The NO was for their benefit and not your child's. First, it is an extra charge to make money - that is a big driver for one size fits all procedures - especially with kids. Offices that have heavy Medicaid reimbursement often will pad their bills with as much extra stuff as they can get away with to increase their profit margins. With the exception of good private insurance, most Medicaid and other insurances do not provide good reimbursement fees. So an office will often try to be creative to increase revenue. Not a good mix when it comes to health care.

Second, NO effects allow them not to have to engage with their patient. Working with children takes time and skill. So just like schools want to drug kids to make them more controllable in order to increase class size, pediatric dentistry does the same thing thereby allowing pediatric case loads to increase - once again, money.

What really disturbs me here is that this office went behind your back to get permission from a child. They can use fear to manipulate a child against your wishes. This is all part of the whole trend we are witnessing that is attempting to separate parents from their children. Why were you not with your child? If an office is still using Covid protocols as an excuse to not allow you in the treatment room, find another office. Some offices have a general policy of not allowing parents in treatment rooms because of the occasional helicopter parent that can really make things difficult - but most parents are just being parents.

After what you have said, I would even have to question whether your son even had a cavity. Unless decay is obvious, like a hole in the tooth, more incipient early decay is a professional opinion. In an office that is financially focused, the decision to wait on a questionable area may be tilted in the direction of moving forward with possible unneeded treatment. Early decalcification before it breaks down into a hole can be healed if the area on the tooth can recalcify.

Ditch fluoride toothpaste. Look for dentifrices that contain calcium hydroxyapatite - the same mineral compound a tooth is made of. doTERRA essential oils makes a clean paste that contains this compound. Do not brush with the paste. Brush with a little baking soda to neutralize the acid and rinse. Then apply a very small amount of the paste and do not rinse - any extra paste spit into the sink is a waste, so do not use much. Do not rinse or eat and drink anything for at least 30 minutes to allow the minerals to uptake on the teeth. Before bed is a great time to do this so the minerals are undisturbed longer. Most dental damage occurs at night - especially with a mouth breather. Most OTC mouthwashes are not only useless and a waste of money, but their effects can be harmful. Don't use them.

Find another pediatric dentist or a good general that can work with kids. People spend more time shopping for a pair of shoes than they do looking for professional care. Set up an appointment to bring your child to a provider as a first visit and interview them. Your first warning sign is whether they will take the time to answer your questions, or whether they are impatient and indignant that you would even challenge them. This is huge. your current office has demonstrated that your rights as a parent are of no concern to them. Being present allows you also to see how the provider and the staff interact with your child. Once again, any reluctance on their part to allow you to be there is never a good sign.

Thanks for sharing and good luck navigating this minefield called parenthood. It is dangerous out there.

The NO was for their benefit and not your child's. First, it is an extra charge to make money - that is a big driver for one size fits all procedures - especially with kids. Offices that have heavy Medicaid reimbursement often will pad their bills with as much extra stuff as they can get away with to increase their profit margins. With the exception of good private insurance, most Medicaid and other insurances do not provide good reimbursement fees. So an office will often try to be creative to increase revenue. Not a good mix when it comes to health care.

Second, NO effects allow them not to have to engage with their patient. Working with children takes time and skill. So just like schools want to drug kids to make them more controllable in order to increase class size, pediatric dentistry does the same thing thereby allowing pediatric case loads to increase - once again, money.

What really disturbs me here is that this office went behind your back to get permission from a child. They can use fear to manipulate a child against your wishes. This is all part of the whole trend we are witnessing that is attempting to separate parents from their children. Why were you not with your child? If an office is still using Covid protocols as an excuse to not allow you in the treatment room, find another office. Some offices have a general policy of not allowing parents in treatment rooms because of the occasional helicopter parent that can really make things difficult - but most parents are just parents.

After what you have said, I would even have to question whether your son even had a cavity. Unless decay is obvious, like a hole in the tooth, more incipient early decay is a professional opinion. In an office that is financially focused, the decision to wait on a questionable area may be tilted in the direction of moving forward with possibly unneeded treatment. Early decalcification before it breaks down into a hole can be healed if it can recalcify.

