We kind of had the same debate at our place. My oldest hated the taste and texture, and I honestly questioned if it was just a “nice to have” thing dentists push. But after a couple years, I did notice fewer cavities popping up for both kids—hard to say if it’s just luck or the varnish, but our last two cleanings were cavity-free (which is a first). Dental bills didn’t exactly drop, but we definitely avoided those surprise filling charges, so it probably evens out. For me, it’s more about not stressing every time they eat something sweet.
For me, it’s more about not stressing every time they eat something sweet.
I totally get that. I’m always on edge about my kid’s teeth since I needed braces and had a bunch of fillings as a kid. We tried the varnish even though my daughter gagged at first. The peace of mind after a few cavity-free checkups was worth the drama, honestly. I still kind of wonder if it’s luck or the varnish too, but I’ll take it.
I hear you on the peace of mind, but honestly, I keep second-guessing the varnish price tag. My dentist pushed it hard, but with three kids, that stuff adds up fast. We’ve mostly stuck to brushing and flossing, and yeah, sometimes I just cross my fingers and hope for the best. Maybe I’m just cheap, but I’d rather put that cash toward a movie night and remind them to rinse after sweets. Not sure if it’s luck or genetics either, but so far, so good… knock on wood.
I totally get where you’re coming from on the sticker shock—when my twins were little, I remember staring at that varnish line item on the bill and thinking, “Is this really necessary?” For a while, we just did brushing, flossing, and the occasional fluoride rinse, and things seemed fine. But then my youngest got a cavity at her six-year checkup, and I felt like I’d dropped the ball. The dentist explained that genetics can play a role, but also how those varnish treatments are like an extra shield, especially for kids who snack or aren’t always super thorough with brushing.
Honestly, I still flinch at the cost sometimes. But after seeing how much a filling cost (not to mention the drama of getting her to sit still for it), I figured I’d rather try to prevent another one if possible. Still, it’s a gamble either way… some kids just seem to have superhero teeth no matter what. If your current routine’s working, maybe stick with it, but I do think about that “ounce of prevention” thing more than I used to.
But then my youngest got a cavity at her six-year checkup, and I felt like I’d dropped the ball.
That’s exactly my fear. My oldest hasn’t had any cavities yet, but every time the dentist brings up varnish, I start second-guessing what we’re doing. We do brush and floss, but I worry it’s not enough, especially since he’s not the best at brushing on his own. The cost is hard to swallow, but after hearing about the drama with fillings, I’m kind of leaning toward just paying for the varnish and hoping it saves us trouble down the road.
Still, part of me wonders if we’re just getting talked into extra stuff. I know some kids never get cavities and their parents never did varnish... but then again, I’d feel awful if he needed a filling and I could’ve prevented it. I guess I’m just anxious about making the wrong choice. Anyone else go back and forth like this?
