Do you take your child to the dentist?

stdldb29 · July 2012

We took DS today (he will be 4 at the end of the month) to our regular dentist. He got his teeth cleaned and all of that stuff-he did great. We took him to the pediatric dentist in the past-but all they did was count his teeth and that was about it. Our regular dentist said that we didn't really need to take DD (age 2). He won't see DD until she is closer to 4--I guess cleaning a 2 year old's teeth is a bit rough? Although they did say to start flossing DD's teeth--and that went pretty well today.

Anyway, what are you doing for oral care?

MrsWindyCity · July 2012

Yep, we do. We followed the AAPD rec, which is 1 year. DS has gone 3 times so far. I would personally not wait until 4.

ETA: We take him to a pediatric dentist. My dentist probably would say 3 too but he is 1) super old school and 2) probably not equipped to handle smaller kids.

mollybloom · July 2012

DD is younger than most kids on here. But she just cut her 9th tooth and just turned 10 months. So, she will be seeing a pedi dentist at a year.

She is predisposed to horrible teeth. On both sides, we are talking multiple root canals and such. My parents were not diligent about it and I have been paying the price for a long time. I want to avoid that with her.

stdldb29 · July 2012

So what does your dentist do for your DC? Ours literally did nothing but count teeth. That was it.

ThreeGirls726 · July 2012

We took our first DD to the dentist when she turned 3. That is when our dentist starts seeing kids.

stdldb29 · July 2012

katem3277:
I took my kid to ourregular dentist right after she turned 3. I was told that unless you can see that there is an issue before that it's easier to just wait until they can partially comprehend what is going on and hopefully cooperate. The flossing thing is odd to me. Are your kids teeth really close together? There is room between all my DD's teeth except the middle bottom two. We were told to floss those two, but not to worry about the rest,

That is what they told us- unless there was an issue-she could wait to be seen by our regular dentist.

They told us to floss DS's teeth (the older child) and to floss DD's teeth to get her into the habit of it. They have never seen DD.

quidditchcapn1120 · July 2012

Ummm, what? Here are the AAPD guidelines straight from the AAPD website:

When should my child first see a dentist? "First visit by first birthday" sums it up. Your child should visit a pediatric dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. This visit will establish a dental home for your child. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child's smile now and in the future.

Why so early? What dental problems could a baby have? The most important reason is to begin a thorough prevention program. Dental problems can begin early. A big concern is Early Childhood Caries (formerly known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries). Once a child's diet includes anything besides breast-milk, erupted teeth are at risk for decay. The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily and smile with confidence. Start your child now on a lifetime of good dental habits.

That ends the literature from the AAPD website. Besides the reasons listed, a pediatric dentist can tell you if your child is at risk for or has indications of having developmental problems like dentinogenesis imperfecta or osteogenesis imperfecta as well as others.

I am my child's dentist, I take a look at his teeth every day so he's had like 400 dental visits.

stdldb29 · July 2012

EmpireMomof3:
Yes. Every six months for a cleaning. Neither boy has ever had a cavity. I have to schedule Lolo in for her first ever apt soon. I think treeth/ oral health is just as important as seeing a pedi.

My DS will go every 6 months for a cleaning, but not the two year old-no one around here cleans a 2 year olds teeth that we can find.

Wufroggy79 · July 2012

My H and I both go to family dentists - each of us to a different one because we each picked one close to our respective jobs. Neither one of them wants to see DD until age three. I spoke to my dentist last time, and she understands the Academy's rec, but she said 3 is pretty standard for a first visit in our area that would include a cleaning (which is a major city). I would call BS on her but DH's dentist said the same thing. I may split the difference and find a pediatric only dentist around age 2.

stdldb29 · July 2012

quidditchcapn1120:
Ummm, what? Here are the AAPD guidelines straight from the AAPD website:
When should my child first see a dentist? "First visit by first birthday" sums it up. Your child should visit a pediatric dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. This visit will establish a dental home for your child. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child's smile now and in the future.
Why so early? What dental problems could a baby have? The most important reason is to begin a thorough prevention program. Dental problems can begin early. A big concern is Early Childhood Caries (formerly known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries). Once a child's diet includes anything besides breast-milk, erupted teeth are at risk for decay. The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily and smile with confidence. Start your child now on a lifetime of good dental habits.
That ends the literature from the AAPD website. Besides the reasons listed, a pediatric dentist can tell you if your child is at risk for or has indications of having developmental problems like dentinogenesis imperfecta or osteogenesis imperfecta as well as others.
I am my child's dentist, I take a look at his teeth every day so he's had like 400 dental visits.

