That sounds a lot like what we went through with our daughter. The first dentist was all about getting her in for fillings ASAP, and honestly, it freaked us out. We ended up switching to someone who was more chill and focused on prevention, kinda like you said. Brushing more, cutting out the milk at night, all that. It’s wild how much pressure there is to just do the procedure, but sometimes waiting and watching worked better for us too. Still feel guilty sometimes, though…
Still feel guilty sometimes, though…
Honestly, I get wanting to avoid jumping into procedures, but sometimes “waiting and watching” can backfire. Had a friend go the prevention route, but the decay got worse fast and her kid ended up needing way more work (and sedation) than if they’d filled it early. Not saying drill everything, but sometimes you gotta trust the dentist’s call, even if it feels pushy. Guilt’s normal either way, though…
sometimes “waiting and watching” can backfire
Yeah, I’ve seen that too. We tried the “let’s monitor it” approach with my oldest and honestly, it just led to more appointments and eventually a pulpotomy. Not fun. I get wanting to avoid unnecessary drilling, but sometimes early intervention really is less traumatic—especially if you’re trying to avoid sedation or bigger procedures later. Guilt happens either way, but you can only do your best with the info you have in the moment.
I can relate to that feeling of second-guessing yourself—been there more times than I care to admit, and not just with teeth. When my granddaughter had spots on her front teeth, her parents wanted to wait and see if it would clear up on its own. I remember thinking, “Well, maybe it’s just staining?” But after a few months, it got worse, and she ended up needing a filling. That was a rough appointment for everyone, especially since she was so little and nervous.
What I’ve learned (the hard way) is that with baby teeth, things can go downhill pretty quick. It’s not always obvious from the outside, either. Sometimes the tooth looks fine until suddenly it isn’t. I used to think, “They’re just baby teeth, they’ll fall out anyway,” but I saw firsthand how infections or pain can mess with eating, sleeping, all sorts of stuff. And getting a little one to sit still for any dental work… well, that’s a whole other adventure.
If I could go back, I’d probably push for earlier treatment, even if it felt a bit aggressive at the time. It’s less scary for the kid when it’s just a tiny fix instead of a big procedure. I know some folks are really hesitant about drilling or fillings for kids, but honestly, the stress of watching something get worse is tough too.
One thing that helped us later on was switching to water in bottles at night and brushing right before bed, even if it meant a bit of a battle. Not perfect, but it slowed things down. And fluoride varnish at the dentist seemed to help a lot.
You do your best with what you know at the time. Hindsight always makes things look clearer, but nobody gets it right every time. If you’re worried, trust your gut and ask lots of questions. Better safe than sorry—especially with little ones who can’t always tell you when something hurts.
I totally get what you mean about things going downhill fast with baby teeth. I used to think, “Eh, they’ll fall out soon anyway,” but after my niece had a cavity turn into a full-blown abscess, I realized how much pain it can cause—not to mention the drama of getting a toddler through dental work. Curious if anyone else has tried those silver diamine fluoride treatments? We went that route for one spot and it actually stopped the decay, though it did turn the tooth a little gray. Would you have gone for that, or is aesthetics more important for front teeth?