IV Sedation!!!!

when my daughter had a same expierence they gave her "sily juice " to drink. she drank it and played for a few mins and poof she was out. can't imagine doing an IV on someone so little while there are other options. do you go to a pediatric dentist.

Get a second opinion-its a baby tooth, maybe they can fill it with a composite filling and see how that goes first. If she really needed a root canal she would be in pain, and if she starts to feel pain, you can do it then. At the same time get sealents on all her molars so she can be protected as best as possible.

Is Nitric Oxide an option? It's less expensive than IV sedation and should relax her enough so she would open her mouth.

Hi Y.. My 3 year old daughter had 8 cavities when she turned 2.5 yrs old. Our old dentist told us a baby root canal "had to be done right away." This was a red flag for us. You shouldn't have to decide so fast especially if it means putting your baby down (which has its own dangers) or strapping her down and giving her mental stress against dentists for the rest of her life. So, our wonderful pediatrician suggested Dr.Smith who has been practicing and serving generations of kids. He only treats kids and therefore his whole clinic is geared to make children feel comfortable. We took my daughter there and so far, he has not recommend a baby root canal. He puts a non-chemical based "patch" so to speak, then has us take her in every couple of months so he can monitor the cavities. He also taught us how to prevent future cavities. My daughter is fine and does not complain of any tooth pain. Please seek this second opinin. It's worth doing. Dr.Smith's number is ###-###-####. He's based in mid-L.A./West Hollywood area. If you live too far, then call and ask him for a recommendation in your area. Good luck.

When my son needed each of his root canals they used nitros both times and the first time they used a papoose board which basically swaddles them. My son has geneticly weak teeth so we've had all sorts of problems with him.
We ended up looking for a new dentist that was less extreme in the end. Also, pulling the tooth isn't a good idea. They need some of them up until 12 and they need all of them for their jaws to grow correctly. It's not the best idea to do.
We go to Dr Dixon's office in Rancho Bernardo http://www.dixonandthurston.com/
They are very non-evasive in their way of doing things. They have video games the kids can play and movies they can watch with also help.
I used to listen to my walkman when I needed dental work and that helped a lot. Distraction besically.
If you can I would really look for another dentist that's less invasive if you can. There is no need for such drastic measures as IV sedation. It's more the dentist doesn't want to deal with the child.
Best of luck!

So sorry to hear of your situation. My husband is an RN and he sedates people every day and he feels that unless the dentist or persons helping are trained in recessitation of pediatrics and have the equipment to do so, and a hospital is within a few minutes, the answer is no, it's not safe. Odds are nothing would happen but if so, it would be horrible. So, perhaps a few questions for your dentist are in order first.
good luck and remember that tooth is going to fall out.....
ps. have they thought about pulling the tooth?

I had to sedate my son when he was 2 1/2 for an MRI. It was one of the most traumatic things I have ever done. They wouldnt even do it without a pediatrician standing by. I would definitely not recommend it for dental work where complete stillness is not required. My nephew's dentist (he is 6) wanted to do a root canal. After a lot of research, my sister in law learned that it almost never recommended to do a root canal on baby teeth because the roots are so small and you could injure the adult tooth underneath. She chose extraction instead and everthing worked out fine.

Can they use gas? My son is 4 and he had to get two fillings. The dentist gave him gas and she was able to work on his cavities. Normally he hates the dentist, but with the gas he told the dentist that he loves her :-).

The treatment was also covered by my insurance.

Are you using a pediatric dentist? IV Sedation is usually safe, unless she is allergic to it. Maybe they could use gas? Seems like a lot to pay for IV, but DON't WAIT. Try to get the dentist to find something your insurance does cover.

I had to have 2 root canals at age 8 --- hurt worse than anything, couldn't sleep at night, etc. Anyway it was abscessed (infected) and I had to go years on antibiotics w/ the tooth open and draining pus. (Not fun at any age.) Not to mention back 30 plus yrs ago, root canals weren't perfected and they waited 5 years for my roots to get big enough for the dentist to work on. Horrible! Then to top it off, 10 yrs later, in college the tooth crumbled (because it should have been capped -- never use silver caps) and I lost the tooth. I've since had several bridges (they're not permanent despite the high cost) and sometimes need to be redone every 5-7 yrs.