So here is my question: Take DD to a pediatric dentist that only counts her teeth for the next 2 years...and then take her to our regular dentist when she is close to 4?

At what age should they be getting their teeth cleaned?

quidditchcapn1120 · July 2012

stdldb29:
EmpireMomof3:
Yes. Every six months for a cleaning. Neither boy has ever had a cavity. I have to schedule Lolo in for her first ever apt soon. I think treeth/ oral health is just as important as seeing a pedi.
My DS will go every 6 months for a cleaning, but not the two year old-no one around here cleans a 2 year olds teeth that we can find.

https://www.aapd.org/finddentist/

Go to this website. Any pediatric dentist will clean a 2 year old's teeth. 4 is far too old to wait, there are significant problems that can occur before then. I have removed all the erupted teeth in a 1 year old, and removed every single baby tooth in a 3 year old.

stdldb29 · July 2012

quidditchcapn1120:
stdldb29:
EmpireMomof3:
Yes. Every six months for a cleaning. Neither boy has ever had a cavity. I have to schedule Lolo in for her first ever apt soon. I think treeth/ oral health is just as important as seeing a pedi.
My DS will go every 6 months for a cleaning, but not the two year old-no one around here cleans a 2 year olds teeth that we can find.
https://www.aapd.org/finddentist/
Go to this website. Any pediatric dentist will clean a 2 year old's teeth. 4 is far too old to wait, there are significant problems that can occur before then. I have removed all the erupted teeth in a 1 year old, and removed every single baby tooth in a 3 year old.

The one here in town wouldn't clean DS's teeth when we took him at 12 months, 18 months, or 2 years. Our regular dentist knows this-which is why he said for us to just wait.

MomEads · July 2012

stdldb29:
quidditchcapn1120:
Ummm, what? Here are the AAPD guidelines straight from the AAPD website:
When should my child first see a dentist? "First visit by first birthday" sums it up. Your child should visit a pediatric dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. This visit will establish a dental home for your child. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child's smile now and in the future.
Why so early? What dental problems could a baby have? The most important reason is to begin a thorough prevention program. Dental problems can begin early. A big concern is Early Childhood Caries (formerly known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries). Once a child's diet includes anything besides breast-milk, erupted teeth are at risk for decay. The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily and smile with confidence. Start your child now on a lifetime of good dental habits.
That ends the literature from the AAPD website. Besides the reasons listed, a pediatric dentist can tell you if your child is at risk for or has indications of having developmental problems like dentinogenesis imperfecta or osteogenesis imperfecta as well as others.
I am my child's dentist, I take a look at his teeth every day so he's had like 400 dental visits.
So here is my question: Take DD to a pediatric dentist that only counts her teeth for the next 2 years...and then take her to our regular dentist when she is close to 4?
At what age should they be getting their teeth cleaned?

I work at a pediatric dentist and the "only counting teeth" thing is weird. (unless he is talking in code, which lots of pedo dentists do) That being said, up until the age of 2 it is pretty impossible to do a cleaning. They don't understand what is going on, so usually "counting" (which is dental talk for examining on children) is enough. If there are any areas of concern, usually the parent notices them and that is the reason they bring the child. Any carriers are going to be noticeable to the eye, as there is definitely no way to get x-rays on a 2 year old (or younger) that is not sedated. I would stick with the pediatric dentist... they know how to work with kids and if your child ever needed more than a cleaning it is more likely a pedo dentist would be able to provide the services rather than a general dentist.

MrsWindyCity · July 2012

The only counting teeth thing doesn't seem normal. I would find a different pediatric dentist. Our dentist cleans DS's teeth every time (and has been very helpful in not only educating us about certain things, but also letting us know things we'd never know, like that DS apparently has weak enamel, and steps we can take to try to make it better).

stdldb29 · July 2012

stdldb29:
quidditchcapn1120:
stdldb29:
EmpireMomof3:
Yes. Every six months for a cleaning. Neither boy has ever had a cavity. I have to schedule Lolo in for her first ever apt soon. I think treeth/ oral health is just as important as seeing a pedi.
My DS will go every 6 months for a cleaning, but not the two year old-no one around here cleans a 2 year olds teeth that we can find.
https://www.aapd.org/finddentist/
Go to this website. Any pediatric dentist will clean a 2 year old's teeth. 4 is far too old to wait, there are significant problems that can occur before then. I have removed all the erupted teeth in a 1 year old, and removed every single baby tooth in a 3 year old.
The one here in town wouldn't clean DS's teeth when we took him at 12 months, 18 months, or 2 years. Our regular dentist knows this-which is why he said for us to just wait.

