Expert: Jeff Dalin DDS - 6/29/2006

Question
My daughter is six year old. She has  a deep cavity on her upper last molar. Her pediatric dentist recommended to extract her baby molar under IV sedation.  

Is IV sedation necessary to extract primary molar?

Thank you.  

Answer
Lillian
This all depends on the child and her behavior. By age six, usually they are very cooperative. In our office we prefer using nitrous oxide as an analgesic (makes them goofy, NOT put them asleep). We then are able to use local anesthetic to numb the tooth without bothering her. Then we simply remove the tooth.

My question here is this...is there any way to save it...maybe with a pulpotomy (root canal for baby tooth). I like to keep these teeth in place as space maintainers. Ask about this possibility. If the dentist still says extract it, then ask this: if the tooth comes out this early, do you need to worry about losing space in this area.

Good luck...this email should give you all sorts of good things to discuss with this dentist.

Jeff Dalin, DDS