Monday, September 17, 2007

Silly, Perhaps, but Not a Laughing Matter (at least not to me!)

The kids had their appointment with the dentist to have the sealants applied today, and all went well. Sunday afternoon, it suddenly occurred to me to worry about the nitrous oxide that the dentist planned to use. When K. was born, the hospital pediatrician told me that she and T. needed to be tested for Factor V Leiden, since I have it and it runs in families. But for some reason, they couldn't test K. until she was a few years old. My memory being what it is, it has been more than a few years now, and I still haven't had them tested. So I spent Sunday afternoon googling Factor V and nitrous oxide. I found just enough to make me nervous (snippets of medical articles that I couldn't make heads or tails of), but nothing to support my worries of possible complications, or put them thoroughly to rest. So I posted on the WTM board, and learned that lots of people have sealants applied to their children's teeth without nitrous oxide or any other sedative. So, when I checked the children into the dentist today, I told them that I wanted them to do the sealants without the N.O. I was afraid they would fuss, but they were actually perfectly agreeable about it. And the kids were good as gold and didn't gag (which is apparently one of the reasons for the N.O.), so it is all good.

*And Wonderful Ed, who thinks I am being silly about the whole thing, made an appointment with the children's doctor to have them tested for Factor V.

5 comments:

hornblower said...

N.O. is really rarely used here in dentistry, but it is commonly offered in labour. I had never heard of that possible complication - good to know.

My kids had all their sealants done without anything at all - right since they were young & the first permanent molars were erupting. Our dentist uses this special laser light thingy which makes the sealants dry ultra fast so the whole procedure is not that bad. And it sure is worth it!

Melora said...

Hornblower,
The thing is, I don't know if it Could cause complications. Probably not, but I'm paranoid. T. has been picking bits of stuff out of his teeth today which I have a nasty suspicion are his sealants.

Dy said...

Oh, I'm so glad to hear it all went well. I followed your posts, but didn't have any information to add. (With all we've been through, I've taken to pretty much asking, "Can you knock him out, prop his mouth open and do it ALL today? I swear I won't feed him solids for a week.") If we had something that made me twitchy, though, I'd be like you - google, twitch, research, question, twitch. ACK!! I hate being unsure. But I am So glad it all went well. Sealants are a godsend. Our insurance doesn't pay for them on temporary teeth, but I think they are worth every. single. penny.

Here's to a much calmer week ahead!
Dy

andie said...

This was the first I'd ever heard of N.O. (or anything) being used for sealant application.

My kids went natural, too - there was nothing to pick off, after, so I hope T. is just removing a snack and not your $!

Melora said...

Andie,
I hope you are right about what he is picking off! I haven't mentioned it to Ed because he'd fuss. I think I'll just wait and see if the dentist says anything when T. goes back for a checkup in six months.