And I checked their site and it says on dentist's site that they would clean teeth at the first visit--but they kept saying DS didn't need his teeth cleaned. Hmmm.

quidditchcapn1120 · July 2012

MomEads:
stdldb29:
quidditchcapn1120:
Ummm, what? Here are the AAPD guidelines straight from the AAPD website:
When should my child first see a dentist? "First visit by first birthday" sums it up. Your child should visit a pediatric dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. This visit will establish a dental home for your child. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child's smile now and in the future.
Why so early? What dental problems could a baby have? The most important reason is to begin a thorough prevention program. Dental problems can begin early. A big concern is Early Childhood Caries (formerly known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries). Once a child's diet includes anything besides breast-milk, erupted teeth are at risk for decay. The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily and smile with confidence. Start your child now on a lifetime of good dental habits.
That ends the literature from the AAPD website. Besides the reasons listed, a pediatric dentist can tell you if your child is at risk for or has indications of having developmental problems like dentinogenesis imperfecta or osteogenesis imperfecta as well as others.
I am my child's dentist, I take a look at his teeth every day so he's had like 400 dental visits.
So here is my question: Take DD to a pediatric dentist that only counts her teeth for the next 2 years...and then take her to our regular dentist when she is close to 4?
At what age should they be getting their teeth cleaned?

I work at a pediatric dentist and the "only counting teeth" thing is weird. (unless he is talking in code, which lots of pedo dentists do) That being said, up until the age of 2 it is pretty impossible to do a cleaning. They don't understand what is going on, so usually "counting" (which is dental talk for examining on children) is enough. If there are any areas of concern, usually the parent notices them and that is the reason they bring the child. Any carriers are going to be noticeable to the eye, as there is definitely no way to get x-rays on a 2 year old (or younger) that is not sedated. I would stick with the pediatric dentist... they know how to work with kids and if your child ever needed more than a cleaning it is more likely a pedo dentist would be able to provide the services rather than a general dentist.

I definitely clean kids' teeth all the time that are under the age of 2. Yes, it is a glorified toothbrushing job, but the kids I see are high risk and it is a lot of times the best toothbrushing they will get because the parents can't/won't/don't understand the importance of brushing properly.

stdldb29 · July 2012

MomEads:
stdldb29:
quidditchcapn1120:
Ummm, what? Here are the AAPD guidelines straight from the AAPD website:
When should my child first see a dentist? "First visit by first birthday" sums it up. Your child should visit a pediatric dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. This visit will establish a dental home for your child. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child's smile now and in the future.
Why so early? What dental problems could a baby have? The most important reason is to begin a thorough prevention program. Dental problems can begin early. A big concern is Early Childhood Caries (formerly known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries). Once a child's diet includes anything besides breast-milk, erupted teeth are at risk for decay. The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily and smile with confidence. Start your child now on a lifetime of good dental habits.
That ends the literature from the AAPD website. Besides the reasons listed, a pediatric dentist can tell you if your child is at risk for or has indications of having developmental problems like dentinogenesis imperfecta or osteogenesis imperfecta as well as others.
I am my child's dentist, I take a look at his teeth every day so he's had like 400 dental visits.
So here is my question: Take DD to a pediatric dentist that only counts her teeth for the next 2 years...and then take her to our regular dentist when she is close to 4?
At what age should they be getting their teeth cleaned?

I work at a pediatric dentist and the "only counting teeth" thing is weird. (unless he is talking in code, which lots of pedo dentists do) That being said, up until the age of 2 it is pretty impossible to do a cleaning. They don't understand what is going on, so usually "counting" (which is dental talk for examining on children) is enough. If there are any areas of concern, usually the parent notices them and that is the reason they bring the child. Any carriers are going to be noticeable to the eye, as there is definitely no way to get x-rays on a 2 year old (or younger) that is not sedated. I would stick with the pediatric dentist... they know how to work with kids and if your child ever needed more than a cleaning it is more likely a pedo dentist would be able to provide the services rather than a general dentist.

