Posted by writeradmin
I need some advice. I brush my daughter’s teeth every day, yet all of her molars have decay. She doesn’t cooperate with the dentist and I don’t know what to do. One of them looks like almost half the structure is gone. Do I do fillings? Crowns? Maybe it doesn’t matter because they’re baby teeth, but if it does, how do I get her the treatment she needs when she won’t cooperate?
Maise
Dear Maise,
I am very glad you wrote. I can tell you are worried about your daughter and love her very much. We’ll go over a way to help with these cavities in a moment. First, I want to make sure you know there is a way to get her the treatment she needs. I recommend finding a pediatric dentist who also has dental sedation available. This way your daughter can sleep through her procedure.
While these are her baby teeth, she will need them to eat. Plus, decay this extensive is likely to turn into a dental infection, which are considered dental emergencies. It’s important to save her back molars, if at all possible, because they need to be in her mouth until she is around twelve years old. Otherwise her other teeth will shift or tip into the open areas. Then, when her permanent molars come in there won’t be the proper space for them and she’ll end up needing braces. If the back teeth are too far gone and do have to be extracted, then make sure her dentist provides space maintainers, in order to keep the space open and ready for her adult teeth.
As for the amount of decay she is having. Because you are brushing her teeth, the likely culprit is a combination of her not getting the dental care she needs because she hasn’t been cooperative, along with frequent snacking.
Our saliva is one of the most important tools we have in fighting decay. This is because it contains bacteria fighting minerals. However, when she has frequent snacks or sugary drinks, there is not enough time for her saliva to do its job. I would limit her snacking to once a day between meals and make sure she is mostly drinking water instead of juices and sodas. This should help cut down on the decay.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. John Theriot.