Well, the last couple of weeks have been fun…no that’s not it, interesting…still not quite right, dramatic…yes, that’s it! The past couple weeks have been dramatic and quite emotional for this mommy.
Here is what happened….
After two and a half years since our last visit I decided it was time to go see the dentist. Now, like quite a few people I know, we don’t have dental insurance. So I shopped around for a good deal that many dentists will offer to new clients. I called up what looked like a very reputable dentist and made appointments for myself, my husband, and Big Brother. This would be Big Brother’s first visit to the dentist.
Big Brother had a great time watching a movie on the big TV in the cleaning room while the hygienist cleaned his teeth! He thought the camera they stuck in his mouth to take pictures of his teeth was “real cool”. What was not really cool was how many cavities they said both he and I had and how much it would cost to fill them all. As far as the cost went, well, you could purchase a used car for the cost of all the work this dentist wanted to do!
Seriously?! Is there a faster way to make someone feel like they are being taken advantage of than to say, “Hi, I know I just met you and that you are a new patient and all, and I know that I only took x-rays of a few of your teeth and just took pictures of the rest, but would you please pay me several thousand dollars so that I can put a fillings in every single one of your teeth.” Um, no.
He wanted to do two root canals on Big Brother and give him 4 other fillings! He’s only three and a half!
At this point I was really less outraged about the cost and more depressed about what a bad mom I must have been for my child to have this many cavities at such a young age (I don’t think I had any cavities until I was a teenager). I’m sorry I only brushed his teeth once a day! I’m sorry that we gave him lots of juice–this one however, was not my fault. Big Brother was so skinny and so picky about what he ate and drank that the doctor told us to give him more juice for the calories. I’ve learned my lesson on that one.
Once I’d recovered a bit from the shock I decided we needed a second opinion and we were fortunate enough to find a dentist who did them for free. This dentist had much better tidings for my teeth, however he said that Big Brother’s two molars (the ones the other dentist wanted to do the root canals on) would have to be removed. OH NO!!! Now my child is going to be without molars for the next ten years!
So what did I do but seek a THIRD opinion. (By now Big Brother was totally skilled in the art of opening his mouth on command while patiently letting the dentist poke around.) While I was calling around for another dentist that I could take him to a receptionist suggested we take him to a pediatric dentist. They see little kids all the time and know best what to do in tricky situations. I found a pediatric dentist I knew absolutely nothing about, made an appointment for the following day, and hoped for the best.
Holy Cow! Not only was the office amazing, but the staff was amazing, and the dentist was amazing. They were all so friendly and the dentist took quite a bit of time going over the x-rays, looking at Big Brother’s teeth, and explaining everything to me. It turns out that Big Brother will not be needing any teeth pulled, will not need any root canals, and will only need four fillings (as opposed to the original six).
I’m still sad that he needs any fillings at all, but I’ve learned my lessons. 1) Lots of brushing even for the little ones. 2) Be wary of dentists who hand you a bill that equals the cost of a small car. 3) Don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion.
About Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom
Glad that you didn't take the 1st dentist's word for it. I probably would have and had the bad results that you avoided.
My only suggestion is that you don't skip twice yearly appointments. Even when I didn't have the insurance I paid out of pocket. For me (which I can't say this would be true today, since my situation has changed), it was better to pay and know that my teeth were okay and to know where to concentrate to avoid the costly fixes. I'm afraid to have work done on my teeth because of the pain and the cost. So my point was to try to avoid the cost of the work by getting the regular checkups.
KWIM?
I'm curious to know how little your little guy is. My soon-to-be-5-year-old weighs 32 lbs as of last Thursday.
So, I totally agree with you. If you are really surprised, or uneasy about what you are told (from the dentist or any other doctor, talk to more until you feel comfortable, not meaning until you hear what you want, but until you feel like your concerns have been addressed).
I have four kids. Some were obsessed with oral care, others, not so much. And you know what, they all had cavities by the time they were four.
Don't beat yourself up. You are actually taking the time to give a crap about their teeth. That's terrific...ok, now I'm climbing off my soap box...
BTW, our peds dentist says every six months. Yikes. I'm lucky to be able to schedule four appointments and make them once a year. :)
Which dentist did you go to first? I went to one a few years ago to get my wisdom teeth pulled, and right before they were about to start working they informed me that the fillings that I had had done not even a year before were no good and had to be replaced. Right then. Even though they had told me at my previous appointment that nothing more needed to be done. To this day I am convinced that there was nothing wrong and that they managed to swindle me out of a couple of hundred dollars. I am so mad at myself that I let them go ahead with it, and I wish I had have had the presence of mind to get a second opinion. Needless to say, we have a new dentist now.