T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
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578.1 | | SUPER::WTHOMAS | | Wed Sep 01 1993 11:42 | 14 |
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My opinion here:
People have been getting along fine for years without having
chemicals directly applied to their tooth surfaces.
As long as your son uses fouride toothpaste (the number one
preventative against tooth decay) and as long as he brushes on a
regular basis and does not eat an inordinate amount of sugar, he should
be fine.
Wendy
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578.2 | I disagree | ROYALT::D_KELLEHER | | Wed Sep 01 1993 12:15 | 21 |
| It depends on whether or not your teeth are more suseptable to cavities.....
Mine are fine - haven't had a cavity since I was 16. My husband is another
story - he gets approximately 2-3 a YEAR - and he is 33. Two years ago
our dentist recommended the sealant - so he had it done - it lasts about a
year snd since he didn't get any cavities last year he had it done again
early this year. At his recent appt for his regular cleaning - NO cavities
again. He feels that the $120 investment (he had 4 molars done at $30.00
each- this must be standard) is very much worth it - especially since he HATES
having cavities filled! - I also was sceptical about having the sealant
put on his teeth - but we found even with my husbands diligent brushing and
flossing daily and regular 6 month cleanings - he wasn't able to control the
cavities. Also, our dental plan doesn't cover John's sealant but from
what I understand if the person is under 16 and it is recommended by your
regular dentist - the dental insurance should pay for it!
The science of dentistry is ever changing - I believe that if there is
a sealant that can protect our kids & future adults from having any cavities
than it's worth the $$$ and effort. In this day and age adults are keeping their
teeth longer and longer - unlike our parents who sometimes had even healthy
teeth pulled and false teeth put in....... so if this helps this process
along - I say go for it.
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578.3 | I would seal them | AIAG::LINDSEY | | Wed Sep 01 1993 12:16 | 11 |
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Most insurance companies cover it for children under 12. Check again.
My dentist only charges $15 /tooth. I had my molars sealed in my 20's
and I paid for it myself. I think its a great idea, and I never had
any cavities until my late teens. I think its well worth the money to
protect the teeth - after all they are going to have them for life.
My opinion -
Sue
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578.4 | They should last longer than a year | AIAG::LINDSEY | | Wed Sep 01 1993 12:19 | 6 |
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BTW, they told me the sealant would last about as long as a normal
filling. I have had no trouble with mine and its been about 8 years.
Sue
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578.5 | previous note? | KAOFS::M_BARNEY | Dance with a Moonlit Knight | Wed Sep 01 1993 12:38 | 8 |
| I seem to remember a note about this in the previous volume,
moderators, am I right?
I too think it is worth investigating and think that tooth
decay rates are not only affected by environmental elements
(food, etc) but also the nature of the teeth.
Monica
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578.6 | depends | NASZKO::DISMUKE | WANTED: New Personal Name | Wed Sep 01 1993 12:59 | 10 |
| Yes, I had asked this question a year or two ago. We did not have the
sealant done for my kids - my dentist charges $15/tooth (he said he was
the cheapest around). Neither my husband or I have had a cavity in 9
years or more (never, for me) so I felt that my kids already have a
fighting chance of not getting them. My sisters on the other hand have
cavities all the time - I think I would consider it then. The dentist
will ask us about it every so often and we just say no.
-sandy
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578.7 | | GAVEL::PCLX31::satow | gavel::satow, dtn 223-2584 | Wed Sep 01 1993 13:10 | 17 |
| > I seem to remember a note about this in the previous volume,
> moderators, am I right?
Yes, V3, note 1270. But you don't need to be a moderator to open V3 and do a
dir/title="teeth"
FWIW, we had it done to our son, who had a couple of cavities prior to
sealing, but none since. As has been said in note 1270 and/or in previous
replies to this note, there's more to it than fluoride, dental hygiene, and
cutting down on sweets. Some teeth, either because of poor enamel or
fissures in them are just more prone to cavities. I'd suggest asking the
dentist if s/he routinely recommends sealing or if there is something about
your child's teeth that would make it more advisable than for normal teeth.
