Extracting Teeth
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Extracting Teeth
Oct 2010
My 5 year old son is having a tooth extracted (an extra
adult front tooth growing in the upper roof of his
mouth). We've been referred by our wonderful pediatric
dentist, Dr. Leticia Mendoza-Sobel, to Dr. Larry Franz in
Oakland who, in an initial consultation, seemed very nice
and has very good reviews for adults on Yelp. But I am
still nervous becasue it involves general anasthesia and
well, surgery. Have you a) worked with Dr. Franz or
another oral surgeon for your child's extractions before
and have a review, and/or b) have advice about the
procedure or recovery for a 5-year old? Thank you.
Heather
Our 4 year old son had his extra tooth extracted last May by Dr.
Richard Berger
(510.848.1055). It went extremely well in spite of
my anxiety about it. My son is slightly obsessed with airplanes
and anything that moves for that matter, so we pretended that the
chair was a Blue Angel's chair, and the gas mask was a Blue
Angel's mask (navy airplanes that participate in fleet week). We
also did quite a bit to focus on the tooth fairy's visit. He was
soooo excited about going to the oral surgeon that morning, that
his twin sister was in tears that she couldn't have her tooth
extracted as well.
In our earlier consultation Dr. Berger had explained to us that
there were 3 possibilities for anesthetizing my son, each more
invasive (sorry, can't think of the correct word). 1) nitrous
oxide or laughing gas, 2) a shot of some drug to relax him
(something like valium), or 3) general anesthetic. I desperately
wanted the first option, so I really worked on making it seem like
fun option for him. Dr. Berger was prepared for all three
levels, and would escalate only if necessary. And with my iPod in
hand, my son was totally comfortable and a great patient. We were
out of there in 30 minutes because it was only the nitrous.
All in all, I think that our son remembers it as a very pleasant
experience.
The only thing that I wish that we had done better is that when we
walked into the procedure room, all of the extraction tools were
out on trays. Most of them were above my son's line of vision,
but there was one tray with some really scary looking instruments
on it, which I jumped in front of until the nurse could cover it
with a paper towel. Ours was not a pediatric office, and I don't
know if there are pediatric oral surgeons as an option. It wasn't
as inviting as a pediatric dentist office is, but the staff was
very sensitive to children. And they even had a basket of cheap
plastic toys as a reward once the procedure was complete. annette
My daughter broke a tooth at age 5, which had to be extracted.
Craig Bloom
in Berkeley (http://www.berkeleyoralsurgery.com/)did
the extraction, and he and his office were great. Recovery was
pretty fast. I don't remember a lot of complaining. We had to
avoid straws and other sucking, of course.
Carrie
Jan 2010
I just took my 8 year old son to a new (to us) Delta dentist
who recommended extracting two of his baby teeth due to
crowding of the existing permanent teeth. There is no sign
that these baby teeth would come out on their own any time
soon.
As I understood it, this would potentially allow the permanent
teeth enough room to straighten out to avoid the need for
braces. It would be done under local anesthetic.
I was surprised, and now I'm worried it is not necessary and
unsure of the pros and cons to consider.
I'd be grateful if other parents who have confronted this
issue would share their thinking about it with me.
Kimberley
Both of my kids had baby teeth extracted to make room for
the adult teeth to come in straighter. I was reluctant
and then very pleased with the results. It is very
quick. If your child is very anxious, I would recommend a
valium, which you can get from the oral surgeon. We only
used valium for adult teeth extraction.
my daughter's teeth were extrqactedfor the same reason,
and the teeth that were crowded behind her teeth have in
fact moved more to the side. I was skeptical, but it seems
to have helped. (we'll probably still need braces, but
less work already)
Hi there,
My 8YO son had four of his baby teeth pulled a couple of weeks ago, so I wanted to respond to your posting.
My situation is a bit different because we are considering a retainer for my son due to overcrowding and an overbite.
His orthodontist took
x-rays and recommended the extraction of the baby teeth (so that his permanent teeth would have more wiggle room). From
the x-rays, I
could see that one of his permanent teeth was having difficulty coming out because the baby tooth was still there. The
four baby teeth did
not show any indication that they would be coming out anytime soon.
