Any dentists here?

[tillyfernackerpants]

Took my 3.5yr old to dentist today & he apparently has 2 cavities already .

We brush his teeth twice a day, he doesn't drink a lot of juice (maybe one or two cartons a week), doesn't have sweets etc so I'm really shocked that he could have them.

The dentist said that the cavities were in the 2 upper molars that were the last ones to come through so could they have developed like this or is there something else we could've done to prevent them?

Just wondering really. tia

[tillyfernackerpants]

bump

[Bunnysoprano]

DP is a dentist. He said it sounds as thoughyour DS may have a lot of dried fruit. Raisins, particularly are bad for children's teeth and he is seeing serious problems with children who are being fed dried fruit on the mistaken assumption that it is better for teeth than sweets. This is by well meaning parents who are horrified at the results.

Both dried fruit and sweets can, of course, be given to children. However, they should be given in "one dose" so to speak and, ideally, after a meal. The reason for this is because there is lots of saliva in the mouth then and also because there is just one dose of sugar rather than a drip, drip, drip effect of constantly bathing their teeth in sugar by giving the sweets or dried fruit over a long period of time (say an afternoon).

The other thing he has asked me to point out is that dried fruit also can cling quite well to the teeth (particularly molars) and it is really, really important to clean these well. Not just the sides of the teeth but the top of the teeth, where the food sticks and decay can take place.

Your DS may have been developed molars which have more crevaces than other children's (ie with deeper cracks to be cleaned and therefore more difficult to clean) but his teeth would not have developed with the cavaties - that has been caused by decay.

The other thing he has said is please don't give your DS juice from a carton and let him sip from it constantly, that bathes the teeth with sugar over a long period. Give it out of a cup or glass and dilute the fruit juice as it is acidic. If you are on the move and giving him a carton, try not to let him sip from it over a long period. Best drinks for children are milk and water. He can get the vitamins from eating fresh fruit and there is less risk of decay.

Hope this helps and he has asked me to say to you to please not think he is criticising you! You have a second chance with DS's adult teeth so hopefully there wont be any further problems.

[Bunnysoprano]

"cavity" not "cavaty" - DP has asked me to point. Like getting your homework checked!

[tillyfernackerpants]

thanks bunny & bunny's dp, very helpful! I'm really surprised by the raisins thing, like you say, I thought they were better to have than sweets!

I just wish ds1 didn't have to go through having them filled

Anyway, will make a few changes to ds1's diet & be more aware for ds2 now!

Thanks again

[lucymum2four]

Hi tillyferackerpants,,
dont worry about them being filled my dd has had couple and i too was anxious but turns out it is just a paste that sets to fill the hole just had to wait 1/2 hour to eat/drink..