Anyone have experience with pediatric partials

[eleven11]

My 4 year son fell in to a table and lost his top two front teeth. We have an appointment for pedo-partials for him.

I know it mainly comes down to aesthetics, but I also want him to be able to eat as properly as possible, not have any potential speech issues and, yes, for appearance reasons also. He still has another possibly upwards of four years before his permanent teeth come in.

They are not like partials for an adult. They are formed and cemented in place by a metal wire that is wrapped around and secured to his molars. That is the part that bothers me to be honest. I'm sure he will get used to it. I know at least at first I would be consciously aware of this new appliance being there constantly. But I'm thinking over time you wouldn't even think about it?

I've read about as much as I can, but was hoping I could find someone with first hand experience.

Has anyone here's child had one of these pedo-partials? Are there any issues with caring for them? Did your child get used to the appliance in his/her mouth and hopefully just forget it is even there?

 

[Bella1185]

No personal experience with the partials - but I've known many kids who prematurely lost baby teeth for various reasons and Ive never witnessed any of them to have trouble eating, speaking or anything of the sort. I crashed my bike when I was 4.5 and knocked out some teeth. The dentist cleaned everything up and said let it be, my parents even took me to an oral surgeon who said the same. We left it alone and it never bothered me in the least and hasn't since, everything went on as normal. Got braces and everything else just like all my peers and my teeth are just as nice as theirs despite the early loss

I'm either confused or missing some information. I see this is your first post, so don't have much background. . Surely you have checked with your son's physician/dentist since you have this appointment, but were these partials suggested by a doctor to prevent some sort of health issue? Is it confirmed your son needs this procedure to remain in good oral health? Did the physician/dentist explain why this is necessary for his health and future? Are there any alternatives? What's the worst that happens if you just wait it out?

Young children are extremely adaptable and I'd imagine at 4 years old he can eat with all the rest of his teeth, unless there is some underlying condition preventing that. Every kid eventually loses his/her teeth front teeth and learns how to use the rest to bite and chew, they also learn how to speak just fine at all the various stages of toothlessness

IMO even if my daughter's trusted pediatrician suggested it , I'd be getting at least a second opinion as this is a serious procedure.. Unless it prevented some sort of infection or further harm to my child, I wouldn't feel comfortable going forward with it as you said its literally implanting metal wires and cement into their mouth and that bothered you - which of course it would/should!

You mentioned aesthetics....but don't they start losing their teeth naturally at like 5/6 years old? I mean..... Kids are cute with all their quirks....... What aesthetic really is there in such a young child?? I'll bet he's just as cute without those teeth and he was with them - also willing to bet no one would even notice he's "too young" to be without them!




All in all: if you're even a little bothered by this, get another opinion. Don't let them rush you into anything unless your sons immediate health is in jeopardy. Good luck!!!!!!

 

[eleven11]

No personal experience with the partials - but I've known many kids who prematurely lost baby teeth for various reasons and Ive never witnessed any of them to have trouble eating, speaking or anything of the sort. I crashed my bike when I was 4.5 and knocked out some teeth. The dentist cleaned everything up and said let it be, my parents even took me to an oral surgeon who said the same. We left it alone and it never bothered me in the least and hasn't since, everything went on as normal. Got braces and everything else just like all my peers and my teeth are just as nice as theirs despite the early loss

I'm either confused or missing some information. I see this is your first post, so don't have much background. . Surely you have checked with your son's physician/dentist since you have this appointment, but were these partials suggested by a doctor to prevent some sort of health issue? Is it confirmed your son needs this procedure to remain in good oral health? Did the physician/dentist explain why this is necessary for his health and future? Are there any alternatives? What's the worst that happens if you just wait it out?