Good to know!! Maybe that is why they never cleaned DS's teeth in the past at the pediatric dentist. We will try the pediatric dentist again with DD--and DS will continue to the regular dentist! Neither have teeth with issues--so we hope to keep them that way! We want to do the best for little DD--and was just confused by what our dentist had said.

quidditchcapn1120 · July 2012

stdldb29:
stdldb29:
quidditchcapn1120:
stdldb29:
EmpireMomof3:
Yes. Every six months for a cleaning. Neither boy has ever had a cavity. I have to schedule Lolo in for her first ever apt soon. I think treeth/ oral health is just as important as seeing a pedi.
My DS will go every 6 months for a cleaning, but not the two year old-no one around here cleans a 2 year olds teeth that we can find.
https://www.aapd.org/finddentist/
Go to this website. Any pediatric dentist will clean a 2 year old's teeth. 4 is far too old to wait, there are significant problems that can occur before then. I have removed all the erupted teeth in a 1 year old, and removed every single baby tooth in a 3 year old.
The one here in town wouldn't clean DS's teeth when we took him at 12 months, 18 months, or 2 years. Our regular dentist knows this-which is why he said for us to just wait.
And I checked their site and it says on dentist's site that they would clean teeth at the first visit--but they kept saying DS didn't need his teeth cleaned. Hmmm.

They didn't even put a toothbrush in his mouth? On kids that young I don't use the handpiece to clean, just a toothbrush. The cleaning itself is not the most important part of those visits typically. The exam, diet and nutrition counseling, and getting the kid used to the dentist are typically the things that are valued most for kids that age that are not high risk for caries.

stdldb29 · July 2012

quidditchcapn1120:
stdldb29:
stdldb29:
quidditchcapn1120:
stdldb29:
EmpireMomof3:
Yes. Every six months for a cleaning. Neither boy has ever had a cavity. I have to schedule Lolo in for her first ever apt soon. I think treeth/ oral health is just as important as seeing a pedi.
My DS will go every 6 months for a cleaning, but not the two year old-no one around here cleans a 2 year olds teeth that we can find.
https://www.aapd.org/finddentist/
Go to this website. Any pediatric dentist will clean a 2 year old's teeth. 4 is far too old to wait, there are significant problems that can occur before then. I have removed all the erupted teeth in a 1 year old, and removed every single baby tooth in a 3 year old.
The one here in town wouldn't clean DS's teeth when we took him at 12 months, 18 months, or 2 years. Our regular dentist knows this-which is why he said for us to just wait.
And I checked their site and it says on dentist's site that they would clean teeth at the first visit--but they kept saying DS didn't need his teeth cleaned. Hmmm.
They didn't even put a toothbrush in his mouth? On kids that young I don't use the handpiece to clean, just a toothbrush. The cleaning itself is not the most important part of those visits typically. The exam, diet and nutrition counseling, and getting the kid used to the dentist are typically the things that are valued most for kids that age that are not high risk for caries.

Nope! I was really shocked because these visits were not cheap and I couldn't figure out the point of them. They asked about if he had a sippy (no), a bottle (no), a paci (no), thumbsucker (no)...and all sorts of questions like that. DS has a really great smile--according to me and our dentist. I think I will try to find DD a new pediatric dentist. She is really crazy and would not do well if we just put her in a regular dentist chair-so she needs someone that works with kids.

DS did great during his cleaning/exam today. He was actually perfect. He sat there with his mouth open the entire time and did exactly what the lady asked of him. He already asked if he could go back soon.

saries4381 · July 2012

We took our DD at age 6 months to our adult dentist on the same day DH and I had our regular cleanings. At 6 months old our DD had two bottom front teeth, and was working on two upper teeth to match.

Our adult dentist recommended seeing DD every 6 months, so we would just bring her with us when DH and I went for our appointments. The reason was so DD would become familiar and comfortable with the dentist. The dentist counted DD's teeth, looked at DD's gums, then checked her gums for new buds. She asked us a few questions regarding drool, fussiness, etc.. DD sat on my lap for her check up with the Dentist.

She gave us tips on how we could "clean" DD's 2 teeth and all future teeth. A few recommendations included: at the end of the night before bed allow DD to chew on a frozen washcloth (yes I typed that right), the frozen part will help when she is teething, and the washcloth acts like a tooth brush and cleans the teeth. The Dentist told us the use of toothpaste at DD's age was not necessary. She recommended we use a finger nubby, washcloth, teething rings (frozen and non frozen), and our fingers (as tolerated) for DD to chew on and manipulate in her mouth.

A few days after DD's first dental visit with the adult dentist, we asked DD's Peds Doc at DD's 6 month visit; if bring her to our adult dentist was ok. The Peds Doc was fine with it, and told us it was good to start DD so early.