Your daughter is probably in some pain and telling you it doesn't hurt to avoid dealing with it. Best to try to get into UCLA or USC dental school and deal with it now, rather than wait until a friday night when the cavity has hit the nerves or infection sets in and you have to deal with emergency costs on top of regular scheduled costs.
Good Luck!

Don't wait until it hurts, she may loose the tooth. It may be a baby tooth, but it is hold ithe space for her permanent tooth. I worked at a pediatric dental office and we routinely did IV sedation. It sound horrible, but in most cases the child doesn't remember a thing and it makes for happy visits afterwards. Also, most dentist bring in an anesthesiologist for this proceedure. DId you see a general dentist or a pediatric dentist. If you saw a general dentist, get a second opinion from a pediatric dentist, he mayh be able to do something else, but may be more tramatic for your child. Also, try calling your medical insurance to see if they cover GA for dental work.
Good luck
K. E

Hi Y.,

You need to look into having your medical insurance approve this because of her age. Your dentist has to write up a letter stating the problem. I was told by my medical doctor that there is dental services for children under the age of 7. Also if there was a medical issue. My son is 5 and he is also Autistic, so he has to be sedated. We tried the nitrous one time, it did not go over well. We are in the process of getting his teeth capped this time, because in less than six months he broke out the fillings that were already done. His pediatric dentist does this at CHOC hospital where he is monitored and taken to recovery afterwards. We were very comfortable with this. We did have a $500.oo deductable with our Medical insurance. It will depend on your insurance. I would not wait. Look into your medical for approval along with your dental

When my oldest was 3, she needed 2 root canals. Don't wait until she feels pain - it's too traumatic for her. We didn''t know she had any problems until she felt pain, and so began a summer long process of finding a good pediatric dentist to do the work (we went through 4 - the first one said she also had five other cavities, but it turns out she didn't). We first tried the gas - she liked it but couldn't keep her mouth open long enough to have the work done. Hearing her scream was harrowing. So we did the IV sedation. Unfortunately, most pediatric dentists have an anethesiologist come into the office only once a month, so she had to wait, in pain, for 2 weeks. We too had to pay the ungodly amount of money. The one thing they told us to be aware of with the IV was that she would fall asleep with her eyes open. Very creepy, but we were prepared. Then the dentist was able to do the work. By then, her teeth were so bad that they needed to be extracted and then have spacers put in until she's 12. When she woke up from the sedation, she was screaming, not from pain, but from the medicine. Again, they warned us, so we knew what to expect. Luckily, she doesn't remember any of this and doesn't fear the dentist. Go for the IV sedation if you can. Do whatever you have to to get the money or have insurance pay. And when she's old enough, have her teeth sealed. It's painless, although costs about $50-$60 a tooth. Not cheap. But so worth it. Good luck. And I'm so sorry you and your daughter are going through this. I know how awful it all is.

The amount of IV sedation is given according to your daughter's weight. I am nurse and where I work I see IV sedation given to many children your daugthers age for different procedures. Unfortunately being that it is a dental procedure, I don't think there is no way getting around not paying out of pocket. I would talk to the office manager to see if you can make monthly payments. I wouldn't ignore the matter. I personally have had the same problem and I am an adult and I didn't have pain until later and when I did it really hurt!! I wouldn't want your daughter to go thru the pain especially at 4yrs old.

I don't know much about the IV sedation however from personal experience please for the well being of your child do not wait until it hurts her. I went through that and it is not the kind of pain that you want for a child.