Clay
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578.8 | Guess I got ripped off! | CALS::HEALEY | M&ES, MRO4, 297-2426 | Wed Sep 01 1993 13:35 | 9 |
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$15/tooth! Last year I got charged $50 per tooth!
Do the 6 year molars fall out? If so, I wouldn't get them sealed.
Otherwise, go for it.
Karen
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578.9 | | CLOUD9::WEIER | Patty, DTN 381-0877 | Wed Sep 01 1993 17:49 | 19 |
|
We had 4 of Chris' teeth done, and as his adult teeth come in, will
probably do those as well. My dentist charges $12.00/tooth. His
dentist charges ~$25./tooth. I believe that John Hancock picked up
some/most of this.
Both his father and I have very healthy, strong teeth, and he seems to
be following suit, so it's probably unneccesary. BUT, both his father
and I had TERRIBLE experiences with the dentist as kids (just "routine"
cavities etc), and it's to the point where I HATE going so much, that I
don't always go when I should. If we can avoid that kind of negativism
between him and the dentist - and maybe save a tooth or two in the
meantime - it's worth it to me.
The teeth they did are amongst the last 4 molars that he'll lose, and
the sealant is supposed to last until they fall out. I think they said
it lasts ~6 years.
Patty
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578.10 | a small correction | ROYALT::D_KELLEHER | | Thu Sep 02 1993 11:07 | 29 |
| My husband corrected me last night - he didn't have the molars redone
this year - he had two more teeth done for the first time (total of
6 teeth with one coat of sealant. The dentist told him "most" children
and adults average between 6-7years for the sealant to last. And for children
this gets them through the "cavity prone years" and most will not need
recoating done. But for those kids and adult that have problem teeth - the
sealant just about eliminates cavity's which makes everyone happy.
At a cost of $15.00 - $30.00 each X 6 = $90.00 - $180.00 spread over 6 years
(avg) = $15.00 - $30.00 a year. Which = little or no pain (no cavities) is
well worth it, and if the child is under 12 "most" dental insurance covers
it.
I also believe heredity plays an important role in one's teeth - but that
alone doesn't control it. For example my Mom has terrible teeth (false teeth
at 35) but my Dad has great teeth (still has most all his teeth at 58) -
even though he has only gone to a Dentist 2-3 times his whole life) I have
4 Sisters: Sister 1 - has great teeth, Me: has great teeth, Sister 2: Awful
teeth (lots of cavities & dk.staining) Sister 3: Even worse teeth - (lots of
cavities, dk. staining, crooked, extra teeth, Sister 4: boarderline (lots of
cavities, but not as much staining) - Conclusion: (my own) Sister 1 was
rarely sick when young (took little medicine) Me: allergic to Penicillin (took
very little medicine), Sister 2, 3, sick all the time and was given "lots"
of liquid penicillin and other medicines (when adult teeth came in they were
dark in color and stained quickly and steadily through their lives, and
developed lots of cavities) Sister 4 - has ashma - but didn't take alot of
penicillin - only inhalers were used. I think that it is very important
to watch what your children's baby teeth are exposed to - because it has
a strong possibility of effecting their adult teeth as well.
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578.11 | Sealants | DSSDEV::STEGNER | | Fri Sep 03 1993 18:40 | 10 |
| My middle son has had some teeth sealed. The dentist explained that
his teeth had very deep, super narrow crevices that *couldn't* be
brushed out thoroughly with a regular toothbrush. There was some
yellowing, but no decay, and the dentist wanted to keep it that way.
John Hancock picked up part of the cost. It was painless to my son. I
would definitely recommend it.
Wish they had sealants when I was a kid.. Might have saved me some
drilling. :-(
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578.12 | S. NH. Referral? | CUPMK::VASSIL | | Fri Sep 10 1993 08:59 | 10 |
| Thanks for all the responses. I we will DEFINATELY have Pete's
teeth sealed.
Since I have to pay for this, I was wondering if anyone can refer me to
a dentist in the Southern NH area that was $15.00 a tooth? Again, my
dentist is $30.00 a tooth.
I'm Linda at WREATH::VASSIL
Thanks!
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