children's dentistry Archives | Williams Family Dentistry

Novocain Didn’t Work for My Daughter

Posted on January 23, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have an eleven-year-old daughter who developed a tooth infection. The dentist gave her Novocain but it didn’t work. She was in agony. I eventually had to stop the procedure because I couldn’t stand the pain she was in. I was also a little distressed that the dentist didn’t even seem to care about what she was enduring. I am going to switch pediatric dentists, for obvious reasons, however I still have to deal with my daughter’s infection. Do you know why the Novocain didn’t work? If so, is there a way to get her numb?

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

I am so sorry both you and your daughter had to experience that. I do believe I know what happened with the Novocain and know what will help. I can tell you are a kind and caring mother, so you will know that the infection will have to be dealt with before it has a chance to spread. These type of issues are considered a dental emergency. The first thing I would do is ask for an antibiotic to help hold off the infection briefly while you find the dentist you need to handle this. It is a short, temporary solution. Tooth infections are not treated by antibiotics, they are just held at bay for a period. The only way to get rid of the infection is for a dentist to physically remove the infected tissue.

Many dentists are not yet aware that there is a connection between dental anxiety and numbing medication. While we don’t understand why, we do know that higher a person’s anxiety the less effective the numbing medication is. The solution is to help bring down her anxiety before the procedure. The best way to do that is to see a pediatric dentist who offers dental sedation options.

There are different levels of sedation. Nitrous oxide is the lowest. However, given her recent experience, I think you need to find a dentist who offers oral conscious sedation. This is much stronger and is often called sleep dentistry. She will be quite loopy so you’ll want to keep an eye on her for a few hours after the procedure. It is perfectly safe and she will wake up with her procedure done.

Then, for the next few procedures she can use the nitrous oxide. This helps relax her and she will very likely fall asleep, but she will not be loopy when the procedure is over. With this sedation they will switch the gas back to oxygen and she’ll be back to normal in a few moments.

Hopefully, a few good procedures will enable her fear and anxiety to become controlled by her instead of medication.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

A Broken Front Tooth

Posted on October 24, 2020 by writeradmin.

My nine-year-old daughter fell and chipped her front tooth. I went to our pediatric dentist and he wants to put a stainless steel crown on it. It’s her front tooth! Is there any other possible solution for this?

Karen

Dear Karen,

Many general dentists will see entire families

I haven’t examined your daughter, but if the pulp is healthy a chipped tooth can be solved by dental bonding. You’ll want a cosmetic dentist to do this, however. Your pediatric dentist may not be qualified. That may be why he or she suggested a dental crown to begin with.

However, if the pulp is damaged, then a dental crown may be necessary. That doesn’t mean it has to be a stainless steel crown. There are other options. On a front tooth, I would recommend a porcelain crown. This will look the most natural. You’ll need to be aware that your dental insurance, will usually only cover the cheapest solution. You can ask your dentist to bill the insurance for the one they’ll cover. Then, you pay the difference for the better treatment option.

My concern is that your daughter’s dentist doesn’t seem to be giving you all your options. This is important for you to make the right decision.

Another thing to consider is to see a general dentist who treats children. My experience has been they have a broader view of treatment. They’re still qualified to treat children and all did a pediatric rotation, but they deal more with other issues, than most pediatric dentists do. An additional benefit is your entire family can be seen by the same dentist. This will also enable him or her to see patterns in your family’s genetic make-up that will allow your dentist to be more proactive in your child’s care.

Go ahead and get a second opinion to see if the pulp is in good shape or if a dental crown is truly necessary.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Dental Flipper for a Pre-schooler

Posted on April 17, 2020 by writeradmin.

My son, who is three years old, had a fall which caused him to lose his two front teeth prematurely. I’ve heard that children need to keep their teeth in order to prevent shifting and crowding. My dentist said that won’t be an issue, but I’m still worried. I’m looking at dental flippers online and they only seem to make them for adults. What is your recommendation for a toddler?

Robin

Dear Robin,

Many general dentists will see entire families

While there are some teeth which have to stay in place until your son is around twelve-years-old or you risk shifting and crowding, that is only for his back teeth. If these teeth have to be removed prematurely, your pediatric dentist would need to place a space maintainer. Your son lost his front teeth. These teeth won’t have the same issue and he’ll be fine.

I want to discuss the dental flipper, though. Let’s say for argument’s sake that he did need a replacement. These are only made for adults for a reason. First, they are removable. This will be a choking hazard for a young child. Even if it weren’t a choking hazard there would be other issues.

Because it is removable, you would likely have a hard time getting him to keep it in his mouth. Plus, it clasps onto his teeth. At his age, his teeth and jaw are in constant flux and growth. You would have to constantly replace it.

I hope knowing the front teeth will be fine puts your mind at ease. I can tell you are a caring mother.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.