Hi Y.- we had a situation like this. My daughter has had 2 root canals without sedation. She's a pretty good patient though. I can reccomend a dentist that is wonderful with children. Unfortunately both of these teeth needed to be extracted because the teeth were too far gone. they just grew in bad. Talk about $$. Anyways the 2nd time she was sedated because she had 7 cavities also. She has weak teeth. It was harder on me than her. If you want the details my # is ###-###-####. anyways when she was sedated it was only $700 as they use someone from UCLA. If its only one tooth I'm surprised that they want to sedate. It is safe, but when your little one wakes up and can hardly walk it is tough. When they pull a tooth they also put in a spacer so that there is room for the big tooth to move in. Her teeth seem to be doing better now. We were told no chewy candy or snacks. This includes fruit roll ups, gummy bears etc. Anyways call me if you want some info. as i said i know two excellent dentists.One on Larchmont and one in the valley. The one in the valley is female and compassionate to financial situations. Best, H.

My goodness you've received at lot of replies. I don't have time to read them so I'm just going to offer my suggestion. I was told my son would have to undergo IV sedation for two cavaties when he was 2 years old. And it was going to cost $1,500. I consulted with my pediatrician who told me to seek a second opinion. I called my dental insurance carrier (Cigna) who recommended a fabulous pediatric dentist, Dr. Tina Azin. She has a practice in Ranch Santa Margarita and at Aliso Kids in Aliso Viejo. She was/is awesome! She told me that only one tooth really needed to be dealt with and she could do it using laughing gas/nitrous oxide. They put the little "piggy nose" on my son after he picked out the movie he wanted to watch on the ceiling mounted television and within 25 minutes, we were out the door with a balloon and a new toothbrush. My insurance didn't cover the nitrous oxide but it only cost $150. Definitely seek a second opinion. I too was so fearful of putting my child under sedation and I'm so happy I took the time to get a second opinion. It also doesn't hurt to check with your medical insurance carrier to see what, if any, they might cover. Good luck!

You may want to start with a second opinion from another dentist. There is the possibility that another dentist might use laughing gas which does not put your child completely under. My son had a tooth extracted this way. There are always dangers associated with anesthesia, however root canals are often long and can be difficult procedures. You may need to sedate your child. I would call the insurance and tell them your predicament. Ask them to recommend someone for a second opinion and or ask if a second opinion would help them to reimburse you. One thing I would not do if I were you, is to wait until your daughter feels pain. If the tooth becomes abscessed (gets an infection in the root) your child could be in a tremendous amount of pain. This in turn may sensitize the whole area and treatment will be much more difficult, including the possibility of a lot of antibiotics. I had an abscessed tooth this past year that became resistant to antibiotic treatment. I was in pain for over a month, I had to sleep sitting up in a chair and make late night runs into the dentist’s office where they had to drain the tooth and gum. You want to avoid infection if you can; one’s teeth are very close to the brain.

Hi Y.. I work for a health insurance company and I think by law, we have to cover sedation for dental procedures for children under the age of 7. I would check with your health insurance to see if they cover it. Your dental coverage doesn't cover it? I'm surprised since it's medically nessesary. I would check on that to with the dental insurance. maybe the dentist can tell them to approve it since it's medically nesssary because of her age. Try all angles and push. It may get covered.

Did the dentist offer you laughing gas as an alternative? They used that on my son when he had to have a tooth pulled and it worked really well. Otherwise, I'd be on the phone to my pediatrician, talking to him/her about this, and also making sure this is an EXCELLENT dentist.

Get a second opinion. Maybe they can just do a crown, or a very large cavity. It's only a baby tooth, so I think a root canal is extreme. Can they give her light sedation or just numb it and extract the tooth?

I am also a single mom and had to have my daughter under IV sedation for enamel work when she was not quite 2. See if they can do oral sedation instead. It's less expensive.

My kids have a wonderful dentist in Carlsbad. They watch a movie and have ear plugs during the whole time they are lying on the chair - which makes the whole experience very easy. If you want to give her a call, here it is:
Dr. Tadano ###-###-####

