One dentist says my child has 1 cavity and some staining and another dentist says she has 5 cavities that the staining is tooth decay what do i do?

Evaluate: If the dental instrument can penetrate the stain, then it is a cavity and needs treatment.

Diagnodent =3rd opin: Diagnodent is the 3rd & unbiased opinion. Find a dentist who uses this painless laser to objectively find decay, instead of the subjective dental explorer (sharp pick) which has a lot of room for interpretation. Copy and paste into your browser: (for a dentist near you) http://www.Kavousa.Com/us/diagnodent/diagnodent-dentists.Aspx.

Get 3rd opinion: See a pediatric dental specialist, instead of a general dentist, for 3rd opinion. The true answer may lie somewhere in between.

Spectra: A cavity is a hole or lack of density in the enamel of the tooth. There are devices that can help dentists make sure there is a cavity . One is a diagnodent which can beep when it is placed on the areas you suspect decay. We have a spectra which is like a doplar and it measures the density in the pits and grooves with a photo-try contacting different dentists to see if they have these.

A tough call: Make a decision based upon trust, recommendations and a gut feeling. Some dentists may be more aggressive with their diagnosis than others. I used to be more conservative but have become more proactive over time and feel that it is better to not take a chance on leaving decay progress untreated and therefore place more fillings earlier rather than wait and take a chance. It's professional judgment.

1 Cavity: If you are going back to see the dentist every 6 months, i would go with the dentist that tells you you have 1 cavity. Tooth decay is gradual. Eventually the other 5 might need to be filled, but most likely they can wait for years if the dentist feels like they aren't deep enough to be filled. Just be sure to go back to the dentist every 6 months to have these softer spots checked.