Teenage son has 8 cavities; root canal??

That’s a tough spot, but you’re not alone - teens can be stubborn about brushing. I’ve seen some families make it a routine to brush together at night, just for accountability. Electric toothbrushes can help too, especially if he’s not a fan of manual brushing. Sometimes seeing photos of what happens if you skip care (gross as it sounds) is a wake-up call for teens… worked for my nephew. Hang in there - it’s fixable, but yeah, I get how overwhelming it feels.

Eight cavities at once is definitely overwhelming, but you’re not the only parent dealing with this. I’ve seen teens turn things around, even after a rough patch like this. Sometimes it helps to break it down - focus on one small change at a time instead of revamping everything overnight. Even adding flossing just a few nights a week can make a difference. And yeah, electric toothbrushes really do help some kids stick with it longer. It’s tough, but you’re doing the right thing by tackling it now rather than letting it slide.

Even adding flossing just a few nights a week can make a difference. And yeah, electric toothbrushes really do help some kids stick with it longer.

I totally get the push for electric toothbrushes, but I have to admit, those things aren’t cheap - especially if you’re already staring down a big dental bill. We switched to a basic electric one for my daughter when she had a couple cavities, and it did help, but honestly, it’s the flossing that made the biggest difference for us. She hated it at first, but we found these cheap little floss picks at the dollar store and that made it way less of a fight.

I’m curious - did your dentist recommend a root canal right off the bat, or are they trying fillings first? When my son had a bunch of cavities, they were able to just do fillings, which was way less expensive (and less scary for him). I always wonder if dentists jump to root canals too fast, especially when you’re on a tight budget. Anyone else feel like sometimes the treatment plan is a bit... much?

I hear you on the cost - those electric brushes aren’t exactly budget-friendly, especially with all the dental work looming. We stuck with manual brushing for ages and just tried to be extra consistent. About the root canal thing, yeah, I was surprised too. The dentist showed me the x-rays and said those two teeth were basically past saving with a filling. Still feels like a lot though. I keep wondering if I should get a second opinion, but then I worry about dragging things out and making it worse. This whole thing is just overwhelming, honestly.

I keep wondering if I should get a second opinion, but then I worry about dragging things out and making it worse. This whole thing is just overwhelming, honestly.

That’s exactly where I get stuck too. I always feel like I’m being “difficult” if I want another dentist to look, but at the same time, root canals aren’t cheap and it’s a big deal for a teenager. Once you do it, there’s no going back. We had a dentist push for a root canal on my daughter’s molar, but when we saw someone else, they said a filling would work for now. It’s stressful weighing the risk of waiting against possibly unnecessary work... I hate that it all comes down to money sometimes, but it really does.

Can relate to the stress around this, especially when the dentist seems so sure but your gut says to double-check. I’ve had a few dentists push for big procedures right away, and honestly, getting a second opinion saved me a lot of money and hassle more than once. It’s not being difficult - it’s just being careful, especially with something as major (and expensive) as a root canal.

With my kid, we waited a couple weeks between opinions, and nothing got worse in that time. Sometimes, dentists have different thresholds for when they think a root canal is “needed.” If you’re worried about dragging it out, maybe just call another office and ask how soon they can see you. Doesn’t hurt to have options.

It’s rough that money factors in so much, but dental bills add up fast. I’d rather spend $100 on another consult than drop $1,500 on something my son might not need yet. Just my two cents.

I totally get where you’re coming from. Years ago, my dentist said I needed a root canal ASAP, but I just wasn’t convinced. I went for a second opinion and the new dentist suggested a much less invasive fix - saved me a ton of money and stress. Sometimes it feels like you’re being “difficult” for questioning, but honestly, you know your kid best. Trusting your gut isn’t a bad thing in these situations.

When my grandson was about 15, his dentist said he had four cavities and wanted to fill them all right away. I remember feeling uneasy about it - he’d never had dental issues before, and suddenly there were multiple? We decided to slow things down and ask questions. It turned out only two actually needed treatment, and the other spots were “watch and wait.” Saved him some drilling, and honestly, a lot of anxiety.

I’ve also had a root canal myself (not fun, but not as terrible as I’d feared). Still, for teenagers, that seems like a last resort unless the tooth is really bad off or infected. Did the dentist show you X-rays or explain why a root canal was necessary instead of just a filling? Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s urgent and what can be monitored.

Dental work is expensive and stressful enough without feeling rushed into big procedures. Has your son complained about any pain or sensitivity, or was this just something found at a checkup?

That’s exactly what’s bugging me - my son hasn’t complained about pain, just mild sensitivity to cold stuff sometimes. Dentist showed us X-rays, but honestly, I couldn’t really tell what I was looking at. Eight cavities seemed wild, especially since he brushes and flosses (or says he does…). I’m with you on the root canal thing - feels extreme for a teen unless there’s an infection or big issue. We’re definitely thinking about getting another opinion before doing anything major. Dental work is pricey and, yeah, nobody wants unnecessary drilling.

Eight cavities does sound like a lot, especially if he’s not having pain. I get how confusing those X-rays can be - I never know what I’m looking at either. Are they saying all of them are deep enough to need fillings? I had a dentist once suggest work that seemed overkill and the second opinion was way less intense. Maybe your son just has some spots to watch, not full-on cavities? Root canal for a teen seems like a last resort unless there’s infection or something major showing up… Has he had braces or anything that might make cleaning tricky?

Root canal for a teen seems like a last resort unless there’s infection or something major showing up… Has he had braces or anything that might make cleaning tricky?