Initially, I was a bit nervous about having his baby teeth extracted, but was completely comforted after I met Dr. Bryan
Krey (in Berkeley).
He is a great oral surgeon with a wonderful demeanor. We had a brief initial consult with him during which he answered
all my questions,
but more importantly, he interacted and assessed my child's anxiety-level (so that he could determine what approach to
take). He spoke
directly to my son and explained the entire process to him. My son ended up having a topical ointment followed by the
injection (local
anesthetic).
If you decide on having the procedure, I would recommend that you consider Dr. Krey - I'm sure he will put you (and your
son) at ease with
the process.
http://www.berkeleyoralsurgery.com/splash/splash.html
Nina
I haven't had to face this issue with my stepson, but I had
a few baby teeth removed when I was a child. (Actually, I
had 11 teeth removed under full anesthesia when I was in 6th
grade, but I think only 2 or 3 of those were permanent teeth.)
If those teeth hadn't been removed, there is no way all my
teeth would have fit without major overlapping. Before my
molars came in during late adolescence, I had great spacing
on both top and bottom teeth. After the molars, the top
teeth are straight and tightly packed, while the bottom
teeth ended up with a bit of overlapping (making me wish
they'd removed one more tooth!) So my orthodontist was
absolutely correct that the permanent teeth needed to be
pulled.
Your child's dental picture may be different, so perhaps a
second opinion would help you make a better decision?
Niki
May 2009
My daughter Emily will be getting four
permanent teeth removed next month. She is 12 years old and she is really
scared. I got mad at the dentist for acting like it was a big deal
and scaring her. I had 2 adult teeth removed over 25 years ago and I
don't remember what it felt like that. She was been constantly asking
me how much it hurts and what the steps are. I can't tell her
anything because I don't know the answers. Can someone please help me
explain to her? Please answer the following questions By Emily
Rosewood:
''On a rate 1 to 10, how much does it hurt?''
''I've always heard it was a big deal and is extremely painful. Is
that true?''
''What are the steps in this process?''
Please tell her anything that would calm her down and any advice you
can. Thank you so much!
Dear Emily,
I had all my wisdom teeth removed when I was 17, so I was a little older than
you but I
still remember it. On a scale of 1-10, pain was maybe a 3 during the surgery
(mostly the
injections to numb the area) and 5 the day after the surgery. I had this done
while at
college, had it done for free at the local dental school, and went back to my
dorm room
afterward. My roommate kept running out to get me ice cream. I skipped class
the day
after surgery but two days later felt much, much better. The two things I
remember most
were pressure (not pain) when the teeth came out and then the small ''wells''
in the gums.
That was the most annoying part -- the small holes that were left that you had
to clean
with special brushes. It's not the most fun I've ever had but it wasn't that
painful overall.
The worst part was the night before and not sleeping because I was so worried.
Before you
go to your appointment, call the dentist and talk to him or her about pain
killers -- both
during the dental work (nitrous oxide is good because it lets you relax) and
what kind of
pain killers you'll have when you go home. And you can email me and ask any
questions
you want. Ann
Whoa! Unless these adult teeth are wisdom teeth, I would definitely seek a
second dentist's
opinion on extracting them. If it is absolutely necessary to do this now, then
my next advice
would be to make sure it is done by a competent oral surgeon and not an
ordinary dentist. If
you go to someone like Drs. Bloom, Berger and Krey (510-848-1055), they will
explain the
entire process to your daughter in terms she can understand. My daughter had
her wisdom
teeth extracted when she was 15 and Dr. Krey and his staff were wonderful in
showing her
the x-rays, letting her know what to expect, doing a great job on the
extractions themselves,
and giving her excellent, and quick, follow-up care, especially when one site
became
inflamed. Good luck!
anon
Hi Emily,
When I was about your age (end of eighth grade), I had four adult
teeth and my four wisdom teeth removed at the same time. The four
adult teeth had to go for spacing, and my orthodontist and dentist
figured it made sense to remove the wisdom teeth at the same time so
I'd only have one procedure. That made a lot of sense to me when I
was 13, and it still makes sense today at 47.
