Dental work on kids with baby teeth.

[Judson1]

Didn’t know this was really a thing until the last few weeks. When my 5 yr old niece had 3 crowns put on hers. They had to put her to sleep. I think my brother said out of pocket was about $1100. Then my co worker says his son who is 7 was getting some major work as well. Complete with shots in the mouth.
You gotta figure these kids will be losing those teeth soon enough. Maybe there’s something I don’t understand. Potential health issue? Actually cannot believe insurance pays for any of it. The skeptic in me thinks dentists push this when it probably is unnecessary. But surely not right?

[billnorman1]

I'm 82, one of my daughters is 49. When she was 4 she had to be anesthesized to have her teeth crowned. She lost the enamel on them, probably our fault letting her have fruit juices in a bottle when she was younger.

[Highcentered]

Several of my baby teeth had fillings in them. I can understand keeping them healthy until they come out because an abcessed tooth is no joke.

[Lowerider58]

It also seems to be common for a dentist to want to send his patients to another specialist to pull a tooth. I guess a regular dentist isn’t capable of pulling a tooth.

[borderbasser]

All the younger kids in our family have had braces since the time they became teens, but that's when their adult teeth came in. Braces are so common these days, tho. Even see lots of adults with braces now, even though they may be for migraine headaches.

[Jeff Hahn]

To me, unless there is a serious health related issue, this is a "You serious, Clark?" moment.

[BassAssassin22]

Baby teeth can get infected/cause pain just like adult teeth. They also keep the space between teeth so the adult teeth have room to come in. Losing the primary teeth early can cause spacing issues for them as they grow and have adult teeth coming in. Sometimes they have to wear an appliance to keep the space open for adult teeth to come in if baby teeth are taken out early. Google “band and loop dental” and you’ll see an example of what I’m referring to if a baby tooth is taken out early. Teeth always want to be touching something. Sometimes in adults if a bottom tooth is taken out, the top tooth can move downwards because it has nothing to bite against and vice versa. I’ve done fillings on kids as young as 3 and have patients a lot younger that needed them that I send to a pediatric dentist. Yes I have to numb them just like adult teeth. That’s probably my least favorite thing in dentistry, is having to give kids injections. Stainless steel crowns are a very common procedure on kids. They are typically done when a kid has cavities on baby teeth that are between the teeth (not chewing surface) and the kid still has a while before they lose those teeth.

[BassAssassin22]

It also seems to be common for a dentist to want to send his patients to another specialist to pull a tooth. I guess a regular dentist isn’t capable of pulling a tooth.

I take out a lot of teeth on a daily basis, sometimes teeth can be close to certain anatomy or be in an odd position (close to nerve canals, roots in the sinus, weird angulation, bad curved roots etc) I usually send these to an oral surgeon to handle. They also have the equipment and training should an unusual complication arise

[ProVle]

Good to have a expert explain the subject. Thank's!

[RonCat]

Dental issues can lead to a variety of other health problems. Here are some common complications associated with poor dental health:
Cardiovascular Disease

• Gum disease is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Inflammation from oral bacteria may contribute to arterial plaque buildup.

Diabetes Complications

• Poor oral health can make it harder to control blood sugar levels. Conversely, diabetes increases the risk of gum disease.

Respiratory Issues

• Bacteria from periodontal disease can be inhaled into the lungs, potentially leading to respiratory infections or exacerbating existing lung conditions.

Pregnancy Complications

• Gum disease is associated with premature birth and low birth weight. Maintaining oral health is crucial for pregnant individuals.

Digestive Problems

• Dental issues can affect chewing and swallowing, leading to digestive difficulties. Poorly chewed food can cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

Chronic Pain

• Dental problems can lead to chronic pain conditions, including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and headaches.

Nutritional Deficiencies

• Difficulty eating due to dental pain or missing teeth can result in inadequate nutrition and related health issues.

Mental Health Effects

• Dental problems can impact self-esteem and lead to anxiety or depression due to concerns about appearance and social interactions.

Maintaining good oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups can help prevent these complications.

[Jbass123]

Until very recent years I also didn’t know it was a thing for middle-aged adults—I’m talking 40s or even 50s—to get orthodontia. Maybe they’re gearing up for a late-season push toward Hollywood stardom? Kidding aside, because it’s none of my business and their reasons might be good and logical, it still surprises me when I see someone over 40 with braces.

[yatesville88fan]

Too many sugary drinks when they are young isn’t good.

[dean c]

Baby teeth can get infected/cause pain just like adult teeth. They also keep the space between teeth so the adult teeth have room to come in. Losing the primary teeth early can cause spacing issues for them as they grow and have adult teeth coming in. Sometimes they have to wear an appliance to keep the space open for adult teeth to come in if baby teeth are taken out early. Google “band and loop dental” and you’ll see an example of what I’m referring to if a baby tooth is taken out early. Teeth always want to be touching something. Sometimes in adults if a bottom tooth is taken out, the top tooth can move downwards because it has nothing to bite against and vice versa. I’ve done fillings on kids as young as 3 and have patients a lot younger that needed them that I send to a pediatric dentist. Yes I have to numb them just like adult teeth. That’s probably my least favorite thing in dentistry, is having to give kids injections. Stainless steel crowns are a very common procedure on kids. They are typically done when a kid has cavities on baby teeth that are between the teeth (not chewing surface) and the kid still has a while before they lose those teeth.

That pretty much answers the question.

[Big Will Tx]

Too many sugary drinks when they are young isn’t good.

Too many sugary drinks are not good for you no matter what age you are

[geodebasser]

It also seems to be common for a dentist to want to send his patients to another specialist to pull a tooth. I guess a regular dentist isn’t capable of pulling a tooth.

I knew someone once in a bassclub that I was in that pulled his own teeth when they got bad

[BassAssassin22]

Until very recent years I also didn’t know it was a thing for middle-aged adults—I’m talking 40s or even 50s—to get orthodontia. Maybe they’re gearing up for a late-season push toward Hollywood stardom? Kidding aside, because it’s none of my business and their reasons might be good and logical, it still surprises me when I see someone over 40 with braces.

I see a lot of patients that get older and are not happy with their smile or the spacing between their teeth. For example, sometimes the spacing is between the top front teeth and can be relatively small, just a few millimeters. They will ask me if I can fill those spaces or put crowns "caps" on them. Technically, yes that can be done, but you do not want the teeth to look unusually large/unnatural. I recommend ortho (braces) to these patients if they are truly serious about getting proper alignment to their teeth.

Some of these people also did not wear or they broke their retainer after having braces when they were younger. Teeth will move if a patient isn't using some type of retainer after ortho.

[BassAssassin22]

I knew someone once in a bassclub that I was in that pulled his own teeth when they got bad

You'd be surprised how often I see this. A lot of times they try to to do this and they end up breaking the part you can see in the mouth, leaving me with a root in the bone to take out. Lots of adult patients end up with teeth so loose you could take them out with your fingers due to gum and bone loss.

One of the funniest stories a patient told me, was he didn't know his teeth were connected to his feet with a string. I asked him what he meant and he said he was trying to take out some of his front lower teeth by himself and every time he pulled it would cause him to go up onto his tiptoes because it hurt

[Rider99XX]

[fishon!sc]

The infection and decay will spread to the adult tooth under the baby tooth if it's not taken care of.

[bassnpro1]

No more juice