Y., I would try taking her to get a second opinion. I have a tooth that the dentists kept telling me needed a root canal; however, the tooth does not bother me in the least. Most of the dentists have said if it isn't bothering you we won't mess with it. Biggest difference here is that I don't have a cavity in the tooth. My question is that I am assuming that this is in her primary tooth not her permanant teeth and if she is just going to lose the tooth in a year or so do you really need to spend that kind of money? Of couse if it is bothering her I would spend the money and get it done. If you are talking about just getting a cavity filled, the pediatric dentist we use has the laughing gas for kids that are upset over people working in their mouths (and no it isn't covered by insurance). However, with a root canal that is pretty major and I am shocked that an insurance company would not cover sedation for a child that needs to have this done. I would call your insurance and ask just to make sure. I just looked at our coverage and it says that if a periodontist or Oral surgeon uses IV sediation it is covered. Maybe you need to see if a periodontist or Oral surgeon can perform the root canal? I have no idea what those people are or how they differ from dentists but it is worth it to find out if you are spending 1200 out of your pocket. Sorry I can't help you with the IV sedation, haven't had it and my sons haven't either. I would get a second opinion.

Hi! I would contact Dr. Richard Mungo, a pediatric dentist who specializes in high risk cases. He is located in Huntington Beach, CA.

I would definitely trust him to do the anesthesia and I bet they could get it covered under insurance.

Good Luck

You could have them pull the tooth and have a spacer put in. Your insurance should pay for that, but you'd better check.
Best of luck with this, sorry I wasn't more help!
S.

I have to have my son put to sleep also, but we do it in the hospital, depending on your insurance if you have a dental and a medical seperate then you can bill the dental and the iv is billed to the medical, make sure she is exam by the doctor before the appt. If you have medical a state based insurance on your on a hmo through medical get her off of the hmo dental and put her on straight medical, they will pay for all of it, the iv is safe its not as harsh as a surgery iv they use a much lighter solution, and they dont wake up sick. Good Luck hope this helped.

Check with your medical carrier they may cover it, mine did.

Good Luck
L.

Hi Y.,
I too would look to another dds. You could always have the tooth pulled and a spacer put in since this is a baby tooth. Good luck,
V.

I use to work for a pediatric dentist and it is VERY common for an anesthesiologist to be brought in for IV sedation. What IS NOT safe is when they just let the child drink some medication and then they are unmonitored. With IV sedation, your child will be monitored the entire time. You probably will not get your insurance to pay. The dental doesn't cover it and only covers so much a year anyhow. The medical WILL consider reimbursing you IF the child has a medical condition preventing him/her from doing the treatment the traditional way (without IV sedation), such as Autism, ADHD, etc. If you cannot get your insurance to pay, you can apply for CareCredit, it's a medical credit card through GE Money that gives you a line of credit and a year to pay it back with no interest if you set it up that way. You, of course, need to see if the doctor that is doing the sedation takes CareCredit as a form of payment. You can apply online and get an answer right away. Good luck!

Will your insurance cover nitrous oxide, also known as "laughing gas?" My teenager has had good success with this. It doesn't put them out, but it makes it so they just don't care.

Have the dentist's office contact the insurance company and explain that the procedure cannot be completed without the sedation. Don't take the first (or often even the second)rejection from the insurance company. We faced the same issue with our son when he was eight and had 10 teeth pulled. The insurance company didn't want to pay for sedation as it isn't a normal part of pulling teeth. We had to (several times) explain that there was no way anyone would pull 10 teeth out of a child without some sort of sedation. They eventually covered it. Good luck!!

If the cavity has reached the nerve, the root canal is probably necessary. I just had one (obviously not on a baby tooth though) and it was a terrible experience. They had to give me a sedative so I could get through it. And that kind of pain is not something you want a child to have.

It's never a bad idea to get a second opinion, but do it quickly if your daughter is in pain.

Every case and child are different. So, get a second opinion. But don't delay - that could make it worse. My daughter had a root canal at about that age. She wasn't very cooperative, but once the area was numb they were able to proceed with no problems. No laughing gas. No sedation. when my oldest was younger, the dentist gave her a mild sedative by pill a couple of hours beforehand to keep her calm. Once again, no laughing gas, no IV sedation. So, get a second opinion and do what YOU think is best! Good luck.