An oral surgeon removed the teeth. I was under what amounted to
general anesthesia, so there was no pain during the surgery. For the
most part, I was asleep. At one point, I remember feeling a weird
sensation in my mouth as the doctor was removing one of the wisdom
teeth. It wasn't pain; more like a small noise.
The surgery was in the morning, and I came home in the early
afternoon. It was pretty hard getting out of the car with only one
person to help -- the anesthesia hadn't fully worn off -- so make
sure to have two. I slept pretty much until the next morning. For the
first two days, my cheeks were very swollen. I had a pain killer -- I
think it was vicodin -- but the pain wasn't bad and I only took it
once or twice. Eating anything that required chewing was impossible
for several days. The upside was that I figured out how to live on a
diet that was heavy on chocolate milkshakes.
Assuming this is being done for orthodontia, I'd highly
recommend dealing with the wisdom teeth at the same time. Also, I'd
highly recommend an oral surgeon instead of a dentist. And don't
forget to buy enough ice cream!
Allen
I had four wisdom teeth extracted. They gave me laughing gas and I
don't remember anything of the extraction. They mentioned something
about having to jackhammer the teeth out of the bone, and had the
x-rays to prove it. All I remember is waving happily to people on my
way home - it felt great. With ice afterwards, my face didn't swell
up much and there wasn't much pain. Unfortunately they haven't needed
to do it again.
fiona
dear emily,hi!my name is sarah and i am 11 years old.i have been
getting teeth pulled since i was in first grde.it hurts,but it is
not unbearable.first they put the novicane in to numb your
mouth.then they pull your teeth out.it is important to stay calm and
try to take deep breaths.i hope this advice helps with the process.
sarah
My daughter had about 12 teeth removed between the ages of 8 and 15.
The only part that bothered her at all was the mild soreness she
felt after the procedure. However, if you take pain medicine as
prescribed, you should not feel any pain at all! you will be fine.
Keep taking the pain medication and you will not feel a thing. Good
luck...
kendall's mom
This sounds like it is to make space for orthodontics, not about
pulling wisdom teeth. In the far distant past, I had the same thing
done and I, too, was very apprehensive. I asked my mother to have
me ''knocked out'' and, when it was all over, I thought they hadn't
started yet! They don't really knock you out -- it is NOT general
anesthia. But, from the patient's perspective, you are not aware of
anything at all. It is very easy. I slept for the rest of the
afternoon, and by the next day, I was back at school. I don't think
there was any pain at all by the next day.
Local anesthesia is much-improved these days, but why have the child
awake if it is not necessary? (Maybe for one tooth, but not for
four...)
Wisdom teeth are another story, but only from a recovery standpoint --
recovery can be painful for a while, and prescription painkillers
are called for. But the advice about sleeping through the procedure
is the same.
anonymous
April 2007
The orthodontist wants 4 permanent teeth removed from my
daughter's mouth. That worries me, though my daughter says it's
okay with her. If anyone can offer thoughts from experience on
this, I would appreciate it. My girl is on round two of
orthodontic treatment. The first 3+ year treatment was during
elementary school years, and the second round started about a
year ago (middle school.) Just recently the orthodontist group
(Nelson, Meyers et al) told me of their new recommendation: 4
tooth extractions. Instinctively, I wonder about this--her mouth
is not a small one, and it looks like there's room, but I'm no
expert. I'd love to have some advice.
hesitant to pull
My orthodontist, 25 yrs. ago, recommended rearranging my teeth
rather than pull four permanent teeth. What a mistake! I
suffered thru headgear, braces, and retainers for years. Now
at 38, I still have a permanent retainer that attempts to keep
my teeth in place. How I wish they had just pulled a few when
I was younger. Having had 4 wisdom teeth pulled and a root
canal, it's not a big deal. There are just some of us who have
way too many teeth for our little mouths/jaws. My cousin's
parents had her perm. teeth pulled and, in my opinion, it
turned out MUCH better in the end.
