Can anybody tell me what it’s like to have dental work done for a very young child? Our two and a half year old will have to get a couple of crowns done. We’re getting it done at a hospital, and my wife is there today to consult with both the dentist and the anaesthesiologist. She’s a bit freaked out because it looks like our daughter will have to be under full anaesthesia for two or three hours while it’s being done.
Well, my three and a half year old daughter just had some work done not three days ago.
She went to the dentist about a month ago and we were told she had cavities between all of her molars. The dentist wanted to put her under and put crowns on all of them over the course of two appointments. My ex-wife and I, being wary of putting a three year old under, elected to have the dentist try and give her fillings over the course of 4 sessions.
Her first session was a couple days ago. They hooked her up to the nitrous, put Shrek 3 on, and went to work. I was shocked that she didnt flinch, even when given the local. She was as relaxed and groovy as I have ever seen her.
Needless to say, I was (and am) a very proud dad.
I would say give it a try. If your son/daughter freaks out, try the crowns. If they are able to handle it, you get some peace of mind and they learn that the dentist isnt something to be scared of.
YMMV
When I was three, I fell headfirst down the stairs and knocked out all my upper baby teeth. I’m pretty sure there was quite a lot of dental work involved at some point but I don’t remember any of it. And I’m not afraid of dentists, or stairs.
So, anecdotal evidence you can use to reasure your wife that dental work in a young child does not neccesarily produce any sort of trauma.
(And hey, even if the dentist messes it up, she’ll get another set later on, right?
Thanks guys. It’s mainly the anaesthesia she’s worried about.
Let us know what you decided and how it went. Good luck!
Small children after general anesthesia are all over the map: “drunk:”, happy/laughing, very crabby and cross (the most common), tired, just fine, regressive (for the day), clingy, pushing away. You name it.
Pack your patience along with the stuffed animal or blankie. You’ll need both. Other than that, things should be straightforward.
Rigs–a same day surgery nurse who has seen her share of small kids having similar procedures.
Ugh. Our little one will be 17 months old next month, when she’ll need to have her plugged-up tear ducts “probed”. It seems like a simple procedure: they basically run a blunt wire-like instrument down through the duct at the corner of the eye, all the way through the duct to the nasal passages, in order to clear any obstructions. So, no cutting or grinding or anything. Still, she has to be absolutely motionless, and that means general anesthesia. Scary. I’m hoping that I’ll be too busy keeping my wife from becoming a basket case to think about it much myself.
About the tear duct thing, in case anyone cares: apparently, about 25-30% of newborns have one or more obstructed tear ducts. It’s not a foreign object, more like a natural membrane blocking things off. So, the tears made by the lacrimal glands, which normally drain into the nose through the duct, don’t have anywhere to go. That means that the tears run down the face a lot, or collect in the eye, get crusty and nasty, and offer a fertile breeding ground for bacteria and the like. For about 95% of those kids, the ducts open naturally by the time they’re one year old. Lucky little Torqueling is in that last 5%. Therefore, we gotta open them ducts with a probe. Depending on how it goes, he may or may not put in artificial tubes for a few months while they heal, to prevent scar tissue from closing the ducts off again (which would mean doing it all over a second time).
And of course she’s a redhead, and redheads require more anesthesia…sigh. Parenting is always an adventure, isn’t it.
I got an update from my wife. After seeing the dentist, she took the little girl to get an x-ray and blood work done, apparently to check for any heart problems or allergies to the anaesthetic. We’ll also have a consultation with the anaesthesiologist him (her?) self before the actual procedure. So it sounds as if they’re being careful about it.
I was mainly freaked out about the length of the procedure–three hours sounds like a long time for a little girl.
Good luck Max! That sounds a bit worrisome, but it sounds like it would be a quick procedure?
Thanks for telling me about your experience. As for our girl, she’s only two and a half, but for all that a very stubborn and physically strong two-and-a-halfer, so I don’t think we could persuade her to sit still for it, especially as it looks like crowns will be a necessity.
I would have said the same about my girl too. When they gave her the Novocaine shot and she didnt move my head almost exploded. Nitrous Oxide is a wonderful friend.
Our son had to have a couple of procedures done at that age. If possible try to get it scheduled early because she probably won’t be allowed to eat. Afterwards we had to stay in the recovery room until they made sure my son could keep some water or jello, etc. down.
I had major skull surgery when I was six months old…under full anesthesia for 3+ hours. Just make sure you trust the anesthesiologist, and things should be fine. They pay really close attention to the littl’uns.
The doc says about 30 minutes to do the simple probing, longer if he has to put the tubes in. At least it’s not something that involves cutting or anything like that. Really, she’s been just about the greatest kid we could have asked for, so this is the first real challenge we’re having to go through.
Small kids are usually done first case(usually between 0700 and 0730 for a start time), because of the whole not eating thing. Be sure to bring her fav drink (unless it’s carbonated or red) with you. A clear liquid such as apple juice would be best. (of course, they have juice available there as well).
I was your daughter’s age when I had my front teeth surgically removed. (there’s a inherited defect, probably amelogenesis imperfecta, on my mom’s side so some baby teeth come in sans enamel. Eventually we’ve all had to have the defective teeth removed.) The only thing I remember is the shiny light above me and masked doctors.
Apparently a few hours later I wouldn’t stay in the wheelchair while leaving the hospital, and enthusiatically requested cheese popcorn. My parents said I was more upset about being denied the popcorn than about the surgery.