Paediatric Dentist - Dental Insurance?

Wexy86

Hi,

had my 7 year old at a new dentist recently, and she has flagged a few items that previous dentist never mentioned following X-rays (last seen initial dentist around a year ago) and said we should see a paediatric dentist and referred us to one in Clonmel.

1. there is some decay on one upper back tooth, too much for filling, and tooth needs extraction at some stage, issue being that there is no adult tooth behind so the options are to either have a root cancel to save the baby tooth, or remove and leave a gap. No pain referenced yet by child but dentist thinks not far based on closeness of decay to nerve
2. noted enamel is weak on 6 - 8 teeth, referenced MIH (I need to investigate this further)
3. 6 of the 6/8 teeth above have no adult teeth behind, said it could be genetic as I have numerous baby teeth still in situ.
4. at this stage too early to tell if orthodontics are needed but remain open given there could be a lot of dental work over the next few years

Now that we’re aware we are going to have a lot of dental bills can we take our dental insurance to are we too late as it’s after the fact of being aware of dental issues? We have no health insurance at present.

Would also welcome any thoughts/experiences/feedback on any of them items above - all came as shock as have seen dentist annually since child was one.

thank you

CormacWalsh

Hi,

It sounds like you’ve had quite a challenging experience navigating your child’s dental needs. It’s always tough when unexpected issues come up, especially with dental health. I can relate to the shock of discovering underlying dental concerns—I had a similar situation recently with my own child.

While researching options for preventive dental care, I came across Dr. Arthur Yeh’s approach to managing oral health in kids and adults. What I found refreshing was the emphasis on proactive care, which helps catch potential problems early before they become more complex. If you’re exploring more about preventive dentistry and how early intervention might help manage or even prevent issues like weak enamel and decay, you might find their insights helpful. You can click here( https://www.drarthuryeh.com/preventive-dentistry-bloomfield-nj/ ) to read more about their preventive dentistry services tailored to families.

I also learned that genetic factors like missing adult teeth or enamel weakness aren’t uncommon, and some practices, like Dr. Yeh’s, seem to specialize in crafting individualized treatment plans to address these challenges. It might be worth discussing similar approaches with your current dentist or a pediatric specialist.

Wishing you the best as you navigate the next steps for your child!