Baby tooth extraction--advice + reviews for Dr. Bryan Krey
Both of my children (ages 11 and 7.5) have been referred by their orthodontist to Dr. Brian Krey of Berkeley-Orinda Oral Surgery for extraction of their primary ('baby') lateral incisors because their permanent teeth are coming in behind their baby teeth even after palate expansion.
Seeking reviews of Dr. Krey for two needle/blood/pain-anxious kiddos. What was your overall experience like? What kind of sedation/anesthesia was offered and which did you choose? I was told Dr. Krey wouldn't do general anesthesia (IV) for kids this young, so curious what the experience was like if your child was awake but 'relaxed' with an oral sedative.
Many thanks!
Jun 20, 2022
Parent Replies
Hi! My daughter had extra adult teeth and baby teeth. The baby extra teeth fell out naturally but the extra adult teeth had to have them removed. Genetics, apparently this runs in our family and skips a few generations haha. Anyway, she was 7 1/2 when she had her procedure.
I can't review your doctor but my experience with ours. We went to Dr. Mark Ericson in Hayward. It's about a half hour drive from Berkeley and completely worth it! Dr. Ericson was truly amazing and I can't recommend him enough.
During the consult he talked about of everything directly to my daughter with me being there able to listen to the information and ask questions but it was directed to my daughter so she knew, understood, and built a trust between them. My daughter has anxiety in general and was very anxious about getting her tooth pulled prior to meeting Dr. Ericson. After she was much more relaxed but we did stick with a light sedation vs oral. They did IV twilight sedation with no laughing gas/oral sedation and my daughter was very comfortable with everything. She was able to get the IV just fine (they said she actually was better than most adults). She had almost no pain afterwards an healed very nicely and quickly, the advantage to pulling baby teeth and early erupted adult teeth. She was able to get her braces on two weeks later.
My 12 year old pain-adverse son just had a tooth removed by Dr Bryan Krey. It was the best possible experience for us. Dr Krey was great at explaining what would happen (we paid for the pre-op meeting the day before) and answered all of my questions ahead of time via email. My son takes anxiety/ADHD meds so he set out a plan of action for when and how to take them the day of the surgery. He was given an oral sedative and time to let it kick in (with me present) before moving to the chair while he was still mobile. He was then given laughing gas to further take the edge off. He says that he felt nothing and loved the laughing gas (of course!). The whole team was very caring and supportive, taking time to let me know what was happening at each step. I would go to them again in a heart beat.
It was years ago when my daughter was a teenager so I do not remember what was used.I did really like Dr.Krey though and would have complete confidence using him again.
Hi. This sounds similar to something we went through with our little guy and fortunately he ended up not needing an oral surgeon. In the process we found an outstanding pediatric dentist who took tremendous care and caution in finding the best and right solution. I highly recommend you consult with Dr. López at Shadelands Dentistry at 925-930-9390. Hope that helps!
My daughter had a couple wisdom teeth taken out by Dr. Krey. He was great and his staff was great, but I don't remember if it was general anesthesia. She did have an accessed tooth removed by laughing gas (and possibly also local anesthetic) (by Aloha pediatric dentists) and that was fine, or even fun. Dr. Krey also was great when removing a tooth for me a few years ago (local anesthetic). Very trust inspiring.
My 7yo just had a baby molar extracted by Dr. Krey two weeks ago. Dr. and Dentists weren't sure how complicated it was going to be (her molar wasn't descending and was fused to upper jaw), but we got lucky — the tooth came out easily and all went super well! I was nervous that the sedation wouldn't be enough, but she was fully loopy from the Versed (oral sedative given in a syrup to drink), then given nitrous, and fully numbed. She didn't feel a thing and had no complaints afterward of any discomfort, stress, or pain. The only downside was that it took the rest of the day for her to get the Versed fully out of her system. The stuff really does its job. Her procedure was first thing in the morning, and by evening she was back to normal. I fully recommend Dr. Krey and staff.
My son also has seen Dr. Krey for 2 procedures, recommended by both our pediatric dentist and orthodontist. My child is neuro-diverse, and has anxiety and a few other challenges. I found Dr. Krey and his staff to be compassionate, patient and sensitive to both my nervousness and my child's needs. He took the time to fully explain the options, answer any questions, was thoughtful and flexible about the procedures and most of all, afterwards, was vigilant about how the my child was recovering. We waited in the office for quite a while until the anesthetic began to wear off, and never felt rushed. His staff checked on us regularly, helped me transport my child to the car and called afterwards to check-in. He's extremely experienced, and after my child's good experience with him, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others as well.