Young children are extremely adaptable and I'd imagine at 4 years old he can eat with all the rest of his teeth, unless there is some underlying condition preventing that. Every kid eventually loses his/her teeth front teeth and learns how to use the rest to bite and chew, they also learn how to speak just fine at all the various stages of toothlessness

IMO even if my daughter's trusted pediatrician suggested it , I'd be getting at least a second opinion as this is a serious procedure.. Unless it prevented some sort of infection or further harm to my child, I wouldn't feel comfortable going forward with it as you said its literally implanting metal wires and cement into their mouth and that bothered you - which of course it would/should!

You mentioned aesthetics....but don't they start losing their teeth naturally at like 5/6 years old? I mean..... Kids are cute with all their quirks....... What aesthetic really is there in such a young child?? I'll bet he's just as cute without those teeth and he was with them - also willing to bet no one would even notice he's "too young" to be without them!




All in all: if you're even a little bothered by this, get another opinion. Don't let them rush you into anything unless your sons immediate health is in jeopardy. Good luck!!!!!!

Thank you for such a wonderfully thoughtful response!

Right away I have to be honest and admit that this bothers me more than it bothers my son. He is taking to it well. He shows people. He didn't have any speech issues, but I do notice that he is not quite as able to make certain sounds without his two top-front.

I should also clear up the way this "pedo-partial" works. You said in your post that this is a serious procedure - I think I may have given the wrong impression of what is done. The metal wires are not "implanted" in his mouth in a permanent, serious way. This wire runs alongside the roof of his mouth, which is what the partial is connected to, and to hold it in place other end is wrapped around a back tooth. I think much like an adult version, but they "cement" (semi-permanent, can be removed) it to a back tooth for the purpose of the child not removing constantly and doing whatever a child might do if it were not "cememted" on. (I say all this just in case I gave the wrong impression and maybe you thought it was more invasive or serious procedure)

Here's a picture of one:

(Ok so I can not post pictures or links because my account is new but if have nothing else to do with your day than spend all your time with this post you could google "north star dental upper pedi partial" It will be the first result. Btw, that is not the dentist office we go to, not even same state. ) ​

We do have the first appointment for this upcoming, where they do the "impression" in order to construct the appliance. See when all this happened it was late on a Saturday. I called the office and the dentist had me send a picture to him. By the way, he only knocked out one tooth completely on the incident. The other was kind of just hanging there. When he saw the picture he asked me to come in on a Sunday and literally opened the office by himself just to take a look at him and pull the other tooth. So needless to say that was kind of a hectic appointment and being that it was on a Sunday, we didn't have much chance of going over the details of the partial and ask very many questions. I mentioned that I had been reading about the options the night of the mishap to him and he must have put in the notes that we were interested in doing that, and his office called Monday morning for an appointment for it. So that's kind of why I'm out here looking for information as much as I can.

Yes, it bothers me more than him. Yes, I admit that I miss his full smile and something about it just makes me feel badly for him because of it. I would hate it if some kids were in a group or something and said something to him and made him feel bad about himself. Of course he is just as cute and handsome. Kids lose their teeth naturally or by mishap, but as far as I am reading, not until age 7 or 8 for the top. The bottoms are also the first to go and that means that he would be without top AND bottom for some amount of time. But, circling back around, I will completely admit that a big part of this is aesthetics and to prevent him from being teased because of it. With that said I would never put him through something invasive or very painful or a serious procedure just for the sake of aesthetics, but this "procedure/appliance" does kind of ride that line for me. If i knew he would quickly become used to it and and forget it was there, and that it would not be uncomfortable then that would help a great deal. But you can't answer that for me. I am just looking for other parents opinions. And was hoping to get lucky and find someone that had this for their child.

 

[CaptainMummy]

personally, I wouldn't bother with them. My daughter is 5 1/2 and her top 2 teeth are wobbly now (bottom ones lost just after her birthday) and there are quite a few in her class who lost the top ones a while ago. Also, I doubt any 4 or 5yr old would even mention it! I definitely wouldn't worry about that.

