I took my 4-year-old to the dentist yesterday, and they pushed pretty hard on the fluoride treatment again. I mean, I get it, cavities are bad news and all that, but it feels like every single visit they're upselling me on extra fluoride stuff. Last time we went, they did a fluoride varnish thingy and charged extra for it (insurance didn't cover it fully, of course 🙄). This time they wanted to do it again, even though it's only been six months.
I brush her teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste already, and she doesn't eat tons of sweets or sugary drinks. It just seems like overkill to me. Plus, my kid absolutely hates the taste and texture of that sticky stuff they paint on her teeth—she was miserable afterward.
Am I being paranoid or overly cautious here? Or does anyone else feel like dentists are pushing these treatments a bit too aggressively lately? Curious if this is just our dentist or if it's becoming a common thing everywhere...
"I brush her teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste already, and she doesn't eat tons of sweets or sugary drinks."
You're definitely doing the right things already. Fluoride varnish every 6 months is pretty standard, but if your kid absolutely hates it, it's okay to skip occasionally—especially if she's low-risk. Dentists can be a bit... enthusiastic sometimes.
