|
I was asked to comment here so I will.
First off, it's nearly impossible to do so with so little info. What's on ABC News most definitely isn't the whole story. It might seem to most people that IV sedation or general anesthesia is nuts for a 5 year old kid but I can tell you that it's an extremely common procedure. At my institution there are ~20 kids/day given general anesthesia to get dental work done. Some normal kids, some handicapped who just won't tolerate seeing a dentist. It's all very standard and very safe when you consider how many are done and how infrequently tragedy happens.
Was the dentist trained for this? Yes. He had to be by law.
Was too much given? Impossible to say without knowing the details.
Why are 5 year old kids getting crowns? Because they don't brush and have bad habits like going to bed with a bottle. It's way too common.
Should parents be allowed in the operatory? I don't know. It sounds like UsTwo is an orthodontist so he has way more experience dealing with kids than I do. My patients are at the opposite end of the spectrum.
I think that everyone should hesitate before making harsh judgements here. As someone else pointed out before, few here are qualified to pass judgement. What sounds outrageous to you is actually pretty normal procedure. Just keep your kids brushing and importantly, do not show fear of the dentist in front of your kids. That's how they learn to fear it themselves.
|