Baby Root Canal!?! I need advice please!!

F

@Ellina F?

F means following. Did they do x rays? If so can I c them? I used to b a vet tech n I did dentals.

@Honor if no x rays were taken then that dentist is a quack tbh cuz u can’t really see decay most of the time from just your eyes

Ooh okay thank you! And yes they did but they didn’t let me grab a picture!! That’s another reason that I’m getting nervous about it, I got to see them and the best way I can explain it is 1 it was blurry but they said they didnt want to upset her trying to get another so it was already kind of like blurred together but I guess I could see that they looked slightly darker grey ? In the center kind of? He pointed to it and said that was the decay @Vanessa

I would definitely get a second opinion. I didn't know they did root canals on baby teeth. I wouldn't feel comfortable having this done. This is my opinion though and I am not a qualified professional.

@Vanessa ah yes okay! They were but idk I mean maybe they were good enough for him but they both stated that the xray was blurry and seemed like it wasn’t good but my lo was crying a lot and they said it’s okay we don’t want to bother her for another but again idk maybe it was good enough to tell

@Melissa I’m in the same boat! I talked to my dad and he said that it’s ridiculous and I’m very uncomfortable with putting her out for something like that when she’s not even 2 yet

I would get a second opinion as well. There are entire cultures where babies are breastfed for much longer and getting root canal on baby teeth seems a bit extreme. (not medical expert).

Get a second opinion! She's still a baby🤎

@Honor I would get a second opinion and more x rays but make sure they put a thyroid guard on her along with covering her whole body.

@Vanessa they didn’t do that at all :( they had her sit in my lap and just , did it. I feel so stupid for not thinking anything of it I just thought because she’s a baby maybe the machine is different. I don’t want to bother you a ton but is that a huge issue should I be even MORE worried now for other issues?

The x-ray exposure is absolutely minimal to nil so please don't worry x

@Honor yes that is a huge issue tbh. They just filled your poor baby up (n u) with a ton of unnecessary radiation. I’d probably do a radiation detox. I’m in school to become a holistic healthcare practitioner. Having radiation that young isn’t good plus then they don’t even bother trying to protect her from harm. Radiation is not good for the thyroid it can cause problems later on. After hearing this I would not go back to them n I’d get another opinion.

Please research this yourself, a single dental x-ray gives off 0.005mV which is equivalent to normal radiation levels you'd encounter everyday. EDIT I see you're in the US and maybe things are different over there but I would guess not by a significant amount!

@Vanessa I am going to cry. Yes I’m getting another opinion I’ll call around tomorrow, the procedure, the xray, them wanting to put her out. Everyone’s advice has made me confident that all of this seems so unnecessary, thank you so much for the advice ! ❤️ I’m going to comment my update after we see see another doctor at another office! I’m hoping to get in this week !

@Rachel oh okay I wasn’t aware of that I’ll start googling to see what the levels are for us equipment, that makes me feel better (hopefully If they’re low) but I feel like now it’s amplifying the poor bedside manner :/. I’ve been reading reviews for this doctor and apparently he’s notorious for being in and out within 5-10 minutes and doesn’t explain a lot. I feel so dumb, we went with this place because we’ve been backed into a corner because we have state insurance and it’s been so frustrating:’)

0.65 to 3.7 mGy in terms of entrance surface kerma, and 26 to 87 mGy.cm2 in terms of kerma-area product for intraoral radiography;  3.3 to 4.2 mGy in terms of entrance surface dose, and 84 to 120 mGy.cm2 in terms of kerma-area product for panoramic radiography; 41 to 146 mGy.cm2 (adults) and 25 to 121 mGy.cm2 (children) in terms of kerma-area product for lateral cephalometric radiography. Typical effective doses are for: intraoral dental X ray imaging procedure 1–8 μSv;  panoramic examinations 4-30 μSv;  cephalometric examinations 2-3 μSv,  CBCT procedures (based on median values from literature): 50 μSv or below for small- or medium-sized scanning volumes, and 100 μSv for large volumes.  @@Rachelit honestly depends on wat type of machine was used

Definatly different to the UK, where ZERO radiation is present after the xray

Don’t do it! Never heard before of anyone wanting to do a root canal on a baby, sounds ridiculous! If you do a bit of research on how harmful root canal actually is and how much it can effect her later in life it’s really not worth it.

