October 2020 - Kentucky Dental Group

My nine-year-old daughter fell and chipped her front tooth. I went to our pediatric dentist and he wants to put a stainless steel crown on it. It’s her front tooth! Is there any other possible solution for this?

Karen

Dear Karen,

Many general dentists will see entire families

I haven’t examined your daughter, but if the pulp is healthy a chipped tooth can be solved by dental bonding. You’ll want a cosmetic dentist to do this, however. Your pediatric dentist may not be qualified. That may be why he or she suggested a dental crown to begin with.

However, if the pulp is damaged, then a dental crown may be necessary. That doesn’t mean it has to be a stainless steel crown. There are other options. On a front tooth, I would recommend a porcelain crown. This will look the most natural. You’ll need to be aware that your dental insurance, will usually only cover the cheapest solution. You can ask your dentist to bill the insurance for the one they’ll cover. Then, you pay the difference for the better treatment option.

My concern is that your daughter’s dentist doesn’t seem to be giving you all your options. This is important for you to make the right decision.

Another thing to consider is to see a general dentist who treats children. My experience has been they have a broader view of treatment. They’re still qualified to treat children and all did a pediatric rotation, but they deal more with other issues, than most pediatric dentists do. An additional benefit is your entire family can be seen by the same dentist. This will also enable him or her to see patterns in your family’s genetic make-up that will allow your dentist to be more proactive in your child’s care.

Go ahead and get a second opinion to see if the pulp is in good shape or if a dental crown is truly necessary.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

My son needs a filling. I don’t want a silver filling in his mouth because of the mercury content. But, my pediatric dentist said that children can’t have them. I don’t really believe him because I know other children that have had the white fillings. Why would he lie?

Caitlyn

Dear Caitlyn,

Many general dentists will see entire families

It may not be that he lied, as much as he has trouble doing composite fillings on children. While it can be done, it is a tad more difficult with children. This is because composite fillings have to stay completely dry during the process. With children, who like to wiggle and move their tongues, that can seem impossible. But, like I said earlier, it can be done.

Don’t push your current pediatric dentist into doing it. This procedure is a totally different method than is used for the amalgam (silver) fillings. If he’s hesitating, he’s not ready. Instead, I would go to a general dentist who enjoys treating children. Ideally, you’d want one who considers themselves a mercury-free dentist or even a holistic dentist. Both of them will be very experienced with composite fillings. In fact, it will be all they place.

General dentists are still qualified to work with children. They all do a pediatric rotation and have the skills necessary. They just didn’t want to only treat children. However, not all dentists who are willing to work with children actually enjoy working with children. You want a dentist who enjoys them because that will create a more positive experience for your child.

So how do you know which dentists actually LIKE children? One good hint is the age at which they are willing to begin treating them. If they’re willing to work with toddlers, they enjoy children. If they want to wait until your child is around seven or eight years old, I’d look for someone else.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

A Broken Front Tooth

White Fillings for Children

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