Nitrous Oxide at the dentist?

[gabbyg]

My daugter who is 6.5 years old who has had tics for almost 3 months now (PANDAS?) needs to have a cavity filled. Has anyone had to deal with this yet? Nitrous or just Novacane? I think she would FREAK out over the shot?!

[lurker]

Gabby G,

 

My daughter (the kid without tics) had 6 fillings when she was six years old (she has deep crevices in her molars, and they are very prone to cavities). They, of course, required novocaine in both upper and lower, right and left. We went to a pediatric dentist. He filled them in two visits -- each visit requiring two shots. He said she would never even know she had a shot, and that I could stand in a place where she wouldn't see me, but I could hear and see everything going on. It is his experience that if the parent is right there, the child will not hold up as well. I thought he was crazy, but he was right, saw it myself! This guy was amazing. He had nurses in her face, showing her toys and puppets and talking to her, and he swooped in with a concealed needle (TWICE per visit) and she still doesn't know she had the four shots.

 

Pediatric dentists are a special breed. They are part comedian, part clown, part medical professional. We have seen his partner as well to have a chipped tooth bonded. She makes stegasaurus puppets with the surgical gloves and then lets them fly around the room. Are you seeing a ped dentist or regular? I think the ped is worth the extra money.