Yeah, the root canal part threw me too. My son hasn’t had braces but he does have pretty tight spacing between his back teeth, so I’m wondering if that’s making it harder to keep things clean even though he brushes and flosses (well, most of the time). The dentist said “deep cavities,” but when I looked at the X-rays, honestly, it all just looked like fuzzy white and gray blobs to me. Is there any way to tell from an X-ray what’s actually going on, or do you just have to trust what they say?

I’m also curious - when you got a second opinion, did they take new X-rays or just look at the ones you brought? I’m debating whether to get another set done somewhere else or see if another dentist can read the same images differently. Not super excited about more radiation if we don’t need it.

And about fillings - do they always fill every spot that looks suspicious, or is it normal for dentists to “watch” some of them? I’ve heard about “watch and wait” but never actually had a dentist suggest it for us before.

Cost is definitely on my mind too. If we end up doing eight fillings plus a root canal... yikes. Did insurance cover your son’s work when you went through something similar? Or did you have to fight with them over what was necessary?

It’s just weird because he isn’t complaining of pain at all. Makes me wonder how urgent this really is. Has anyone else had their kid go from zero complaints to suddenly needing a ton of dental work?

I totally get the X-ray confusion - unless you’ve had dental training, it’s basically impossible to tell what’s happening just by looking at those images. When I got a second opinion for my daughter, the new dentist was happy to look at our old X-rays, but also took a few new ones just for clarity (which made me nervous about the extra radiation, too). Sometimes they’ll “watch” spots if they’re borderline, but if decay is deep or spreading fast, they usually want to fill right away. Insurance covered most of our fillings but balked at the root canal until we sent in extra documentation. And yeah, my kid never complained of pain either - it was all found at a routine checkup. Kind of shocking how quickly things can go from fine to needing major work...

The X-rays are honestly a mystery to me, too. I remember sitting there squinting at those little black-and-white images, just nodding along while the dentist explained “shadowing” and “lesions.” Without their training, it’s like reading tea leaves.

We went through something similar with my son last year - no pain, no complaints, just a regular checkup and suddenly we’re talking about multiple fillings and possibly a root canal. It’s wild how fast things can escalate, especially if cavities are hiding between teeth or under old sealants. I was also anxious about the extra X-rays, but our dentist reassured us that modern digital ones have pretty minimal radiation compared to the old days.

Insurance was a headache for us, too. They covered most fillings but wanted tons of paperwork for anything more complicated. It helped to get written notes from the dentist explaining why the root canal was necessary (even though my son never said he felt a thing).

If you’re unsure, getting a second opinion really made me feel better - sometimes they’ll suggest just monitoring spots instead of jumping right to treatment. Either way, it’s definitely overwhelming when it all comes up at once...

I hear you on the X-rays - half the time I feel like I’m just pretending to see what the dentist is talking about. When they start pointing out “suspicious areas,” it feels like they’re reading a secret code. My kid had a similar thing last year - no pain, but suddenly we were staring down a list of fillings and one possible root canal. I pushed for a second opinion and, honestly, the other dentist said half those spots could just be watched for now. Not saying dentists are out to get us, but sometimes their idea of “urgent” isn’t the same as mine. If you’re not 100% sold, it’s worth seeing someone else before diving in.

I totally get the confusion with X-rays - every time they show me those black-and-white images, I just nod like I understand, but honestly, it could be a weather map for all I know. When my cousin had a bunch of “urgent” cavities, we got a second opinion and the new dentist said some were just stains or super shallow spots that didn’t need drilling yet. I guess sometimes dentists are just being extra cautious, but it’s hard to tell what’s really necessary. Makes me wonder how often people get work done they might not actually need...

That’s exactly what I worry about too. My son’s dentist showed us his X-rays and pointed out eight spots he called cavities, but honestly, I couldn’t tell what I was looking at. It just looked like a bunch of fuzzy shadows. We’ve been told he might need a root canal on one tooth, but it’s so hard to know if it’s actually necessary or just “playing it safe.” Has anyone else had their kid told they needed major dental work, only to find out later it wasn’t urgent after all? I’m tempted to get another opinion, but I don’t want to seem distrustful.

It just looked like a bunch of fuzzy shadows.

Same here - X-rays are basically dental Rorschach tests to me. My sister’s kid was told he needed a filling on every molar, but a second dentist said half were just “watch and wait” spots. I’d totally get another opinion, no shame in that. Better safe than drilling for no reason, right?

Totally hear you on the “fuzzy shadows” thing - if I’m honest, I stare at dental X-rays and just nod along, hoping the dentist knows what they’re seeing. It really does feel like a guessing game sometimes. I’ve been in a similar spot with my daughter. One dentist flagged a bunch of “urgent” cavities and wanted to fill them all right away. We went for a second opinion, and that dentist said only two actually needed anything done and the rest were just spots to keep an eye on.

It can be overwhelming, especially when it’s your kid and you want to do what’s best for them. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting another opinion, especially before something as major as a root canal. Sometimes it turns out the less aggressive approach is fine, especially with younger teeth that might remineralize or heal up with better care. Dental work is expensive and stressful, so it’s worth making sure it’s truly necessary before moving forward.

That’s honestly my biggest worry - how do you really know if all those “cavities” are a big deal or just something to watch? I get so anxious trying to interpret those X-rays. We got conflicting opinions too, and it made me second-guess everything. I wish dentists were more upfront about what’s urgent and what can wait, especially with teens whose teeth are still changing.