Getting a root canal on a baby tooth sounds funny to me. Get a second opinion. There is something not right about this situation. Maybe your insurance company can give you the name of a dentist that specializes in children in your area so you know you would be covered. Please get a second opinion. Also check with the county dental association

http://www.ladental.com/finddent.php This is for Los Angeles County referrals of members of the local dental society.

http://www.1800dentist.com/?s_kwcid=dental%20referral|###...# This is another referral network

http://www.1800dentist.com/pediatric-dentist?s_kwcid=pedi...# this is for children's dentists

http://www.dbc.ca.gov/verification/index.shtml This site checks to see that your dentist is currently licensed and you can see if there are any complaints.

Hope this helps a little bit

I feel your pain. We went through this a little over a year ago. I would shop that price. We paid $900 for sedation. You could also ask if they offer a reduction. What was worse, is that we ran into one of the students from my daughter's class at the dentist and she had the same procedure and the military had a special fund and they paid it for her. We are also military. I realized, that I need to start researching programs and seeing if we qualify for help. I had no idea that there were people that would help. But, at least you can ask the dentist office these two questions:

Is that the cheapest price?
Do you know of any programs to help us?

I would research the internet too. As far as it being safe, nothing is totally safe. I am totally against pharmaceuticals and I cried when I saw her eyes roll back in her head, but there was no choice. It had to be done. Ask God to watch over and protect your child and research all of your options.

God Bless!

J.

I don't have any advice on the cost part, but my three year old son recently was sedated when he needed to have his finger stitched up. He had fallen at school and needed about seven stitches. I was terified to put him to sleep, but they did what they called a "conscious sedation" (not sure if I spelled that correctly). I guess he was not fully sedated, but it sure seemed like it watching him. I have to say, while it was horrible to see him lying there sedated, it was the right thing to do. It would have been so much more horrible for him if he'd been awake while the stitches were going in. So, I totally get your concerns, but sometimes, it does seem like the best thing.

Both of my boys have really bad teeth and needed several teeth worked on and our dentist Dr. Santos Cortez in Long Beach recommended the Sedation. We had it done on both boys and they were just fine! No pain and no side affects of the sedations. Much cheaper at his office! The great thing is they do not fear the dentist and look forward to going back and getting cleanings down because they do not remember anything! Here is his number... ###-###-####

I had my daughter under sedation. I use a pediatric dentist Dr. Lowe in Corona, CA great office. Because they are so small they squirm and the first time I brought my daughter to a dentist she was in the papoose contraption, and screamed the entire time. That's when I found Dr. Lowe. My daughter remembers the papoose to this day; bad memories. It was better with the sedation, she got a shot to begin with and that's all my daugter remembered. I don't remember $1200, but I do remember having to pay $500, but my coverage did cover up to 6 years old. I was so in fear of the dentist when I was young, I am now just able to sit and be somewhat calm. If the first experience is bad it will last, and as for waiting for the pain, that could be worse. Good luck.
E.

You will have to make the best decision for your daughter, but, IV sedation, while monitored is safer than versed or nitrous oxide. it is the monitoring that makes it safer. plus, if she is "out" she wont remember scary dentist stuff.

Since you are a single mother, can you qualify for assistance through a program? I would call and find out. Not sure of the government programs, but I used Medical (a long time ago-12 years). Please look into this for your daughter.
And please, don't wait until she feels the pain. Make some calls.....and if that somehow doesn't work out, ask the dentist to put you on a payment plan...most dentists will do that without charging you interest...if he/she doesn't, find a different dentist. I know it's a lot of money....don't let that stress you out....you should be able to get some help sweetie! Please email back if you need more support. I'm sorry you're alone in this,,,,,been there! My daughter is now 12! I raised her alone for 8 years! Stay strong...you are a good mom! Take care!

Holy Cow!! Here's my opinion from the perspective of someone who has had work on every tooth in my head!!! As a kid I wasn't afraid to go to the dentist until I had a bad experience. Imagine what your daughter will think the next time she goes to the dentist! At that age my teeth were just pulled. I had 2 teeth in the same situation and they just pulled them out. Baby teeth are not difficult to pull at all so it will be quick. Putting a little girl under for something that isn't ABSOLUTELY needed just scares me. It is a lot of money and a lot of worry. I would take the time to see another dentist for a second opinion. It's a baby tooth! It will just fall out in fourth grade anyway!