Bottom line, do what feels right for you; and don't worry about the AAPD or any other source recommends. You know your baby best.

bubu · July 2012

Both kids had an appointment today with the pediatric dentist. DD has been going since she was 4(she is 6 years old) and this was DS second visit (he is two). They have only counted his teeth but next visit he'll get a cleaning after he turns three. They both did really good. I think it is important to show the kids that going to the dentist is very important and not something you do because you have pain. I don't floss their teeth often just brush twice a day.

MomEads · July 2012

quidditchcapn1120:
MomEads:
stdldb29:
quidditchcapn1120:

Ummm, what? Here are the AAPD guidelines straight from the AAPD website:

When should my child first see a dentist? "First visit by first birthday" sums it up. Your child should visit a pediatric dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. This visit will establish a dental home for your child. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child's smile now and in the future.

Why so early? What dental problems could a baby have? The most important reason is to begin a thorough prevention program. Dental problems can begin early. A big concern is Early Childhood Caries (formerly known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries). Once a child's diet includes anything besides breast-milk, erupted teeth are at risk for decay. The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily and smile with confidence. Start your child now on a lifetime of good dental habits.

That ends the literature from the AAPD website. Besides the reasons listed, a pediatric dentist can tell you if your child is at risk for or has indications of having developmental problems like dentinogenesis imperfecta or osteogenesis imperfecta as well as others.

I am my child's dentist, I take a look at his teeth every day so he's had like 400 dental visits.

So here is my question: Take DD to a pediatric dentist that only counts her teeth for the next 2 years...and then take her to our regular dentist when she is close to 4?

At what age should they be getting their teeth cleaned?

I work at a pediatric dentist and the "only counting teeth" thing is weird. (unless he is talking in code, which lots of pedo dentists do) That being said, up until the age of 2 it is pretty impossible to do a cleaning. They don't understand what is going on, so usually "counting" (which is dental talk for examining on children) is enough. If there are any areas of concern, usually the parent notices them and that is the reason they bring the child. Any carriers are going to be noticeable to the eye, as there is definitely no way to get x-rays on a 2 year old (or younger) that is not sedated. I would stick with the pediatric dentist... they know how to work with kids and if your child ever needed more than a cleaning it is more likely a pedo dentist would be able to provide the services rather than a general dentist.

I definitely clean kids' teeth all the time that are under the age of 2. Yes, it is a glorified toothbrushing job, but the kids I see are high risk and it is a lot of times the best toothbrushing they will get because the parents can't/won't/don't understand the importance of brushing properly.

Agreed! I guess I assumed it was understood that a prophy was not going to happen, but that hygeine would be reviewed and demonstrated. We also do "glorified teeth brushing", but as you stated, we too mostly do that on high risk patients that are under 2. However, once they hit 2 we always attempt a prophy...sometimes it happens and other times it doesn't.

KatieLG04 · July 2012

DS turned 4 in April and he went to his first appointment shortly after that. I had been asking the dentists when to start and they said 3 or 4 is typical.

quidditchcapn1120 · July 2012

saries4381:
We took our DD at age 6 months to our adult dentist on the same day DH and I had our regular cleanings. At 6 months old our DD had two bottom front teeth, and was working on two upper teeth to match.
Our adult dentist recommended seeing DD every 6 months, so we would just bring her with us when DH and I went for our appointments. The reason was so DD would become familiar and comfortable with the dentist. The dentist counted DD's teeth, looked at DD's gums, then checked her gums for new buds. She asked us a few questions regarding drool, fussiness, etc.. DD sat on my lap for her check up with the Dentist.
She gave us tips on how we could "clean" DD's 2 teeth and all future teeth. A few recommendations included: at the end of the night before bed allow DD to chew on a frozen washcloth (yes I typed that right), the frozen part will help when she is teething, and the washcloth acts like a tooth brush and cleans the teeth. The Dentist told us the use of toothpaste at DD's age was not necessary. She recommended we use a finger nubby, washcloth, teething rings (frozen and non frozen), and our fingers (as tolerated) for DD to chew on and manipulate in her mouth.
A few days after DD's first dental visit with the adult dentist, we asked DD's Peds Doc at DD's 6 month visit; if bring her to our adult dentist was ok. The Peds Doc was fine with it, and told us it was good to start DD so early.
Bottom line, do what feels right for you; and don't worry about the AAPD or any other source recommends. You know your baby best.

I feel like the first part of your story does not fit with your last paragraph. It appears that you got good information from different health care providers. But then you are telling the OP not to rely on sources that organize groups of health care providers' thinking based on sound scientific knowledge?

