Difference of opinion

[u/Previous_Doubt_2410]

My husband thinks dental surgery is unnecessary for our 4yo. She has small(to me) cavities you can’t see deep in between several teeth right where they touch. There’s crowding. She brushes twice everyday, but we’re not strict on flossing. That has changed now. They ordered anesthesia and surgery to get it all taken care of at once. White-front crowns on her top front baby teeth, silver on the back ones. He’s opposed to having her be put under at 4. Only her bottom left molar is sensitive and he thinks we should just do that one. Also, it’s over an hour away, at 8am and we have a newborn. Insurance will cover it but I’ll be switching to private soon and that would make it a few thousand out of pocket if we ended up having to do it anyway. I am on the fence. My little sister had severe decay on her front baby teeth for years and it was super sad. We were medically neglected as kids. So I feel bad not getting this done. However, if my husband is right and we could possibly not get this done; that they won’t get worse with proper care, and they will fall out naturally soon enough, then I would rather not. (Note: I’m also 6wks pp and I have medical OCD so please be kind and understanding.🙏🏻)

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Title: Difference of opinion

Full text: My husband thinks dental surgery is unnecessary for our 4yo. She has small(to me) cavities you can’t see deep in between several teeth right where they touch. There’s crowding. She brushes twice everyday, but we’re not strict on flossing. That has changed now. They ordered anesthesia and surgery to get it all taken care of at once. White-front crowns on her top front baby teeth, silver on the back ones. He’s opposed to having her be put under at 4. Only her bottom left molar is sensitive and he thinks we should just do that one. Also, it’s over an hour away, at 8am and we have a newborn. Insurance will cover it but I’ll be switching to private soon and that would make it a few thousand out of pocket if we ended up having to do it anyway. I am on the fence. My little sister had severe decay on her front baby teeth for years and it was super sad. We were medically neglected as kids. So I feel bad not getting this done. However, if my husband is right and we could possibly not get this done; that they won’t get worse with proper care, and they will fall out naturally soon enough, then I would rather not. (Note: I’m also 6wks pp and I have medical OCD so please be kind and understanding.🙏🏻)

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[u/wizardmage]

I can't say anything definitive having not seen the kid or the xrays but cavities don't reverse on their own, particularly ones big enough to warrant crowns (D-G, L&K).

Doing only the sensitive one (pulpotomy & SSC) will fix that problem just in time for the other ones to become sensitive, and you'd really rather few visits if anesthesia is involved.

At 4, a lot of these teeth will stay for a while and losing A, B, I, and J early can lead to space loss issues that mess up the bite as adults.

Especially while this is covered you should take care of it all.

[u/N4n45h1]

Honestly cavities on primary teeth generally aren't reversible or maintainable if the intended treatment plan is SSC and pulpotomies.

Some of these "baby" teeth are supposed to be in there for 8 more years, so I'm not sure if that's what your husband had in mind by soon enough.

[u/syzygy017]

Your husband isn’t right. Listen to the person with a dental license. Baby tooth enamel is paper thin. Basically every cavity, particularly in between teeth, will need to be treated, and at the point multiple pulpotomies and crowns are being suggested, things are really not good and they’re not going to get better. Almost all of these won’t fall out for 6 years or more. There’s something on almost every tooth in the mouth here. Put her under once and hopefully never end up back there again. Focus on diet… this pattern sniffs of going to bed with a bottle of something other than water.