Child requires several teeth extracted -what are the options?

sweetserendipity

Lol, just noticed my post was censored!! Think moggy if you hadn't worked it out!! :rotfl:

the_devil_made_me_do_it

aliasojo wrote: »

Your comment made me angry and I was about to post a reply based on that anger. Fortunately my good common sense kicked in and I will only ask that since you obviously base your advice on kneejerk assumptions, then please dont post on this thread, your advice is embarrassing.

Big apologies

Toothsmith

aliasojo wrote: »

Please dont insult me Toothsmith. You dont know me or my daughter therefore you have no business making sweeping statements like those above. I am no silly ditzy teenager. I am a middle aged woman who has to deal with people with disibilities and irrational fears and it's my job as their carer and parent to do this in the best way possible.

I do appreciate your advice on dentistry but you dont know enough about us to comment as you have.

I'm sorry you've misunderstood me.

The bottom line is that if your daughter is too scared to go through RA assisted local anaesthetic extractions, then the treatment should be postphoned until she can. Or even just LA with no RA.

It is completely unjustified to put a child through anything that's likely to put them off dentistry forever when the treatment can easily be done just as well in a few years time.

It's also unjustified to put them through a proceedure with a small, but finite risk of harm just to achieve the same result.

aliasojo

Toothsmith wrote: »

I'm sorry you've misunderstood me.

At the risk of turning this into WW3....what is there to misunderstand?


Quote:

Lets be honest - it's your fears that are coming to the surface here, not your child's.

I would say that's quite a clear comment.

Stay in the waiting room, and let them get on with it.

:rolleyes:

I have no issue with the rest of your advice, I appreciate what you are saying. I just think your more personal comments are unfair given that you have no knowledge of us, or my daughter's 'issues'. And these are something that cant be 'grown out of'.

Toothsmith

None of it was meant as a critisism.

aliasojo wrote: »

I honestly dont think she'll cope although I'm obviously being as positive as I can be when discussing it with her.

Kids pick this sort of thing up. They are very sensitive to emotions.

When parents ask me what they should tell their kids - I always say "as little as you possibly can." Certainly don't go into any detail at all.

What will the dentist do? "I'm not really sure - numb your gum and wobble your teeth out" How does he numb my gum? " I really don't know. Sprays something on it I think." Keep things vague, don't mention the word 'hurt' at all - even to say "It won't hurt" Adults always say that when something will. Kids know that!
Don't say 'injection', 'pr1ck' (site doesn't let me spell that right!!) 'scratch'.

Kids DO play up if a parent is in the room. I generally let Mums or Dads in if they really want, but place them in the chair in the corner, and they must stay there (and be quite!)

Dentists - at least decent ones - can cope with nervous kids. RA makes everything so much easier, and she really won't have a problem at all. If your dentist has RA, I would guess he's/she's experienced in coping with very very nervous kids.
I had a 5 yr old who despite my best efforts to save them, needed 4 baby teeth out and a couple of fillings on some poorly formed adult teeth. She was a very nervous patient. Although she'd accepted fillings in baby teeth fine with me, I thought extractions was a step too far at this stage. She had those out using RA and local with no bother at all. (I referred her for the RA - I don't have the equipment here)


RA and local really is the way to go - it's fantastic. If anything more IS necessary, then orthodontics at the moment really isn't appropriate.

aliasojo

Toothsmith wrote: »

None of it was meant as a critisism.

Kids pick this sort of thing up. They are very sensitive to emotions.

When parents ask me what they should tell their kids - I always say "as little as you possibly can." Certainly don't go into any detail at all.

I appreciate the reply. Unfortunately your advice directly contradicts the advice given to us by the Consultant who my daughter is under. We are supposed to discuss everything with her otherwise her irrational fears grow legs and she will manifest the most simplest of things into huge issues.

Damned if we do, damned if we dont.

xxvickixx

I quite agree, the deception on my Mothers part only increased my anxiety with regard to my needle/hospital/white coat phobia.
I felt that I could never relax in that situation as I could no longer trust anyone as to what was going to happen next.

xxvickixx

Toothsmith, I am sure you will not mind me saying that from a phobic's point of view your attitude would put me off the dentist.

I know it is all about different stokes for different folks but personally I find it sad that you come across as dismissive of these patients real and genuine fears.

I am sure you don't mean to make people feel this way as I can see that you are a helpfull person who's advice is appreciated by many.

Toothsmith

xxvickixx wrote: »

Toothsmith, I am sure you will not mind me saying that from a phobic's point of view your attitude would put me off the dentist.

I know it is all about different stokes for different folks but personally I find it sad that you come across as dismissive of these patients real and genuine fears.

I am sure you don't mean to make people feel this way as I can see that you are a helpfull person who's advice is appreciated by many.

Adults and kids need different approaches.

The way I suggest kids are helped over fears is completely different to helping adults over fears.

Plus - here I'm talking to a non-phobic adult about how to help her phobic kid - So I can be a bit more economical with my typing fingers!!!

xxvickixx

Apologies Toothsmith, I didn't make myself clear, I was a very phobic child, and to a lesser degree a phobic adult thanks to therapy and the patience of understanding health professionals.

I was just trying to explain how I felt as a child and to offer some constructive feedback.