we don't like doing fillings on children so young and wouldn't unless they were absolutely essential.

whistling: the uda system put an end to that. We get the same money for one filling as we do for 6.

I am sorry that your daughter is having trouble with her teeth.

If you go private you do not lose your right to an nhs dentist. NHS dentists no longer have lists as such. If you see a private dentist they will not contact your current dentist without your permission. If you have a check up with a private dentist then the NHS dentist has no way of knowing.

If a child needs fillings then I strongly recomend you get them done privately if you can possibly afford it. NHS amaglam is crap.

If the decay is mild then it could be treated with Ozone and the tooth sealed. Its less traumatic for the child and keeps the structure of the tooth. The tooth is able to self heal. Unfortuanately the NHS does not offer ozone treatment.
If your child does have problems with decay then it could be well worth paying for fissure sealents to do done privately.

I have had experiences of NHS dentists doing unnecessary work. I changed to a private dentist and I find that I spend less money on dentistry. The fillings don't fall out and there is decent preventative care. (Ie. dental hygiene and the dental hygienist taught my son how to clean his teeth)

Ozone treatment, I haven't heard of that. But then I know Nothing of dentists and what they can do.
for instance, I didn't know that I could have white fillings not the ugly silver, it's just that they don't offer it.

I think I will get in touch with the dentist that my DH goes to and get a second opinion that way. I will check that they do the ozone thing first though.

Our dentists really do have a list though. It is HUGE! last I heard someone was no 300+ still hoping to see a dentist.
We have a shortage of them up here and seem to fid it difficult to see one.
We had to wait about 9 months between appointments because the one we have takes months long holidays to go home to see her family, in Poland ( I think)
There is a new practice nearer to me, but I can't get both my children in there (only one of them because he seems to have been in their list since he was 6months) I have to wait until our names (mine and DDs) come up before we can join him. For now they each have seperate dentists 20 miles apart!

I can't see any decay.
The dentist said only one was developed.

Ozone is new and quite expensive. There is no chance of getting it on the NHS.

www.dentalozone.co.uk/introduction.html

Bog standard fillings are a lot cheaper. Its a great way of stopping minor decay.

If you can afford private dentisty, then there is a lot that can be done to help children. We have an annual plan that covers both our children and all check ups and treatment is included. The dentist has a real moviation to prevent your child from getting tooth decay.

sorry I meant that Ozone is better than conventional fillings for stopping minor tooth decay. It is less painful for the child and the tooth is kept in tact.

Ozone is not new, I've been doing it for about 8 years. It's still only suitable in limited circumstances so is not an alternative to fillings.

I would seek second opinion. If your dentist is Polish as your post suggests then they may have slightly different approach to treatment of caries than a dentist trained in this country.
Although you say that your DC has a healthy diet you may need took closely at how she eats not what she eats. If she is a grazer ie eats lots of snacks then this may be the cause of the problem. All food is capable of causing dental decay. Potato crisps are starchy, dried fruit and fresh fruit are full of sugar as are many yoghurt s and similar products. As part of a meal you limit the effect but as a snack you are adding to the problem. And as for no added sugar don't get me started I hate this phrase it is so misleading.
No snack is a healthy snack.
Start keeping a food and drink diary. This is invaluable to a dentist when a child presents with high decay rate. You need to record what DC eats and the time.
When brushing use a good stripe of toothpaste ( over the age of 3 there is no need to use pea sized blob ) and when brushing is complete spit out the excess but do not rinse the mouth.
As for Ozone I don't think is very widely used in this country. Like all methods of prevention it is not used in isolation. That is to say that it would be used alongside fluoride, oral hygiene and dietary advise and if successful it is very difficult to say whether it is the sole reason for the decrease in decay.

We see a dentist privately and I remember her mentioning a while back that new guidelines no longer recommend filling baby teeth unless pain or discomfort present. They are going to fall out to make way for adult teeth eventually anyway.

At the very least I would get a second opinion or take a 'wait and see' approach

My youngest DS (7) has had 4 fillings in baby teeth. I have loads of fillings, and at 45 find that every time I go I need more fillings/more root canal, etc. Eldest 4 DCs aged 21 - 14 have NO fillings at all. We all eat basically same stuff - and I am religious about teeth cleaning.