Been there 25 yrs. ago
When we went to get braces for the middle child, when he was 12,
the orthodontist recommended pulling 4 teeth. I balked because
it sounded so extreme. I asked him if there was any alternative.
He said yes, we could work around it with braces and retainers.
Well, now that kid is 21 and his teeth are noticibly bowed out -
there just wasn't enough room in his mouth for all the teeth, so
they slant outwards slightly. I see in retrospect I should have
listened to the expert. I recommend getting a second opinion but
then listen to what they say. They might know what they are
talking about!
Mom of a cute buck-toothed son
I'm no orthodonist, but I can tell you that I had also had 4
permanent teeth (2 top and 2 bottom) pulled before I had braces
put on in middle school (which was admittedly 20 years ago). It
gave some room for the teeth to move into position as they
realigned. I haven't had any problems, and don't even remember
it as being too traumatic. Getting my wisdom teeth out was much
worse. If you're concerned, get a second opinion.
Too many teeth
With 4 1/2 years into the process I don't blame you for being concerned. We
recently got the same advice on a second round of braces but before the work was
started. We got a second opinion and that recommendation was for no extractions.
The second orthodontist explained that extractions can achieve the result but you
have to ask what the child's appearance will be after the extractions. In our case
that would have been a negative. I assume the second round treatment plan did not
mention the possibility of extractions so you should get an explanation of why it is
necessary, how it will change your daughter's appearance, and what the alternatives
are. Good luck.
anon
I am 37, and my orthodontist extracted four permanent teeth when
I was a bit younger than your child. It was a great move; I
never had to have braces, and my teeth/smile look and function
well. I loved it because I had another visit from the tooth
fairy :) I still had to have my wisdom teeth removed at nineteen,
since my teeth are pretty big, but I think they were hoping to
avoid that as well.
happy smiles
I had 8 perm teeth extracted - two upper/two lower each side. No
ill effects this far out - but I do still hate to go to the
dentist. But my teeth are still straight and they were a mess.
gl
Because I had extractions which I have mixed feelings about, I
sought alternatives for my son when his orthodontist
recommended extractions for him. In an effort to find someone
who would provide a good alternative (like palate expansion) I
consulted with four top orthodontists in the area (I researched
this), especially those who were known for being current and
who employed other methods. Their collective wisdom and my
better understanding through this process helped me make a good
decision: to do the extractions. BTW, I switched to the ortho
who was the most respectful of my involvement in the decision
(Dr Righellis, Montclaire) and also highly recommend Dr Krey
(in Berkeley) for the extractions. In that anxiety is the most
difficult part of the extraction, I also recommend a valium
(for your child, not you.) It was easy.
Ruth
March 2006
My son is 12 y/o and has been wearing first retainers and now braces. His
orthodontist has recommended pulling his 4 (!) permanent premolars and gave me
all the technical explanation of why this is necessary. In short, little space big teeth
coming out, but pulling PERMANENT teeth from children sounds like a terrible,
permanent decision. I am ready to figth the orthodontist for not pulling these
teeth, but I really don't know what to do. I am asking for second and third opinions
from other dentists but would like to know what are parents doing about this.
Anybody with thoughts about this issue ? Has anybody decided not to pull and is
happy with that decision ? Thanks for your comments.
G.
when I was about that age I had 2 permanent teeth pulled. they
talked about pulling four but ended up deciding not to pull the
bottom ones I forget why. I also had an over crowded mouth and
was in the process of trying to straighten my teeth. I don't
suffer from having fewer teeth and my braces went ahead as
planned. I think its pretty common to do this.
teeth to spare
I can comment on this from a patient's POV - I had the same
four permanent teeth pulled when I was about your child's age,
and don't miss them at all. It sounds like a similar situation -
B big teeth, small jaw. Having them pulled allowed the rest of
my teeth to be moved around into proper alignment. I shudder to
think of what my mouth would look like now if they hadn't been
removed. There is seriously no room in there! So, I have 8
fewer teeth than some people out there (got my widsom teeth out
too)but you can't tell. You can definitely get a second/third
opinion, but your ortho probably has your son's best interests
in mind. Good luck!
toothy
Our son is also going through the retainer/braces thing right now. We haven't
had
to pull any teeth yet because he is younger than your son. But our orthodontist
is
very conservative about pulling teeth. I can give you his name if you'd like.
