Dental hygiene has always been a priority for my husband and me. We take pride in preserving our smiles by brushing at least twice a day, flossing, and even going the extra mile by investing in products that will better our oral care. We use top of-the-line toothbrushes, toothpastes, water flossers, and whitening regimens.
We regularly visit our dentist and follow recommended procedures. You name it, we do it.
We have two daughters, who have now doubled the number of teeth we are responsible to take care of. Teaching our oldest daughter good dental habits has been a priority for 11 years, and she has never had a cavity. We began to feel as if we were pretty seasoned at this whole parenting thing and continued to implement the same habits with our 5-year-old, Ella. When our older daughter spotted Ella’s first tooth, we were all excited. Later, we took her to the dentist for her first checkup at age 2. Like the rest of our family, Ella has continued to receive routine checkups every six months for the past three years.
As Ella grew older, her smile continued to light up our world. Recently, while I was brushing and flossing her teeth, I noticed a discolored mark on one of her back molars. It was in between two teeth, so it was hard to see, but it was there. I immediately scheduled a checkup and felt heartbroken to learn that Ella had ten cavities. To say that I was in shock, confused, and devastated is an understatement. My 5- year-old is more compliant and consistent than my 11- year-old when it comes to brushing her teeth, and I kept asking myself, “How can this possibly be?”
We were referred to a local pediatric dentist who presented us with a treatment plan. Upon viewing the x-rays, we learned that Ella had a mouthful of cavities. Not only that, the dentist was recommending that many of her molars be capped with stainless-steel crowns. I was beside myself in tears.
Nothing could have prepared me for this news. To be honest, I needed time to process the news; but being a busy mom, I was not given the luxury of having time to assess the situation. Immediately, the dentist started to review her treatment plan, explaining that natural looking crowns were not an option since Zirconia crowns are essentially unsustainable at Ella’s age. He presented silver crowns as our only option.
Plagued by “mom guilt,” my only thought was this. “How is this treatment going to impact my sweet little girl’s confident, fearless smile?” Yet, I didn’t want to put off necessary treatment.
My main goal was simply to get Ella’s teeth back to a healthy state. So, I booked her appointment and paid for the full treatment in advance. As we waited, I recalled having seen kids with silver teeth and naively feeling sad for them while judging their parents. Thinking about my judgmental attitude now, I feel awful. So that’s the reason I am choosing to share our story.
For days after agreeing to the treatment plan, guilt continued to consume me. I realized that this decision is something that could have a permanent effect on my beautiful girl. I decided that we had to explore other options.
As we researched like crazy, we came across Sprig EZCrowns! We examined the claims of the dentists that invented the crowns by watching YouTube videos. We saw techniques performed using EZCrowns and listened to stories told by parents whose children had undergone the same procedures. We heard testimonials of doctors who have used EZCrowns and have taught at the Sprig University.
What impressed me the most was the testimony of one pediatric dentist who had previously been unsuccessful in using aesthetic crowns. He even stopped using aesthetic crowns altogether, stating that it was his own lack of knowledge about the proper techniques required when using the crowns that led him to conclude they were an inferior product.
However, after receiving training at Sprig University, this originally skeptical dentist now feels confident that EZCrowns are indeed the future of pediatric dentistry—making them the “perfect restoration choice.” After watching every video we could find, I was convinced these dentists using EZCrowns cared deeply for their patients, used the highest quality materials, and ensured their staff were trained to the highest standards.
It’s unfortunate our family had to go through this experience, but one thing has now become clear to me. We would have settled for the basic traditional treatment plan if we had not taken that extra step to find a dentist offering an alternative, innovative treatment program. Had we not sought out a highly trained dentist with progressive ways of thinking that align with our values, we likely would have accepted a different outcome for our little girl.
It breaks my heart to think that our failure to make a correct decision might have caused our sweet and confident Ella to compromise her smile throughout childhood and possibly thereafter. So, as parents, we have turned our nearly devastating experience into a success story.
We live in the Sacramento area and reached out to Dr. Joelle Speed at Smile Gallery Dentistry in Roseville. She is absolutely amazing! We cancelled our previous appointment and booked with the Smile Gallery immediately. Her staff was accommodating, knowledgeable, and confident in their practice. These qualities put us at ease throughout the entire treatment process, and Ella’s restored smile is now delightful.
In retrospect, I realize that sometimes, as a parent, you do your best, and that is the most that can be expected under the circumstances. We hope that our experience will encourage more parents to seek out pediatric dentists who are willing to implement innovative improvements in their practice and offer cutting-edge products and procedures to their patients. Had we found such a dentist early on, it would have made our experience a more positive one from the outset. We are most grateful to Dr. Speed and her team at Smile Gallery for providing an aesthetic alternative to silver crowns and preserving Ella’s natural, captivating smile.