I feel like I’m being pick-pocketed by my pediatric dentist. First, they insisted I do dental sealants. I didn’t actually mind that one too much. They do seem like a useful idea. But, they next insisted I use sedation. In fact, they said they won’t place them without it. All of this I had to pay for out of pocket. She’s only had the stupid thing for six months and now they tell me it’s come off. Do they offer to replace it? No. They want me to pay for another one. Is this normal?
Laura O. – West Virginia
Laura,
There are a few things I don’t like about this. The first is the insisting. Pediatric dentists are of course obligated to make suggestions, but to insist on a certain treatment is unfair to the patient. Not everyone is working with the same budget. Not every family or patient is the same.
I agree with you that the sealants are a good idea, but they do not require sedation. They can be done in just a few short minutes, so there is no reason to sedate for its length. It’s pain-free, so there is no reason to sedate for that. The only reason I can think of for sedating a child in this particular situation is if your daughter has severe dental anxiety or is unable to sit still for even a few minutes.
Regarding the sealants themselves, they should have lasted for a minimum of five years. They often last for ten. Again, an exception would be if your daughter ate gobs of sticky foods that would yank at the sealants. If that isn’t the case, I think I’d express your frustration with the office manager and ask them to replace the sealants free of charge. If you don’t get anywhere there, speak directly to the dentist.
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