Are More Children Being Subjected to Invasive Dental Procedures?
As I stated in a previous article, titled Cavity Rates in Young Children Are Rising, the rates of tooth decay and cavities in children are climbing. Some dentists even state that they are seeing numerous preschool-age children that have six to ten cavities at one time. When children visit the dentist with severe decay (numerous cavities), many dentists opt for invasive procedures. Some dentists are stating that they are performing more invasive procedures than ever before. A report in the New York Times stated that:
"We have had a huge increase in kids going to the operating room,” said Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, a pediatric dentist in Augusta, Me., and a spokesman for the American Dental Association. “We’re treating more kids more aggressively earlier." (Saint Louis)
What exactly is meant by treating children aggressively? According to the reports, children are being placed under general anesthesia and the dentist then performs root canals, tooth extractions, or places crowns on the teeth. General anesthesia itself caries risks for children, and there is even the rare possibility of brain damage or death. For parents that opt out of using general anesthesia, they face another problem. Dentists may resort to strapping a child down. In one case, a mother refused anesthesia and her child was strapped to a papoose board and screamed during the entire procedure.
While there are some situations that warrant intervention by a dentist, most cases of
If the treatments used by dentists worked, then it would be easy to think that a child would leave the dentist's office with healthy teeth and would not face future issues with his or her dental health. The problem with the treatments that the dentists are using is that they do not address the underlying cause of the tooth decay. While many of the dentists state that children need to start brushing more or drinking fluoridated water, those things are not going to help the child's dental health. Fluoride is actually a toxic substance and tooth brushing is just good hygiene.
The underlying cause of
So, what can be done for a child who has tooth decay or cavities? A parent can find a
References:
Saint Louis, Catherine. "Preschoolers in Surgery for a Mouthful of Cavities." New York Times. New York Times, 06 March 2012. Web. 7 Mar 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/health/rise-in-preschool-cavities-prompts-anesthesia-use.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&hp>.
"Aggressive tooth decay strikes toddlers." UPI.com. N.p., 06 March 2012. Web. 7 Mar 2012. <http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/03/06/Aggressive-tooth-decay-strikes-toddlers/UPI-85781331093463/>.
Photo Credit: Ernest Scott from
For parents that opt out of using general anesthesia, they face another problem.