Dental work on 5 yo SID and PDD-NOS

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-12-2004
Dental work on 5 yo SID and PDD-NOS
5
Fri, 04-13-2007 - 12:41am

Hi, all. I don't know if anyone remembers me. It's been awhile since I've posted. I'm posting about my 5 year old PDD-NOS sensory integration disfunction boy. He has been doing sooooooo well in pre-K. He has just blossommed. BUT...

He has been to the dentist to have his teeth cleaned several times with no problem, but he had 2 cavities. The dentist filled one of them, but was unable to fill the second one so referred us to a pediatric dentist. That dentist said the filling had already come out of the tooth, and that he preferred to cap teeth. Okay, fine, makes sense. He did what amounts to a baby tooth root canal on the tooth (I thought he was just going to file away the decay and cap it). Now 5 year old is scared to death of the dentist. The cap has come off twice, now it is off and he won't even open his mouth for this dentist. So we took him to another dentist for a consult, same thing. We are going tomorrow for a consult with a female dentist, and this is it. I'm sure we will simply have to book an OR and have him put completely under to get the cavities taken care of. Oral sedatives and Nitrous Oxide do not help.

I'm very nervous. Very nervous. I know that the tooth that was capped has had a fair amount of enamel removed, so it needs attention ASAP. OR's take forever to book for dental work. Also, some years ago I saw a 20/20 show on OR's and anesthesia, where they didn't get all the anesthesia to work and the patients were paralized but completely conscious and able to feel what was happening to them. I'm literally paniced that this will happen. What can I do to make sure that when he receives the anesthesia they get it to work?

When I had my colonoscopy last year, they were supposed to put me completely under, but I was somewhat conscious for it, which didn't bother me, but it did stick with me -- what if I had been in surgery???

Please, please reasure me and tell me I am being completely paranoid. This work needs to be done and I need to be the grown up, and not let him see that I'm apprehensive. It's just that this dental work has been so botched already....

Have any of your kids had to go to the hospital for their dental work?

Thanks in advance!

Kelly

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2006
Fri, 04-13-2007 - 3:46am

Kelly,
I am deafly afraid of dentists.... and I care more about my kids dental stuff than most people.

I have searched for someone that makes me feel safe, I have searched for someone that can make my boys feels safe at the same time.

My fear came from my own experience when I was the same age.... 5 and 6.

My youngest (7yr) had to have alot of dental work done. Alot like root canals and caps and such. I stressed so bad.

I was referred to a ped dentist because they felt that he had so much work, (and I was so stressed about it) that he should have some "Happy Juice" and get it done and over with it....

We tried, and he just threw up the "Happy Juice Cocktail"

So then hubby and I decided to put him under. It was scary, but we knew we were dealing with dentists, that had a person there that was an anstesiologist (sp?) and he was going to be okay you know? Make sure they have the anstesiologist tho... in normal operations they are the boss in the operating room....

BTW I have heard about the awake thing while your under, but you know hon, its such a LOW percentage thing... I really think you shouldn't worry about it. I know its hard to do, but really when you look at statistics, its sooooooo low.

Anyway, we had him put under and he was fine. In the beginning they put this mask over his face, and naturally he fought this (and is a normal thing for even an NT kid to do) He woke up and was aggitated, and that is also a normal thing for a child to do after anstesioua (sp again lol)

He did great and was fine.

If you still don't feel comfortable my 11 yr old is stressing filling his last cavity.

He has sensory issues and even thou they numb him he can still feel everything they do. He describes to me with great detail...(shudder)....

This doc (different then the ped doc) doesn't offer Gas, so I went to my pediatrican, explained it all and she gave me a prescription with two pills that are Valium to calm him down.

I'm really hoping this works as I really really like this dentist and I trust her.

Anyway, I hope things work our for you and your child :)

Lainie

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-12-2004
Fri, 04-13-2007 - 10:10am
Thank you, your post is very comforting to me. I will make sure I have all the info about how they put them under and everything. I think I just need reasurance.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 04-13-2007 - 10:38am

Hi Kelly,


I have just been through this with my DS (6 AS).

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Fri, 04-13-2007 - 5:20pm

Kelly,


We were very lucky to find an excellent pediatric dentist, so we have never had to knock the kids out. However it sound like you have been a bit unlucky with dentists, and are past that point.

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-12-2004
Sat, 04-14-2007 - 7:45pm

Thank you for your replies.

We went to the consult yesterday afternoon and Duncan likes the dentist. He was really cooperative with her but would not do the xrays. The dentist says she will be able to do all of the work in about 35-40 minutes and feels confident that if we give him Versed it will dull his senses and make him feel very comfortable. It also has an amnesia effect so his memory of the procedures will be dulled. But there won't be any of the worry of general anesthesia. I hope and pray this works. I know that in the grand scheme of things this is just extremely petty, but do please keep Duncan in your prayers. I really don't want him to be terrified every time he has to go to the dentist.