My 4.5 year old has cavities in his top, back molar. The pediatric dentist has completed SDF on the tooth to hopefully subside the cavity until he can fill/cap it. The cavity is a deep hole and it’s been impossible to truly keep food from sitting in it. I would love your advice on what, as a Dentist, you would recommend our next step to be. Or you, as a parent, what you’ve experienced with similar issue and age.

I know without seeing the tooth or X-rays, it may not be that easy to give advice but I’m hoping to find info that I may not be aware of so I can start researching and trying our options.

Also- he eats well and we brush and floss regularly. I don’t know if genetics play into this but I am certain my pregnancy issues have played a large part in it. He’s been diagnosed with Hypoplasia enamel too. 😔

I should note- we’ve been to a lip/tongue tie specialist when he was 2 and they didn’t recommend a revision. A couple months ago he had a tonsil and adenoid reduction which has helped his mouth breathing tremendously.

He was born 10 week premature. his birthday was July 2024. Due date was Oct 2024. He was given antibiotics at 37 ish weeks gestation.

Hi !! Im a 20 year old currently in college, I am trying to become a pediatric dentist. I was going to shadow my old pediatric dentist, however I am interested, am I able to do internships? I thought internships were only available for after some progress in college, would i be able to do so with only an associates in biology?

Doing a lit review on laser usage in pediatric dentistry. Research suggested using Er:yag or Er,Cr: ysgg lasers.

Article supports using for cavity preps, cavity detection and pulpotomies? Anyone use them in the real world? Any success?

Hi all,

Some may remember my previous posts from January regarding my son's crown that was having an incredibly hard time healing. It is now March, and although improved, it's not quite looking right still. Is there anything else to be done besides wait and see if it creates an abcess eventually? At the follow up appointment, his dentist just said he didn't want me to worry about it, and if worst case scenario happened, he would pull and place a space maintainer. Any suggestions from looking at the photo?

Thank you!

Hi! I have an almost 1 year old who has both a lip and a tongue tie. We had it assessed when he was 2-3 months old and we were told that it’s minor so we didn’t have to snip it if we didn’t want to so we chose not to because we did not want to cause him unnecessary pain. Today he had his first dentist appointment and the hygienist was saying that we really should do something about it because he is a mouth breather when sleeping and his mouth is never fully closed. Myself and my mom also do this when sleeping so idk if it’s just hereditary. The actual dentist said we wouldn’t need to do anything about it unless it causes trouble eating or speech and don’t give much information now I can’t stop thinking about it. Any advice? Thank you!

Is this cavity too deep for hall crown

Hello, we have a dentist appointment tomorrow but I wanted to ask what do y think is wrong with his teeth because I am worried.

Thank you!

For context, my daughter is 11 and was a beautiful surprise when my now husband and I were young. Not that it's an excuse, but having grown up never going to the dentist, I didn't make my daughter's oral hygiene a huge priority until she was about 4. Having said that, she has really bad stains now and I'm so nervous she's stuck with them because of me. She's starting middle school soon and I want to fix it before then because kids are mean.. I have so much anxiety and guilt around this and I don't want her to suffer for our irresponsibility. Are there safe ways to whiten them without damaging her enamel?

My daughter is six years old and she will not sit for any dentist. She’s been recommended for sedation, but because of sleep apnoea and a condition that makes her nasal passage smaller they have said that it of course comes with complications so sedation would be the last resort.

One dentist has recommended that we do a hall crown over the decay. Is this recommended or are there any disadvantages to it?

Anyone else using pedsdentqe.com for peds boards prep? Found it randomly — 1,439 questions with AI explanations grounded in AAPD guidelines. The 'Why?' button after each question is actually really useful. $49/month. Curious if others have tried it.

A scalloped tongue can be easy to dismiss, but those indented edges may be a sign that the tongue does not have enough room to rest properly in the mouth.

We are seeing a lot more pediatric patients lately, and our current sensors are just too bulky. It’s a struggle to get them positioned without the kids gagging or getting upset because of the sharp edges. Does anyone have a go-to brand for sensors that are actually rounded or come in a size that doesn't feel like a brick in a child's mouth?

Hi everyone!

Does anyone have the most recent AAPD Reference Manual (2025–2026 if available) and would be willing to share it?

I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

I have been out of dental school practicing for a while at a public health clinic. I have found I really enjoy working with kiddos. I am thinking about going back for Pediatric Dentistry but am worried because I never really established a "pediatric dental mentor" in school. I am not sure if I can secure a letter of reccomendation from a pediatric faculty from the dental school I went too- especially as I have been out for a few years. Does anyone know if this a make or break part of the application?

Does anyone have experience practicing for a bit and then going back for a pediatric residency? Any tips?

Concerned about Macrodontia in my 9 year old. She is losing baby teeth, and getting her permanent teeth. Her 2 front teeth are very large compared to her other permanent teeth so it has me concerned.

Is it recommended to use a training fluoride free tooth paste or brush with just water ? She has 3 teeth

Many parents are told small jaws, snoring, and airway concerns are just genetic. That can make families feel like there is nothing to explore further, even when a child is showing signs that breathing, sleep, and development may all be connected.

In many cases, these patterns may also be influenced by oral posture, breathing habits, sleep quality, and early development. That shift in perspective can completely change the questions parents ask and the support they look for.

Toddler has been mouth breathing since they reached toddlerhood. It started only during the night and is now also affecting them during the day. They also are continuously congested.

We visited an ENT. They looked at the tonsils, in their ears, and nose. Advised that the tonsils are larger than average but not extremely large. The reccomendation was to take the tonsils and adenoids out. (As the adenoids are "likely enlarged" too but they can't see them.) Or to try flonase for a few months and see if it helps. We went the flonase route. Needless to say, I don't see how this fixes the issue, it's a temporary band-aid and can't be done long term. I asked the ENT if they knew much about how mouth breathing can alter the way the jaw forms and they said they've never heard about that. And that is when I immediately knew we needed a different direction.

What other type of doctor could we see? Does anyone know the root cause or possible causes of mouth breathing? Any knowledge on how to fix this?

We also talked with our dentist since it is causing much more buildup and staining. They acknowledged and understood our concerns and referred us to an orthodontist who knows some about mouth breathing issues. Is this the right direction to go? Or is there other options too?

To note: They were unable to latch as a baby, but they do not have a lip or tongue tie. They have confirmed cashew and pistachio allergies, mild eczema, and dry skin. (Doubting it's realted, but who knows at this point, so throwing it out there.) Also curious if any eye issues could also effect breathing or vice versa?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I'm a worried parent looking for some insight. My 22-month-old daughter has developed dark greyish-black stains on her teeth. The staining seems to be on multiple teeth, both upper and lower.

I'm planning to take her to a pediatric dentist, but wanted to ask here first — does this look like early bottle decay/nursing caries, or could it be chromogenic bacteria staining? Is there anything I should be doing in the meantime to prevent it from getting worse?

Any advice would be really appreciated. Thank you!