That
being said, I had permanent teeth pulled when I had braces and I don't regret
it. It
was necessary at the time to be able to have straight teeth. A proper bite
alignment
now will prevent a lot of pain for your son later.
Ruth
I had the same 4 perm. teeth pulled when I was your child's age, as well
as wisdom teeth as a young adult (for a total of 8 altogether), for the
same reasons: I had a lot of teeth and a small mouth.
When the braces came off at age 14, I had a beautiful smile which I still
have to this day (I'm now 39). I have no regrets about the ''missing'' teeth,
and there has been no effect whatsoever on eating, talking, etc.
I am so glad my orthodontist suggested this, as I have seen other adults
with a mouthful of crooked teeth, and they are invariably self-conscious
about this (smiling with their mouth closed, for example). If either of my
2 children need to have teeth pulled as adolescents, I'd do it in a
heartbeat.
Hope my perspective helps you.
Christine
Please get a second opinion!!! My orthodontist did the same
thing to me when I was about 12. It was a horrible experience,
and I now have gaps between my teeth because my jaw did
continue to grow as I did.
Lisa
I had four permanent teeth pulled when I was about that age to
get ready for braces. The reason given was that my mouth was
too small for the amount of teeth, thus causing them to grow
crooked. Also, I had two teeth missing so they had to make the
bite even or something to that effect. I remember the teeth
pulling as not being very pleasant. They also pulled six baby
teeth that were taking forever to fall out. Given that, I wore
braces for 2.5 years after that and 30 something years later,
my teeth are still straight.
That said, I do think getting another opinion is important
before you move forward.
somewhat toothless
I had the same 4 teeth pulled at about the same age. If my daughter's
orthodontist
suggests this for my daughter, I will find another orthodontist. It would
take 3
opinions from very current, up-on-the-latest-technology-orthos to get me to
give
in on pulling the teeth. The reason is that although my bite and teeth LOOK
beautiful, my bite in not still correct and my jaw joints suffer from this. I
really
think that I should have had a few years of spacer-retainers before the braces.
B My
molers lean in and if they were pushed out my bite feel would better.
Unfortunate if
I have this fixed now, I would have holes where those permanent teeth used to
be. I
think you are right to be concerned but in the end, if he does get those teeth
pulled,
rest assured that my teeth do look great - over 20 years after the pull.
Lisa
I had four permanent teeth pulled as a 14-year-old when I first got braces, and
honestly, I could have done away with a couple more. As a 29-year-old adult, my
teeth are crowded again and I am starting to get fangs! I also have an
overbite. (I
lost my retainers years ago.)
Really, it's no big deal. Unfortunately some people -- and it sounds like your
child,
too -- have crowding that can't be remedied any other way. Prior to having my
permanent teeth pulled, I couldn't even fit dental floss in between the
mollars! I had
overlapping teeth that simply had no room to move. I felt so terrible about it
that I
wouldn't even smile.
While much better, I still have a crowded mouth of pearly whites. I wouldn't
worry
about your son's teeth looking funny -- you couldn't tell with me that I had
teeth
pulled -- or not being able to eat certain foods because of the gaps. Believe
me,
those quickly close.
Elisa
hi,
our son had a super duper overbite, big teeth and small
palate/mouth. his ortho even shook his head when he looked at
the exrays and his drawings (that show the alignment etc.)
my son had something like a 10 (in whatever increment they
measure) and a regular overbite is a 2. but he didn't recommend
pulling teeth and said that many adults face a ''flat'' profile or
collapsed looking face when they got older after pulling molars
so he didn't recommend it w/ my son. instead he used a spring
type system that pushed his molars back and something to expand
his palate (narrowed by thumb sucking) and it worked. he said if
this failed, you could then go back and pull if you had to.
our son just completed his ortho and looks great, never got the
teeth pulled. his ortho was dr. kevin carrington on broadway in
oakland. i'm not saying your kid will have the same diagnosis,
but worth a second opinion!
good luck
all straight now...