My 5 year old also needs dental work that requires IV sedation and I am very nervous. So nervous in fact that I keep putting it off but we are at a point where it needs to be done. I need to do what's best for him and put it in the Lord's hands. We saw two different dentists. The first quoted the sedation at $1,400 and the second dentist quoted us at $850. The second dentist also said he would abide by our decision to use or not use sedation, however he highly recommends it in our sons case because he said it would be traumatic for him to go through the procedure without the sedation and then have to return for 2 additional visits. My advice would be to get a second opinion. Good luck. I hope this helps.

Does it really have to be an IV sedation?? There must be some other ways of sedating your child. Find another dentist if yours does not offer an alternative. From personal experience with root canals, you do NOT want to wait until she feels the pain. Sedate the child by oral medication or whatever you can and get the procedure done, or else pull the tooth. Is pulling the tooth an option?? It will probably be a cheaper one!!

The doc needs to tell the insurance company that it is absolutely necessary to have the procedure done. If he is not willing to do that, then he has to find a way to help you or do without. I would not wait, it will be extremely painful for your child if you do. Not sure if you have ever had a toothache (unfortunately I have), but it is horrible! Good luck to you.

The dentist told me the same thing when my daughter was 3 years old. I refused to do it with an IV sedation. The dentist was not happy with me and acted very unkind and unfriendly. I decided to find a new dentist quickly. I found a lovely woman dentist and told her the situation and how much an IV sedation would cost out of my own pocket too. She recommneded laughing gas which works perfectly. They are not asleep, they don't feel anything at all. She uses a staff of well trained assistants and they made the whole thing fun, if you can make something like that fun! There was a place for me to sit behind her and the dentist so my daughter could hear my voice and she knew I was there there the whole time. It went super fast and my child never cried at all. She wathced a movie and afterwards had no pain or true memory of the expereince.It cost about $100-$150 I don't remember for the laughing gas. You might want to be sure if she really needs a root canal. Most baby teeth do not need a root canal. She might need a cap of some kind, but a root canal sounds extreme for first teeth. Get a 2nd opinion or even a 3rd. If your child is not in pain you have time to decide who and how to do this. You are your child's voice, always.The $1200 plus the root canal may cost you close to $2000 so find out about another way to do this. Call your pediatrician and ask about referrals to to other dentists. Good luck to you and your child. Also, an IV sedation makes it easier for the dentist that's why they prefer it. Some dentists don't use laughing gas, but some do. Keep us posted. We went to Dr. Roberson in Northridge.

Hi Y.,

I recently went through the scarry IV sedation with my son, I would like to report that it went very smooth and he is not scared to go to the dentist he is even looking forward to going I tried to go the other route with allowing them to give him the laughing gas and strapping him in and I would not recommend either that was more trauma then the IV he did not even know he had all that stuff hooked up to him.

I have Delta as an insurance carrier and they explained to me unless my son had some type of handicap it was no way they were going to cover. Talk to your dentist and work things all the way out before she has the procedure and they could also give you a payment plan you could live with.

I pray all goes good for you.

There are always risks involved in any IV Sedation procedure, and ultimately it is your decision to make, but remember this: when a tooth stops hurting it is not always a good sign.

Sometimes this means the cavity has hit the "pulp" and the tooth is now dead, which will require a root canal, build up (sometimes post) and ultimately a crown to protect the root canal. Infections from a tooth in children can also be life threatening (can travel quickly to brain) and this is why sometimes the risks to sedate outweigh the long term consequences.

Just for Kids Dentistry--Dr. Laurie Abrams (on Tropicana West of Fort Apache) has a great reputation in the Valley for Sedation Dentistry. Care Credit (a no interest payment plan) can help with the finances---dental insurance usually maxes at 1000/year and is often never enough...unfortunately it's typical. You may want to check out your medical insurance for coverage for sedation portion of the expense as well. Check out carecredit.com for no interest financing.

Good luck to you!