Do you also not rely on the AAP recommendations for RF vs FF car seats or for immunizations? You can't really say that a person shouldn't rely on health care provider sources if you rely at all on what your pedi tells you, or even your PCP.

saraboston · July 2012

The pedi said we should take her before 18 months. I decided to wait. DD hates even having her teeth brushed and when I talked to the dentist about it, he said it seemed extremely early and all he would do would basically be to "give her a ride in the chair." He says he typically sees kids closer to 3. Maybe around her second birthday, but I'm not taking time off work to bring DD for a ride in the dentist's chair.

lcherian · July 2012

Nope. I personally feel it is unnecessary until they start getting adult teeth. My kids brush twice a day, do not drink anything but milk, water and eat virtually no candy or sugary snacks.

MomEads · July 2012

lcherian:
Nope. I personally feel it is unnecessary until they start getting adult teeth. My kids brush twice a day, do not drink anything but milk, water and eat virtually no candy or sugary snacks.

I would highly rethink this decision for so many reasons! Do your kids eat fruit? You said they drink milk...both milk and fruit contain natural sugar which can also cause tooth decay! Also, diet is not the only cause of tooth decay...genetics play a role as well! Also, what about the errupting adult teeth? Some kids have supernumary (extra) teeth that can cause a whole slew of problems in regards to the erruption of adult teeth. Please rethink your decision.

shopgirl78 · July 2012

Yes, my boys, every 6 months since they were one. DD was 3 when she went b/c that is what my dentist said, but we had to switch to a pedi dentist due to insurance and they said ASAP. When they were little, all they'd do is brush their teeth really good but I think it helps them get used to it in the future.

quidditchcapn1120 · July 2012

mbenit4:
quidditchcapn1120:
Besides the reasons listed, a pediatric dentist can tell you if your child is at risk for or has indications of having developmental problems like dentinogenesis imperfecta or osteogenesis imperfecta as well as others.
I am my child's dentist, I take a look at his teeth every day so he's had like 400 dental visits.
Why would a dentist be the one to diagnose osteogenesis imperfecta? I am not trying to down play the role of a dentist but wouldn't have that been diagnosed before by an MD?

I am sure that most pediatricians are very familiar with the disorder, but Again I deal with a patient population at high risk and of low socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, these things get missed a lot at the ultrasound level, and may not be diagnosed by some physicians until several fractures in. So sometimes the dentist is the first health care provider to diagnose.

quidditchcapn1120 · July 2012

mbenit4:
quidditchcapn1120:
mbenit4:
quidditchcapn1120:
Besides the reasons listed, a pediatric dentist can tell you if your child is at risk for or has indications of having developmental problems like dentinogenesis imperfecta or osteogenesis imperfecta as well as others.
I am my child's dentist, I take a look at his teeth every day so he's had like 400 dental visits.
Why would a dentist be the one to diagnose osteogenesis imperfecta? I am not trying to down play the role of a dentist but wouldn't have that been diagnosed before by an MD?
I am sure that most pediatricians are very familiar with the disorder, but Again I deal with a patient population at high risk and of low socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, these things get missed a lot at the ultrasound level, and may not be diagnosed by some physicians until several fractures in. So sometimes the dentist is the first health care provider to diagnose.
Oh.
If these are low income people then how are they able to afford a dental visit?
I know it is very hard for us to afford it.
I asked about the other because I had a daughter die before DD and she actually had osteogenesis imperfecta. I know there are different types. Hers was the more severe with fractures in the womb.

I am so sorry for your loss, that is devastating. Both my dental school and the school/hospital I am at now give knee laps (under 3 years old) for free. I intend to do the same at my own practice. Some of my colleagues don't agree with me on this subject, but I believe in the idea of preventiOn concept of providing health care to those that can least afford it. If you feel comfortable PM'ing me where toy are, I would be happy to find you a dentist whO would also provide those visits for free.

quidditchcapn1120 · July 2012

Ps- mbenit, I am sorry for the misspelling and format issues. I am bumping on my phone and am not used to it.

michaels_girl · July 2012

I first took Kat b/w 2 and 3. Just my regular dentist. For the first visit, they just emphasized that they wanted her to see the dentist as fun and not scary. basically they brushed her teeth and gave her a sticker. for the next visit she did a full cleaning and had her teeth polished. we go again this month.

Want a personalized experience?

Do you take your child to the dentist?

Re: Do you take your child to the dentist?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards