The cost is wild too. It’s like you’re paying for a crown jewel, not a baby tooth that’s just going to fall out in a couple years.
Right? I nearly choked when I saw the bill for my daughter’s first filling. I’ve been there with the guilt, too—my kiddo got sealants on her molars after her first cavity and honestly, I was skeptical about “investing” in teeth that would be gone by second grade. But our dentist swore up and down it could save us a lot of drama (and money) later. I guess for us, the peace of mind was worth it, but I totally get feeling on the fence. Genetics are such a wild card... my partner eats candy like it’s a food group and has never had a cavity. Go figure.
I was skeptical about “investing” in teeth that would be gone by second grade.
Totally get where you’re coming from. It’s wild to think about spending so much on something temporary, but baby teeth actually do a lot of heavy lifting—like holding space for the adult ones and helping with speech. I’ve seen families skip sealants or fillings and end up with infections or spacing issues, which can snowball into bigger (and pricier) problems. Genetics are a huge factor, but honestly, even with “perfect” habits, some kids just get unlucky. I wouldn’t beat yourself up over it.
I totally get the logic behind not wanting to pour money into teeth that are basically on a ticking clock. I mean, my own parents had the “let nature take its course” approach with my baby teeth, and hey, I survived. But here’s the thing—I’m not sure it’s always a disaster if you don’t go all-in on every little filling or sealant. Sometimes, especially if your kid isn’t in pain and the tooth is about to peace out anyway, it might not be worth the stress (or the bill).
On the flip side, I’ve also seen what happens when you ignore stuff and then suddenly your five-year-old is up at 2am with a face like a chipmunk. Not fun. And yeah, I get that baby teeth help with speech and all that jazz, but there’s also a limit. My cousin’s kid had a couple of baby teeth pulled early and honestly, he’s got a killer lisp now—adorable, but maybe not what they were hoping for.
But here’s where I kind of disagree: sometimes dentists seem to go overboard. Like, do we really need to cap every tiny cavity? My niece had THREE silver crowns by age four and it felt a bit much. I’m all for prevention, but sometimes it feels like the dental version of putting bubble wrap on your furniture.
I guess what I’m saying is, there’s a balance. If your kiddo is prone to cavities or gets unlucky with genetics (thanks, family tree), sure, do what you gotta do. But if it’s just one tiny spot and the tooth is hanging on by a thread anyway…maybe it’s okay to chill out a bit. At least until the tooth fairy comes calling.
And yeah—baby teeth can get cavities before their first birthday? That still blows my mind. My nephew got his first cavity at ten months and I was like, “What are you eating? Straight sugar cubes?” Turns out, just bottles at bedtime can do it. Wild.
I totally get what you mean about dentists sometimes doing the most. I had a mouth full of silver when I was a kid, and I still wonder if all those crowns were really necessary. But then again, my little brother had a cavity that got ignored because “it’s just a baby tooth”—and he ended up with a nasty infection that needed antibiotics and an emergency extraction. It was rough. Honestly, I think you nailed it: balance is key. Not every spot needs a crown, but sometimes skipping stuff can backfire. And yeah, those baby bottle cavities are wild... I never realized milk could do that much damage.
But then again, my little brother had a cavity that got ignored because “it’s just a baby tooth”—and he ended up with a nasty infection that needed antibiotics and an emergency extraction. It was rough.
That’s so true about skipping stuff sometimes backfiring. My cousin’s toddler had something similar—her parents thought those tiny teeth would just fall out soon anyway, but one molar turned black and she wouldn’t eat on that side for weeks. They felt awful when the dentist said it was infected. I also used to think milk was harmless, but learned the hard way after seeing my niece with bottle rot at her first birthday checkup. Never realized how fast it can happen if you let them sleep with a bottle.
I get questioning whether all those crowns were needed as a kid—dentists do seem overly cautious sometimes. But seeing what happens when things are left too long... yeah, balance is everything. I wish there was more info out there for new parents so it didn’t come as such a shock.
