3yo has chipped tooth

[ChelseaGirl7]

My dd will be 3 next month. She has a chipped tooth (the one next to her top front tooth). I am concerned b/c we are on medicaid and have to go to a dental clinic for care, and I know there "cure" for most problems is to pull the tooth. I really want to save her tooth, but at this point I think about 2/3 of it is gone, and I am still trying to get an appointment. I think if I push hard enough, they can refer her to a ped dentist who might be able to do something about it. Does anyone have experience with little kids and chipped teeth? What can they do to fix a severely chiped tooth?

[MeCo7707]

My dd has horrible enamel (genetic poor girl) and then chipped a tooth - the ped dentist says general anestisha and fillings....but I couldn't bring myself to be okay with the death risks. I hear some peds will do just some laughing gas and then fix the tooth though.

[escapethevillage]

I have a daycare kid who just had his filled in and a cap put on it. But, it was less than half broken. I think if it's a bad enough break, they might need to pull it.

Another boy had his pulled (bottle rot) but, he was already four years old, so in about a year, he had a new tooth anyway.

[Greenbabybottoms]

My youngest has a chip in her front top tooth but it doesn't sound as bad as your dd's, it's kind of just a chip right in the middle so she has what looks like an indention. The dentist said that it is too hard to fix a chip in a kid her age (she's 2 1/2) without general anesthesia and he doesn't feel like it's worth the risk unless it was really important to us. The place where the chip is did open her up a bit to bacteria getting in and she has a small cavity there now but he said he also doesn't think it's necessary to fill it. They do frequent flouride treatments and we keep it extra clean and we're just hoping we can get her to 5 or so and then they will pull it.

[ChelseaGirl7]

I wanted to update that I got her into the dentist this morning. They said the chip is not as bad as I thought it was, but she already has a cavity from it, and in the tooth next to it. At her age of course they want to give her a referral and anesthesia to do filings and maybe something to keep it from chipping worse. I am considering it right now, the anesthesia risk of course, it also will cost over 500$ copay. My big concern with not getting it fixed is she was a late teether, and I didn't loose my first tooth til I was almost 9, so she could potentially go 6 years with that tooth, and if it's not fixed now it will more than likely get worse.

[MeCo7707]

Those are my concerns with my DD too, there have been new studies that suggest that even if the baby teeth do have cavities that are left unattended that the adult teeth will still be fine. I will try to find some links for you.

[sugacube]

My daughter has a pretty big chip in her front tooth. She is 19 months and the dentist said not to worry about it, we will just keep an eye on it. I would not be comfortable with anesthesia if it is not absolutely necessary.

Anyone know at what age they will do that sort of work? Without anesthesia? I had a chip in my front tooth and it was a pretty fast fix timewise.