I wouldn’t do it

@Rachel ya here in the states everything is poisonous and garbage. I really hate it how much unnecessary stuff they add to our food n everything

@Vanessa 😭

Awh poor thing! I work for a pediatric dental office and have seen this before. Often I have seen the doctor continue to “watch”the teeth and have you come back for checkups, but it all depends on the severity of how deep the chips go. If the pulp (inner part of the tooth) has been damaged, what is called a pulpotomy, or baby root canal, will be seen as necessary to prevent infection, which they can see on the X-rays. If the pulp/root have not been damaged, they will likely smooth them out and watch them at future apts, fill them as best they can, or place a baby crown over them to protect them. The “root canal” option is actually better than being told they need to pull the teeth, which would be a sign there is too much damage. I would email the office and ask them to send the X-rays and absolutely go get a second opinion either way for ease of mind. X-rays don’t lie, any doctor should be able to see if the pulp is damaged from them and assess your options

@Alexa-Rae a voice of reason 🙌

@Reena I know, I wasn't the one who said it stays in the body 🤣

I absolutely would have thought the same, that it all sounds crazy, until I started working and seeing people get second opinions, then coming back in and being so grateful for their child’s teeth being saved, as hard of a decision as it is. If there is damage/exposure to the pulp of the tooth, you also risk infection in the roots, which can also seep into where the permanent teeth will begin to form. As for xray exposure, unfortunately we get more exposure to radiation by going outside near power lines and using our phones every day. I would still ask the dentist to send the X-rays to you/a second opinion office so you don’t have to take more than necessary. But if they do need to take more, I would say the exposure would be less of a risk than the doctor not finding what they need to see with an xray. Also, try to give yourself some grace momma! You did the right thing by taking your baby in and advocating for her as best you can.

This professional needs reporting! Shocking. I love that your mum instinct is in the driving seat. A blessed baby indeed x

Could it hurt asking a holistic dentist what they would recommend? I feel they are more ethical and less invasive for sure x

Root canal on a 20 month old 😦😦 wtf

So I had the procedure @Alexa-Rae is describing as a child (I knocked my two front teeth out when I was 3, had a pulpotomy when I was 4 because it became infected and I got very sick from the infection). Yes it is horrific to imagine that on a little child, but it can be necessary. Absolutely seek a second opinion since you think the first dentist didn’t pay you enough mind, but it also will be okay if it has to happen. My adult teeth grew in absolutely fine, normal and straight, and apart from some anxiety about the dentist, I have no lasting effects from the procedure. My dentist says I have lovely teeth 😁 Don’t feel bad or guilty, toddlers are crazy little balls of energy and accidents happen. It will be okay ♥️♥️

I used to work in childcare and we had a little girl who’s teeth were actually decaying because of Always having milk, but she wasn’t even told to get one, there baby teeth fall out…

Please visit a another dentist for a second opinion

Has she been seeing a dentist regularly? Usually it wouldn’t be missed. The risk of infection is high if they leave the teeth there. My 5 year old had an abscess that resolved on its own and we still had to treat it with antibiotics. The mouth literally affects your overall health. Absolutely get a second opinion, but it seems necessary if there is decay.

