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Did you give your child laughing gas at the dentist?



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gold21




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 11 2010, 6:49 pm
My 4 year old has 4 cavities. Dont freak out. Yes he brushes his teeth almost every night, and he brushes very well and under supervision. The dentist says his teeth and gums look healthy B"H... except for those cavities!! No he doesnt consume an abnormal amount of sugar either. Anyways, I am seriously considering laughing gas for the procedures. Any advice? Did you find laughing gas to be helpful? Any other dentist-trip advice appreciated as well.
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Tehilla




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 11 2010, 6:51 pm
Can't answer your question, but I did learn years ago that cavities tend to be genetic. They took oral swabs of our mouth and were able to show a certain reaction that showed up chemically that showed who was prone to cavities and who not. It was true for all those in the class.
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mosma




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 11 2010, 7:00 pm
my son had a ton of cavities at age 4 as well (and DH and I have never had one ever!)
I used laughing gas the first time and it was a DISASTER. it didn't help him with the pain, he was still a screaming wreck, and then for 2 hours after he see-sawed between hysterical laughter and crazy crying.
it was funny as heck in a way but miserable for him and I felt awful.
AND they charged me 50 bux for it!
never again.
much better without it.
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Tehilla




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 11 2010, 7:03 pm
Oh, I would say my first reaction would be to not give it.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Jul 11 2010, 7:31 pm
Despite good brushing, some of my kids are also cavity-prone.
Unless your 4 yr old is VERY patient and accommodating, and the cavities are quite shallow and your dentist is amazing, you will likely need to use something.
Choices: laughing gas, medicine to make them drowsy, full anaethetic
We have used them all, at diff times. the laughing gas was the easiest, and we had no problems. For more serious work, we did the meds, (tastes gross, but chocolate helps). It worked well on one, but she screamed for half an hour when it wore off. My other child resisted the meds, 2 doses, and we had to put her out. I felt terrrible, but there was really no choice.
I have come to realize that it is better to use something to relax them, rather than not and have a bad experience. This happened with our first, it hurt her so much, that she still is very hard to take to the dentist, and sh'e a teen.
Discuss your options with your dentist, and maybe dr, too. Noone likes to give stuff to their kids, but sometimes it's for the greater good...
Hatzlacha!!
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SingALong




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 11 2010, 8:17 pm
When my DD had 4 major cavities requiring 2 hours of dental treatment, she was 3 years old at the time, we used like a sedation drink and laughing gas. She cried tons in the begining about 10 minutes, she was in a straight jacket and then she was relaxed/asleep forthe remainder of the treatment. I had her take it easy that day, didn't go to school.

When she had a tiny cavity for 10 minutes treatment we gave nothing just held her down.
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RedRuby




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 11 2010, 9:32 pm
My DD (age 7 at the time) needed a tooth extracted and they used laughing gas in addition to the numbing.

She was so terrified, we practically had to pry her mouth open just for the examination...disaster!
I thought she'd be traumatized about going to the dentist for life.

The laughing gas was a LIFE SAVER! She was loopy and giggly and very relaxed. So we had a good experience with it.

If the patient is fearful or anxious, it can be very helpful.
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groisamomma




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 11 2010, 10:16 pm
Nope. When ds's dentist raised the idea of filling 4 cavities surgically in the operating room at hosp, I ran a mile away to find another dentist ASAP. I won't hear of giving him anything since then besides numbing. That other dentist was brusque with kids and viewed them as an inconvenience to mankind anyway. If your dentist is gentle and patiently explains everything like ours, why give it?

How do you know for sure the laughing gas won't cause long-term damage? Not that I've looked into it or anything. Both dd and ds had it before surgery (NOT dental) and I cried hysterically both times along with them until after the kid eventually went under. By dd, doc suggested I go into op room with her until she falls asleep; it was the biggest chessed to do for a mother b/c I was more reassured that she was fine.

No, I wouldn't give it unless there's REALLY no alternative.
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yo'ma




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jul 12 2010, 4:41 am
No. His cavities were not deep and she knew it wouldn't hurt so much, but if it was worse, I don't know.
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supermama2




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jul 12 2010, 4:44 am
My 6 y.o. had laughing gas for some cavitites. The Dentist ( whom I trust ) gave him the gas to relax him a bit before giving the numbing shots in the mouth. My kids who have needed it did well with it. They were mellow fellows for a little while after.
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shalhevet




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jul 12 2010, 4:58 am
No. The dentists push it because it costs more $$ and they are guaranteed an easier time. Also many children today are spoilt brats and won't do anything they don't want to.

If your kids are reasonably well-behaved you really don't need it IMHO. Obviously they get an anasthetic so it won't hurt. It really boils down to, can you get your child to sit nicely for 10 or 20 minutes just because you ask them to (I hope most mothers here can answer yes). I would use it for a child who is very fearful, has problems sitting for enjoyable activities, or maybe very young (under 2.5 or 3).

Otherwise you are paying more and having a slightly greater risk, when you don't need to.
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gold21




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jul 12 2010, 8:43 am
Hmm... well groissamama im not the type to be overly concerned with long-term effects in something that is proven to be safe... I am generally in favor or using medication and painkillers... im more concerned about how the laughing gas works, is it going to be a help or a stressor, what to expect with it, etc... Shalhevet, my son is generally a well-behaved mature little guy B"H, but he is pretty young, so im nervous... Thanks for everyone's responses!! :-)
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mindyme




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jul 12 2010, 9:10 am
I'm not a dr, but from watching the kids, and having had it once myself, it relaxes you. this is the setup at my dentist, yours is prob the same. They have different scents they can use (fruit, bubblegum, etc), so it's pleasant. A rubber mask is put over the nose and mouth (Some kids may get scared of teh feeling) but it works very quickly. The dentist calculates the dose based on weight, and the assisstant monitors the levels while he's working. They also put a pulse oximeter on the fingertip to make sure e/t is ok. The child prob won't remember much if anything, and they will be giddy and slightly wierd for a while after. I have never personally heard of any bad reactions, but some posters say they have had. It may depend on the skill and experience of teh dentist.
I found it helpful for the littler ones to have them hold their "lovey", (blankie, teddy, whatever). also some dentists have a screen above the chair that plays music with the abstracts. Maybe you could bring a fave DVD?
I really don't feel it's such a big deal, and it allows the work to get done in their mouth. Again, as I said above, you MAY be able to skip it, but with so much work to do (very likely more than 10 min as someone said, for 4 cavities), it's the right thing.
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flowerpower




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jul 12 2010, 9:14 am
Ds brushes well, doesn't drink sweet drinks, and eats basically only healthy. He has a mouth full of bad teeth. He just got a filling last week where they used laughing gas, It didn't work well by him because he didn't really inhale it but it tends to really relax the kid. They told me it works for most little kids.
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