When I moaned to dentist about it he said that unfortunately some people have good teeth - and despite little dental hygiene have no problems. Some people have poor/weak teeth and are forever having work done. To a certain extent it is apparently the luck of the draw. Feel sorry that DS2 has inherited my rubbish teeth by the sound of it.

A lot depends on your budget. There is no point in considering private dentistry if you don't have the money. We used our savings to pay for private dentistry and it was well worth it.

We paid £500 for private dentistry after my son had to have a baby tooth extracted. We were in a position of having endless fillings in baby teeth. The NHS dentist was the fastest in the west and left my son traumatised. He was terrified of the dentist and we were faced with having to go down the GA route. The private dentist spent an hour playing with my son to gain his confidence to let him do the work.

I felt worried sick that my son would lose his adult teeth and that I had failed him as a mother. The problem with NHS fillings is that they fall out and then the tooth needs an even bigger filling. The NHS is only interested in the short term cost.

Ds had the fissures in his teeth sterlised with Ozone and then sealed. He also had proper dental hygiene done by a dental hygienist every six months. As well has having his teeth cleaned he has had a flouride gel painted on his teeth and the hygienist spent 40 minutes teaching him how to brush his teeth properly. We had diet analysis as well.

My son has had no fillings in the last two years. It really goes to show how prevention and education makes a real difference to dental health. It is sad that the NHS does not offer this standard of care.

sowornout have you all grown up in the same part of the country? In the past there was more fluouride in tooth paste. dd age three uses toothpaste for a child aged 4 to 6. She can split out toothpaste so I don't think she will get an excessive amount of fluoride.

It would be interesting to know what makes children teeth strong.

Yep ReallyTired (PS I see we are 'name' related!). We've all grown up in the same place, basically eating the same food and religiously brushing our teeth morning and night, visiting dentist meekly for 6 monthly check ups.

I'd add possibly too much fluoride - ironically it weakens teeth. Ask though as it does also say on the tubes you need more Ppm if you have 'dental caries'.

Last time we went to the dentist she was very insistent that we made sure we were only using the tiniest dab on our 2yr old's brush.

Also harsh brushing can weaken enamel I've heard - again check this isnt an urban myth - but make sure they have soft bristled brushes.

I hope it gets better - I fully expect to be in the shit with mine later as I am far too easy on them having treats... when their adult teeth come through I think they'll wonder why I've turned into a strict disciplinarian overnight!! I guess once they're at school it'll be easier.

I'm sorry to hear the trouble you having with your dentist. The fact he didn't go through the treatment plan with you for your DD and kept changing his mind about whether you needed treatment sounds a bit dodgy to me.

My advice is that you ask your dentist to refer your DD to a community dentist in your area. If you don't want to ask your dentist then your doctor or health visitor can refer as well.It's free as its a NhS organisation. It's sounds like you are doing everything right & are very motivated in your child's oral health. sSounds like your DD may have an enamel defect which can make her more prone to dental decay. The community dentist will monitor this condition, work on prevention with you& carry out treatment if they feel you fall within their remit , which sounds like you do. Often in NHS practices treatment is done on a production line and often it appears some practice just do treatment that is quicker rather than what's in the best interest of the patient (obviously not every patient)

In the meantime keep a food diary. Write everything your DD eats &drinks & the times and take to your appt. keep an eye out for hidden sugars in sauces &juices. Encourage her to drink through a straw so the juice bypasses her teeth and get her to drink still water after.
If your child is over 6yrs old &spits out toothpaste introduce a pea size amount of adult toothpaste as it has a higher fluoride concentration. Make sure she spits out the excess rather than rinses with water as stays on her teeth longer &will give her extra protection. If u struggle to get her onto the adult one because of the taste mix a smear with her children's toothpaste and gradually increase the amount& decrease the amount of children's tp. If she is able to spit out mouthwash use a children's fluoride mouthwash IN-BETWEEN brushing it will give her extra protection.
Hope this helps