I have a small mouth, and not enough room for all 32 teeth.
So my dentist recommended my parents to remove
premolars when I was a child. I too have 4 premolars less,
and I can eat just fine!
These are just teeth, and if that can prevent braces in the
future, I think it is the best solution. My current dentist
actually thought my childhood dentist did a great job: I never
needed braces.
Relax: it's only teeth!
I had 4 permanent teeth pulled when I was about 12 or 13, related
to braces. It wasn't a big deal (didn't scar me nearly as much
as wearing braces for several years -- I still cringe with horror
and dull ache when remembering the tightening of the braces, but
I have no bad memories about the tooth extractions).
I'm very happy with the results -- my teeth look and feel great,
there's plenty of space (I've never needed my wisdom teeth pulled
or had any trouble with them), and my teeth are now extremely
healthy and easy to care for (last year at age 37 I had my first
cavity EVER). I'm sure that without the teeth being pulled,
there wouldn't have been enough room for everything. I'd rather
have premolars yanked at 13 than oral surgery at 25 to remove
wisdom teeth.
Larry
I am 37 and had my four permanent bicuspids removed when I was about your son's
age before having braces. My teeth, like your son's, were too big for my
smallish
jaw. The overcrowding had made a couple of teeth come in high above the gum
line
and these had to be pulled down, over time, with the braces. I also later had
my
wisdom teeth removed. I've never missed the teeth - in fact there is no room
for
them so it's a blessing they were taken out and everything got straightened up.
Our orthodontist advised pulling 4 teeth when my son was 14. he was getting
braces for the first time. I was appalled at the idea and didn't want to,
so I asked him if there was any way to fix his teeth without pulling any teeth.
He told me he could try a different strategy that didn't involved pulling
teeth. So, my son wore braces and then a retainer for what seemed like the
rest of his teen years but no teeth were pulled. Anyway, he is now in
his twenties, and his teeth are not crooked, but they definitely bow out.
He is very toothy looking. He is a handsome guy with a big smile,
and this is probably
something that only his mother would notice, but I think in retrospect the
dentist was right - we should have pulled the teeth! I recommend you get
a second opinion and then put your trust in the dentist's expertise.
Live and Learn
Feb 2005
My 8 year old needs two baby teeth extracted. I welcome advice about what has
helped your children through this procedure and experience, as well as information
about who should perform the procedure - dentists vs. oral surgeons. Thank you.
Nancy
my two year old had to have a front tooth extracted (by oral
surgeon) after falling and chipping it at a park and then after
about 7 months the tooth abscessed. i was very concerned about
the procedure, especially the fact that they wanted to put him
under. i went in to talk to the oral surgeon the morning of
the extraction about not having my son put under and we were
able to avoid that by talking to my son about what is going to
happen. they give the series of shots (two or three i think)
of the local right around the tooth (also, laughing gas is an
option in addition) and then they just pull the tooth. the
actual extraction took seconds. my son was fine. he was a
little whimpery when he got up out of the chair, but we went
straight to the grocery store w! here he had fun picking out
yogurt, pudding, and even a little ice cream. stayed home the
rest of the day and he was back at school the next day.
hope this helps! feel free to email me with any other
questions you may have.
kate
My 10 year old recently had two baby teeth extracted for her on-
going orthodontia. Her regular pediatric dental office did the
extractions. They used the topical local anesthetic as well as
the injectable--and they also used nitrous oxide. My daughter
tolerated the procedures very well, despite the fears that she
had prior to the procedure. She was even able to attend her
after-school program directly after the extractions. I did
give her some ibuprofen an hour before the extractions and she
took one more dose that night at bedtime. Baby teeth c! an be
easily extracted by a pediatric dentist.
