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fillings on an 8 yr old

B

brewer734

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
385
Location
nottinghamshire england
Hi
My 8 yr old daughter is having a filling on wednesday she is having it with a childrens dentist (who i am assured is very nice and excellent with kids) and is very nervous. I have a couple of questions if anyone knows the answers that would help me and her relax !!!!
1. The filling is on a baby tooth its a molar will they numb it with a needle ?
2. If the answer is yes will this childrens dentist be able to do this painlessly ?
3. The dentist wants to "coat" two of her big back teeth what does this mean and is it a good idea?
4. Is it the same sort of drill as for adult teeth as I fear this will scare her she is very sensitive to noise due to problems with her ear drum.
thankyou for reading
emma
 
Hi
My 8 yr old daughter is having a filling on wednesday she is having it with a childrens dentist (who i am assured is very nice and excellent with kids) and is very nervous. I have a couple of questions if anyone knows the answers that would help me and her relax !!!!
1. The filling is on a baby tooth its a molar will they numb it with a needle ?
2. If the answer is yes will this childrens dentist be able to do this painlessly ?
3. The dentist wants to "coat" two of her big back teeth what does this mean and is it a good idea?
4. Is it the same sort of drill as for adult teeth as I fear this will scare her she is very sensitive to noise due to problems with her ear drum.
thankyou for reading
emma

1. I'd be surprised if not, nothing like feeling pain from the drill to give you dental phobia...some cavities are so small they can be done without numbing but if any risk of pain, best to numb and most kids dentists would think along the same lines. Once bitten twice shy...
2. Not much of a kids' dentist if they haven't learnt comfy injection technique with gel etc so I would say so. TBH surprised your dentist can't treat her given that he has good technique and she has met him already.
3. Yes probably...sealant to help avoid future decay (painless procedure).
4. Yes...IPOD maybe? Kids cavities can also be treated in other ways not using a drill but at age 8, she should be ok to cope with comfortable mainstream treatment....you would maybe do stuff like ART (scraping out without a drill) in a much younger child who might move during treatment otherwise. Air abrasion/Healozone are other methods but not appropriate in all cases.

If it makes you feel any better, my 7 year old coped with a standard filling with painless LA delivery. My older one was ok with sealant at same age but said it tasted yucky.

The important thing is to give her control and lots of praise...but I'm sure the kids' dentist knows that.
Please don't do the 'what a brave girl' stuff..there's nothing to be afraid of..therefore nothing to be brave about. Praise is for co-operating while my tooth is comfortably fixed.
She'll be fine especially if she instantly likes this new dentist...
 
thanks for that brit
Im so nervous for her I know she will go mad if she discovers its a needle!!
She has asked me to read her favourite book ( the magic faraway tree) while the lady fixes her tooth I said of course I will.
The tooth is really sore and she does know that it will feel lots better when its fixed but she is so nervous bless her. I would rather have all my treatment again than let my daughter get upset about this.
anyway I suppose I will just have to hope that this lady really knows her stuff cause if my daughter isnt happy she will go for the nearest door and scream the place down a lifetime of blood tests due to her diabetes has made her very nervous of everything medical .
Im really glad to hear yr 7 yr old managed it though I dont know anyone else who has a child who has had a filling and its reassuring to know I think im just so scared this experience will give her a phobia if it doesnt go well.
emma
 
Hi Emma,
Actually my 4 year old niece had to have a filling for a small cavity in a tooth. The dentist only needed to use the numbing gel..they had a variety of flavored ones for my niece to choose from too. My brother-in-law ended up sitting in the dentist chair with my niece on his lap and she then let the dentist complete the filling.. LOL My sister said my niece cried at first but only because she was a bit uncertain as to what was being done. I think your daughter being 8 should do well.
 
thanks for that brit
Im so nervous for her I know she will go mad if she discovers its a needle!!

Normally a kids' dentist would just talk about 'putting the tooth to sleep' but they might assume as your child is 8 and diabetic that they know all about needles so maybe you need to touch base first and discuss best way to handle her.
Does she normally trust adults and follow their instructions? She would likely be told to look up at something on the ceiling and then LA done out of line of sight and given comfortably, so first 'complaint' child makes is about the funny numb feeling....that's the best case scenario....

at the end of the day...it's not actually that big a deal....if it does come to 'show tell do' with a syringe at least you know from your own experience that it can be comfortable....she maybe fears syringes because all the ones she has experienced have hurt a bit...so the dentist may need to reassure that the mouth is different (as you know) and that the gel makes it go to sleep first...etc etc...'feeling is believing'

Despite your friends not having kids with fillings, I would say it is completely the norm for a 7-8 year old to be able to cope with a filling with just LA....provided the practitioner is kind.

She is unlikely to be traumatised by it whatever happens so long as the approach is a caring one...that really does make a difference where phobia development is concerned it seems.
Has she got a favourite cuddly toy or similar she can cuddle (if doesn't make her feel too babyish?) might help her feel more secure...
 
HI again
thanks for yr replys my daughter keeps asking me all about her appointment and ive discussed everything with her except the needle I will have to warn the dentist that she wont let her do it if she knows about it. If I tell the receptionist then she can warn her for me if its done without her knowing then it will be fine she knows the drill makes a noise but I told her its a childrens drill and is very gentle and so is the dentist. I think if i can just avoid the needle situation we will be ok people tend to presume that because she s diabetic needles are ok to her but her insulin needles are tiny in a pen and i do them in her bum cause if she can see it she freaks!!
thanks for the advice im really nervous for her now!!!
love emma
 
Hi everyone
just wanted to let you know my daughter had 2 fillings today and she was a superstar!!
She got in the chair put britania high on her ipod and sat back she even stopped the dentist at one point saying stop a minute i want to find my favourite song on my ipod!! little madam!!
When asked to put the sunglasses on she said oh great!
the dentist was amazing and so kind she said shes never met a kid so cool shes having 2 more in a fortnight and she isnt fazed at all the kid is braver than i will ever be!!!
im so stunned she is definately not like me
love and hugs
emma
 
Great news that all went well! She is one brave little girl...oh and cool too:)
 
she even stopped the dentist at one point saying stop a minute i want to find my favourite song on my ipod!! little madam!!

No that's great, that's what trust and control is all about.

:grouphug:
Really pleased for you both though.
 
thanks brit i loved the cartoon thats so much like her and yr right she loves being in charge im dreading her being a teenager !!!
The dentist described her as being a real character she got that right !
think as long as she feels in charge shes ok its when things arent going her way she kicks off!!!
forgot to mention they didnt tell her about the injections and she obviously didnt feel a thing cause she never flinched but being a kids dentist the lady must know how to do it painlessly like my dentist does and my daughter thinks shes great so im pleased !!!
emma
 
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