8 Year Old Son Has Lost Filling in His Lower First Molar and Broken into Pieces

Sounds pretty reasonable to me. It's likely the cheaper option, too.

If the tooth is broken vertically, you really can't save it. Besides, it's all decayed not. Better to get rid of the decay and put in the space maintainer.

i wouldn't have crowned a baby tooth either.
your dentist's advice sounds sensible to me, but really, a second opinion is never a bad idea.
khairete
S.

What is the alternative? I have, as an adult I had a rear molar break down. When he started the root canal he found that the tooth was cracked. The only option left wash to pull the tooth. I was relieved because I couldn't really afford the root canal and crown. I suggest you won't want to go to the expense of a root canal and crown for a baby tooth even if the base is intact. I suggest pulling it has to be done in order to protect the permanent tooth. Leaving the half tooth in will cause infection which can spread through out his body.

It sounds right to me.
A crown on a baby tooth makes no sense since it'll be falling out eventually to be replaced by an adult tooth.
If the baby tooth is broken, hard to clean, could lead to infection - that could affect the developing adult tooth beneath it - so the baby tooth has to come out.
And once it's out - a spacer will keep his teeth from shifting to fill the gap until the adult tooth emerges.

I would get a second opinion from another dentist.

Do you trust your dentist? If you don't go get a second opinion from oa pediatric dentist.

Typically, a crown is not put on a baby tooth unless the damage is so bad and it is done in order to protect the health of the child. Infected teeth and gums can lead to many health issues.

If he lost 1/2 the tooth as he lost the filling, I would think the next step would be to remove the entire tooth. I certainly would not leave 1/2 a tooth in my kid's mouth and subject her to health issues and pain.

If you don't trust your dentist though, go get another opinion. Don't mess with health and safety, especially when it comes to your children.

Yes, that sounds correct. Best to get it done right away too.

So a 6 year old molar is a baby tooth right? no one on here is a professional who has looked at the tooth and knows the answer to your question. That said, neither has your density seen it. If you think you have a shyster dentist, get a second opinion.

Clearly the tooth rotted. 20 years ago, the dentist would have probably extracted the remaining tooth himself. These days, they refer to the oral surgeon.

In any case, no one on here can help you clinically. I come from a dentist family and my father once told me that there are two types of dentists; those that sell as much dentistry as they can and those who try to do dentistry as affordably as possible. Younger newer dentists have been trained to "sell dentistry". Older ones often try to do things as cheaply as possible.

One takes on a cosmetic approach, the other a practical approach. Metropolitan dentists are more competitive than small town dentists.

So is your dentist overselling dentistry when he could extract the the tooth and wait for the adult tooth to come in? Maybe.

Yes it is the safest and effective way.

I'm not a dentist. But I would urge you to get a quick 2nd opinion if you don't like option 1. My DD had a filling fall out, and the tooth was repaired with a steel crown on top. It is common for kids to get crowns on teeth that will fall out but need to stay in place for a few more years to avoid spacing issues later. This particular tooth of DD's she won't likely lose for several more years. I would also want to know what else is going on in his mouth. Ask about xrays to check his other teeth.

Hi,

We just had this happen also - but it was a molar in the back of his mouth that he is not supposed to lose until 10-12 and he is 8. We were told that what your dentist said is what would happen if it was a tooth that would fall out sooner but since it isn't for some time yet, we did the crown.

Good luck!

At six years, this would most likely be an adult tooth. First molars come in at six, and no dentist would have filled a baby first molar, they would have yanked it. So it will need to be extracted and a placeholder made until such time that he has his second molar at around twelve, then he can have a bridge made. Or an implant later on. Nothing else that can be done.

I am a dental hygienist

He didn't need a crown. That's what they put on top of a root canal. A filling is what they do for a cavity.

If he's 8 then he might be getting ready to lose this tooth anyway. I'd get it taken out like the dentist says. He doesn't need a spacer, the adult tooth is right there and will come in very soon anyway.

My daughter is almost 7. At 5, she had to have a filling done on her 1st molar. They did what they called a princess crown (not sure if that was for her benefit) which is a silver cap to protect the tooth since the filling was a large part of the tooth.

Anyway, when I was little, I was riding a neighbors big wheel and going too fast of course. I broke my first molar. I think I was 7 or 8. It was still the baby tooth. The dentist took it out and did not place anything in the spot. My adult tooth grew in fine. If this is the baby, I would go ahead and have it pulled. You should ask for an xray so you can see where the adult tooth is, then decide if you need a spacer.