 

[harveygirl]

My daughter has lost 4 teeth now and the other top one is wobbly. She is 5 and a half. So he could lose his in a year or so anyway? I think it's unlikely it would be another 4 years before your son would have lost his? I wouldn't do anything if it wasn't medically necessary. I'm sure it's a shock non but you'll get used to him without them.

 

[zorak]

Honestly I wouldn't bother. He's at the age where kids start losing teeth anyway. Has the dentist discussed possible pain incurred from the partials with you? I'm a former retainer style brace wearer and the mechanisms hurt when first put in place until your mouth gets used to it. I can't imagine that this set up would be entirely pain free.

The relationship with a dentist can be difficult for kids as it is, I wouldn't add unnecessary treatments to it.

 

[eleven11]

personally, I wouldn't bother with them. My daughter is 5 1/2 and her top 2 teeth are wobbly now (bottom ones lost just after her birthday) and there are quite a few in her class who lost the top ones a while ago. Also, I doubt any 4 or 5yr old would even mention it! I definitely wouldn't worry about that.

My daughter has lost 4 teeth now and the other top one is wobbly. She is 5 and a half. So he could lose his in a year or so anyway? I think it's unlikely it would be another 4 years before your son would have lost his? I wouldn't do anything if it wasn't medically necessary. I'm sure it's a shock non but you'll get used to him without them.

Honestly I wouldn't bother. He's at the age where kids start losing teeth anyway. Has the dentist discussed possible pain incurred from the partials with you? I'm a former retainer style brace wearer and the mechanisms hurt when first put in place until your mouth gets used to it. I can't imagine that this set up would be entirely pain free.

The relationship with a dentist can be difficult for kids as it is, I wouldn't add unnecessary treatments to it.

Just wanted to say thanks for all your thoughts about this. I ended up having to cancel the appointment for the partials because of a hurricane, and I have not yet made an appointment to reschedule. When we do, it's going to be for consultation instead. If it will be uncomfortable or painful I would not want to have this done. I guess it only seems logical that it would be somewhat uncomfortable, at least at first, but maybe I was just hoping with a good fit and application that it would be easier.

Of course I understand this is largely cosmetic, now that I understand that speech and eating properly are not really a concern, I suppose my feelings were just that I would come on here and find some other parents that had this done and say "oh it's really no big deal and my child took to it really well and didn't have any pain or discomfort, go for it!" I mean if I were able to find someone with first-hand experience having this done for their child.

My motivation was that if another child were to say something about it I would feel terrible. Then again, of course if he were in any sort of pain from the partials I would feel terrible as well, and if he were just not tolerating it or getting used to it well, I would feel even more terrible having to have it removed and putting him through that.

Nonetheless, harveygirl and and zorak, you are saying that your children started losing them around 5.5, and he's going to be 5 soon. I was under the impression that the top-front's were around 7 or 8. Obviously I know it varies.

I'm still conflicted. But not as much. I do miss his full smile if I can be honest. And I thought it might affect his confidence, but it doesn't seem it has. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

[d_b]

My neighbour's kid lost his front teeth last summer and he was only 5. It is kind of a big kid status symbol to lose front teeth so it's more likely the other kids will think he's cool for it than for them to tease him. Even if they did tease him, kids get teased for all sorts of things and it's better to let him deal with it, especially since he is proud of his missing teeth he'll be able to stick up for himself. My friend's baby cracked off large parts of his two front teeth when he was 1.5 and they just made sure the teeth weren't sharp then left it as their dentist said it was fine.

I've never heard of paediatric partials before and to me it seems odd to have unnecessary cosmetic dental procedures done to a 4 year old. In the long run this may have a negative effect in his self confidence. Your dentist will probably say he'll get used to it quickly but I wouldn't trust a dentist who would suggest doing this to a child who is nearly 5. Maybe the dentist isn't aware of your child's age? Food will end up stuck around that wire and increase risk of cavities since its in a hard spot to try to clean and floss properly. TBH it sound like a money grab by the dentist.