Ditch fluoride toothpaste. Look for dentifrices that contain calcium hydroxyapatite - the same mineral compound a tooth is made of. doTERRA essential oils makes a clean paste that contains this compound. Do not brush with paste. Brush with a little baking soda to neutralize the acid and rinse. Then apply a very small amount of the paste and do not rinse - any extra spit into the sink is a waste so do not use much. Do not rinse or eat and drink anything for at least 30 minutes to allow the minerals to uptake on the teeth. Before bed is a great time to do this so the minerals are undisturbed longer. Most dental damage occurs at night - especially with a mouth breather. Most OTC mouthwashes are not only useless and a waste of money, but their effects can be harmful. Don't use them.

Find another pediatric dentist or a good general that can work with kids. People spend more time shopping for a pair of shoes than they do looking for professional care. Set up an appointment to bring your child to a provider as a first visit and interview them. Your first warning sign is whether they will take the time to answer your questions, or whether they are impatient and indignant that you would even challenge them. This is huge. This office has demonstrated that your rights as a parent are of no concern to them. Being present allows you also to see how the provider and the staff interact with your child. Once again, any reluctance on their part to allow you to be there is never a good sign.

Thanks for sharing and good luck navigating this minefield called parenthood. It is dangerous out there.

The NO was for their benefit and not your child's. First, it is an extra charge to make money - that is a big driver for one size fits all procedures - especially with kids. Offices that have heavy Medicaid reimbursement often will pad their bills with as much extra stuff as they can get away with to increase their profit margins. With the exception of good private insurance, most Medicaid and other insurances do not provide good reimbursement fees. So an office will often try to be creative to increase revenue. Not a good mix when it comes to health care.

Second, NO effects allow them not to have to engage with their patient. Working with children takes time and skill. So just like schools want to drug kids to make them more controllable in order to increase class size, pediatric dentistry does the same thing thereby allowing pediatric case loads to increase - once again, money.

What really disturbs me here is that this office went behind your back to get permission from a child. They can use fear to manipulate a child against your wishes. This is all part of the whole trend we are witnessing that is attempting to separate parents from their children. Why were you not with your child? If an office is still using Covid protocols as an excuse to not allow you in the treatment room, find another office. Some offices have a general policy of not allowing parents in treatment rooms because of the occasional helicopter parent that can really make things difficult - but most parents are just parents.

After what you have said, I would even have to question whether your son even had a cavity. Unless decay is obvious, like a hole in the tooth, more incipient early decay is a professional opinion. In an office that is financially focused, the decision to wait on a questionable area may be tilted in the direction of moving forward with possibly unneeded treatment. Early decalcification before it breaks down into a hole can be healed if it can recalcify.

Look for dentifrices that contain calcium hydroxyapatite - the same mineral compound a tooth is made of. doTERRA essential oils makes a clean paste that contains this compound. Do not brush with paste. Brush with a little baking soda to neutralize the acid and rinse. Then apply a very small amount of the paste and do not rinse - any extra spit into the sink is a waste so do not use much. Do not rinse or eat and drink anything for at least 30 minutes to allow the minerals to uptake on the teeth. Before bed is a great time to do this so the minerals are undisturbed longer. Most dental damage occurs at night - especially with a mouth breather. Most OTC mouthwashes are not only useless and a waste of money, but their effects can be harmful. Don't use them.

Find another pediatric dentist or a good general that can work with kids. People spend more time shopping for a pair of shoes than they do looking for professional care. Set up an appointment to bring your child to a provider as a first visit and interview them. Your first warning sign is whether they will take the time to answer your questions, or whether they are impatient and indignant that you would even challenge them. This is huge. This office has demonstrated that your rights as a parent are of no concern to them. Being present allows you also to see how the provider and the staff interact with your child. Once again, any reluctance on their part to allow you to be there is never a good sign.

Thanks for sharing and good luck navigating this minefield called parenthood. It is dangerous out there.