Ask:
When my 4 y.o. dd's teeth came in 4 of them had enamel that didn't form properly. Her 2 front teeth and her 2 bottom teeth right behind the cannies. We've kept an extra close eye on them and noticed the one on the bottom was getting more discolored them the others. She has a small cavity in that one and will get it filled in 2 wks. My ? is that they said they wouldn't use Novocaine or any other anesthetic. She also said they would use the slow vibrating drill, not the fast one. Is this common procedure for kids with a small cavity??? Thankfully my 7 1/2 y.o. ds hasn't had any cavities (surprising since there's no fluoride in our water supply)so I haven't had to go through this before.
Answer:
If its a small cavity they should be able to handle it with a laser, then fill it. Thats how they do them here. They only use the drill with novacaine if its a deep cavity that will possibly touch a nerve to get to. My kids have had the laser procedure done, as have I and its nothing.
Answer:
It's VERY common.
The DDS that I used to work for would try this for smaller cavaties that didn't get down too close to the nerve. The theory is that it is more traumatic for the child to have the novacaine injected (along with the after effects) when there is the chance they don't need it at all. If the child would happen to need it (too jumpy, gets too close to the nerve, etc..) they can always administer it later. Most common for smaller kids is the use of N2O (laughing gas). Because it is not injected into the muscle, the effects are gone immediately after the appt. Hopefully this makes sense.
My older two (ages 9 and 5) have had cavaties filled both ways (with and without novacaine) and they both prefer without. If you have concerns about it, discuss it further with your DDS.
Answer:
my dd is 6 and has had cavities filled when she was 5 and just last week, and they always used novocaine. i had no idea about any other way, and her one cavity was a very small one inthe beginning stages. i had no idea about any other way to do it. she didn;t mind the novocaine way, the after numbness was sorta bugging her but it wasn't to bad.
Answer:
Thankfully we've not had any cavities but I trust my dentist. So if he said it wouldn't be painful for my child, I would believe him. I would want to be in with my child during the procedure and that would be fine with our dental office. I would ask more questions if you're concerned...