Rita
My 9 year old had 2 baby teeth pulled, in 2 sessions. It was
traumatic (but she is very sensitive to and scared of pain). Her
dentist, who is very patient and gentle said next time we'd use
an oral surgeon so my daughter could better maintain her
relationship with the dentist (eg not associate pain/trauma with
her). I think if she had nitrous oxide to relax prior to the
extraction, it would have all been fine either way.
anon
My daughter had to have several baby teeth extracted. The first time we were a little
nervous about it, but it went so well that we didn't worry about it too much the next
couple of times. The first time we did it, she was about 8. Our dentist recommended
that we go to the oral surgeon and we ! did. The main thing was, the oral surgeon
was kid-friendly. He had young children himself and was relaxed and friendly--
definitely non-threatening. I did not want my daughter to have laughing gas or
other drugs besides the injection they used to numb the teeth. He was fine with this,
and the whole thing went well. She definitely did not need more pain medication or
sedation. The procedure itself was very quick--those teeth popped right out! I had
talked it over with my daughter ahead of time, explained what they were going to do
and that it would hurt, but I didn't think it would hurt too much, and that it would
be over quickly. All of this was true! I stayed in the room with her. The oral surgeon
didn't want me to hold her hand, but he let me sit where she could see me out of
the corner of her eye. Afterward, we talked about it and she confirmed my
observation that it really was not a very scary or painful procedure.
Paula
I don't know if this will help much, but I had several baby
teeth extracted as an 8 yr old, and that would have been several
decades ago, and my parents didn't take notice of it at all
(didn't worry about how I'd feel), and I have no negative
recollection of it at all. The one thing that probably did help
was that I got to save the teeth, and I still got to put them
under the pillow for the tooth fairy (maybe the tooth fairy
could be more generous in this case??). Probably also helps to
explain why it's necessary and how special the kid is to go
through this, etc.
jan
We have nine year old twins and tried both ways.
Our daughter had four teeth extracted by an oral surgeon, on the recommendation
of the orthodontist. It was a bit traumatic for her, she had to get an IV and she felt
pretty groggy coming out of the anesthesia.
Her twin brother had four teeth extracted by the pediatric dentist. A few shots, a
twist with the pliers and we were home waiting for the tooth fairy in less than half
an hour.
In retrospect, I wish we'd asked the orthodontist more about why he thought we
needed the oral surgeon. I suspect it was a case of ''That's what we always do.''
Unless your child will really need to be sedated, I'd go with the regular dentist. It
was faster, easier, and many, many hundreds of dollars cheaper.
Cheers,
Brian
Jan 2003
Our pediatric dentist referred our six year old twins to a
pediatric orthodontist, who now wants to extract a number of baby
teeth in both children in the hopes of making the permanent teeth
grow in straighter. This might be done under local anesthetic,
but might require a general. (These are not, by the way, baby
teeth that are in any way ready to fall out.)
The orthodonist made clear that while this might help, my
daughter would almost surely need orthodontia later, and my son
might as well.
I'm not at all convinced that the benefits (perhaps
making orthodontia easier later on) outweighs the costs (pain,
enough discomfort to create a possible fear of dentists, and the
risk, however minor, of general anesthesia if we have to go that
route.)
I'd be grateful if other parents who have confronted this issue
would share their thinking about it with me.
Worried Mom
We have had a similar situation with our 9 year old son. When
he was seven, his dental x-rays showed permanent teeth jumbled
up behind his baby teeth. Then when the permanent teeth started
to push through, the baby teeth did not come out and began to
force the permanent teeth to come in very crooked. He had two
of his four top incisors pulled to allow the permanent teeth to
drop down straight (which they did). Then he had a couple other
baby teeth pulled when they were in the way of more teeth.
Those permanent teeth also came in straight.
This sounds like a lot for a pain adverse child, which our son
is. However, the oral surgeon we used, Dr. Brian Krey, was
great. He explained everything to our son in a consultation
appointment. During the extractions, he and his assistant made
sure our son was as comfortable and calm as possible (even
holding his hand during the hardest part.) It was such a good
experience (especially the ice cream and video afterward), that
our son actually looks forward to his next extractions
(scheduled for March).