@Monét oh okay that all makes sense and no we have state insurance so we took her at 9 months for her first visit and then we don’t have our actual cleaning appointment again until February

@🩷 Patience 🩷 before anesthesia, they’ll need clearance from a primary provider so there’s no hiccups during the procedure/surgery. Just wanna clarify that what happened with your nephew is a general side effect of anesthesia for people of any age

@🩷 Patience 🩷 I’m just saying it’s not an immediate concern and is just a general side effect (outside of that specific issue)

@🩷 Patience 🩷 oh yes definitely tell them! They should honestly be asking these questions if it’s not in the clearance. Poor baby though. 7 months is so early

@🩷 Patience 🩷 mine was born at 41 weeks and one day :’) I’ll still tell them that too just to play it safe on both ends!! I had to be induced because she was not leaving lol

For everyone saying that baby teeth just “fall out.” If they get infected, you are also risking infecting the tissue that is growing the adult teeth, in turn effecting the teeth and how they develop. My parents had the “they’ll fall out” mentality when I was a kid and I’ve always had weak teeth since my adult teeth grew in. I wish I had a choice as a child. Your teeth aren’t just random bones that grow in your mouth, they even have blood that flows through them. (Helpful life tip too- staying hydrated actually makes your teeth whiter because of that 😁) They affect a lot more than you think. Advocate for that second opinion and see what they say too. At the end of the day it is your choice ❤️

@Alexa-Rae before it even affects adult teeth, infections that aren’t treated can kill you. So I mean imagine your kid getting an infection in their blood because you ignored their baby teeth.

@Monét these last few replies are all good points too! We’ve scheduled an appointment at a different pediatric dentist for Friday afternoon for a second opinion! I explained to them that I’m a little nervous and didn’t get more than 4 minutes of an explanation from her prior dentist and that I would like more X-rays and they seem nice on the phone so far so I’m hoping the second opinion will be helpful and I’ll update here too!!

@Honor also I hope you don’t think my recent comments were directed at you specifically! I’d feel the exact same as you if I were in your shoes

@Monét oh no you’re good!! I’ve appreciated every comment especially from both sides so it can help me make a decision for her! I’ve done some research outside of peanut too but so far it’s 50/50 still for me, I’m like nervous excited for tomorrow in hopes that we’ll like this dentist and even if we have to go through with the root canals for her heath at least (I’m hoping 🥲) their second opinion will be more detailed and attentive to make my nerves less tense

@Honor yes honestly sometimes it’s just about getting it done with the right provider! Because even if she does need it, the other dentist was dismissive and that doesn’t really make anyone feel at ease when their child has to go under lol

@Honor that’s a pretty crappy x ray tbh. N from wat I can c (which is kinda hard to tell) I do not c anything indicating a root canal is needed. It’s really hard to c the actual roots In this x ray. I’d need a better x ray to b 100% sure tho. I think I do c some cavities but I can’t tell if a root canal is needed

FOLLOW UP : I’m not sure if anyone will see this since this is a delayed response but we took my daughter to another dentist and they took multiple X-rays! The feel of the office was much better and the final verdict was that 🥁🥁🥁 she does NOT need root canals! 🥲 the dentist said she doesn’t see a need for a root canals and that since she’s so little she would want to opt for a fluoride treatment ? Before a root canal and save a root canal for the last resort when it’s needed and when she’s older and can do it in office instead of at the hospital. They said her xray from the other office was not done well (thank you to the moms who agreed and shared the same advice on that btw!!!🤍) and that it looked like she wasn’t biting down all the way and definitely moving so it made areas look much darker than they actually are, her new ones looked like healthy teeth!! They did say there are tiny tiny cavities forming but that in a month when we go back for a cleaning she will look again and (1)

(2 final) and maybe opt for the fluoride treatment at that point if necessary. She also said her chipped tooth doesn’t expose the nerves or tissue of the tooth at all so there’s no need to cap it or fill it! We are very happy about the news and thankfully we didn’t rush her to the er right away for the procedure! We also like that this dentist said root canals aren’t completely off the table but that they definitely aren’t needed now, it makes us feel like she is being genuine and stating the facts not just what we wanted to hear but it’s idk realistic! Thank you all if you see this for encouraging me to go with my gut and get a second opinion ❤️

Yay!

So glad you got a second opinion! That's great news!