Toothless in Berkeley
Tooth extraction seems a major event. If the X-rays show teeth coming in
crooked behind the baby teeth, two things come to mind that may be helpful.
1) Ensure
your children have the most nutrient-dense diet (avoid refined foods and
sugars) as this is compatible with the research of Dr. Weston A. Price, DDS,
who studies
the effects of diet on dental arches and general health (see his book
NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL DEGENERATION or the more readable TRADITIONAL
FOODS ARE YOUR BEST MEDICINE by Ron Schmid). Foods that help are vitamin
A-rich foods (liver, egg yolks, raw dairy). 2) Seek out a Jin Shin Jyutsu
practitioner who works with children. This touch therapy has been known to
correct errors that occurred in the womb. Two very skilled people I know are
Pam Reynolds (in Berkeley on Spaulding) and Leah Statman (in Albany on Cornell,
525-5080). Children in Japan are taught JSJ (from where it came to the US)
and licensed practitioners there work in the hospitals along side medical staff.
It is being used now in cancer clinics in the Bay Area to mitigate the
adverse effects of
allopathic cancer treatments (nausea, diarrhea, hair and energy loss, etc.),
it's that powerful!
Good luck!
Nori Hudson
We have gone through a tremendous amount of cappings
and extractions all under the age of 6 for my child. From our
experience it was enormously radical and tramatising to go
through general anesthesia TWICE. Our childs teeth look
fine now with orthadontia to come after all the adult molars
come in. Even under ''general'' anesthesia my child was
awake and struggling. It was horrendous and I am the kind
who stayed in the room holding and encouraging and
making sure the team respected all perameters for my
childs comfort and not just their need to move on with the
procedure. And these were the best and ostensibly kindest
of the available dental practioners. Knowing what I know
now I would have waited. All in all my child will still need 2
years of braces and years of retainers. Good luck in your
descision.
Remember to floss!
Yikes! I've written in before on a related post about
anticipatory tooth extraction because of my own fairly
nightmarish history of orthodontia, so I won't give all the
details, but suffice to say I had very aggressive, very early
orthodontic ''care'' that began with the extraction of
recalcitrant baby teeth when I was about nine (complete with
holes drilled into the hard palate to ''bring down'' the adult
teeth). Twenty-five years, twelve of those in braces, one
massive jaw-surgery and about forty titanium screws in my jaw
later, I can't say that my teeth are even that straight. I am
really an advocate of getting second and third opinions in all
matters orthodontic, and also of taking the low-intervention
path. My parents and I long ago agreed that we were too taken
in by the ''experts'' and that we didn't ask enough questions,
especially about the Platonic ideal of the bite that my
orthodontist imagined for me. It didn't work for my mouth or my
teeth, and I urge you to think hard about subjecting your kids
to major surgery (anytime you're given a general anaesthetic
it's major) unless it's absolutely necessary. If you've ever
had a tooth pulled, you'll recall that it hurts a lot,
afterwards.
Alexa
While I am not a parent who has confronted this, my father is a
retired dentist (30 years active), and I have adult friends who
had baby teeth extracted for these puposes. If you asked my
father, he would not recommend such action. The adult teeth may
be late in arrival, and no one can accurately predict how they
will grow in. Yes, there may be problems later, but he would
suggest dealing with them when they arise rather than
anticipating them with such drastic measures. I also have two
adult friends who had baby teeth extracted. One's adult teeth
didn't come in for years aferwards, so she had numerous problems:
both social and physical. Another one's adult teeth still came
in with problems, so she had to wear braces anyway. She remembers
the extractions as traumatic and wishes her parents had not made
that choice.
Amy
RE Baby teeth extraction for 6 year olds...Before embarking on
such a journey think about a plan. Dr. Broderson is a unique and
skilled DDS on Gilman in Berkeley who does a kind of orthodontia
that doesn't start with extractions. Unfortunately he is retiring
and not taking on new clients but has a very capable associate
who I am sure can help. Too many orthodontists depend on
extractions and headgear which can lead to serious long term
cranial problems.
anon
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