Argh! toddler teeth!

[MamaGoblin]

DS is nearly 23 months. We brush his teeth thoroughly every evening before bed (and before his bottle of milk, too...) and occasionally in the morning (which is more of a struggle because it's just me and you sort of need two people). He's not at all keen on brushing, and very reluctant to show me his teeth without biting fingers. But recently I've noticed that his side incisors and canines have browny stuff on them. I can't tell if it's plaque or discolouration or what, because he won't let me check again after I've tried scraping with a fingernail! If it's plaque, it's pretty old and nasty, and I'm surprised it hasn't been brushed off. Do toddlers get other discolouration on their teeth like this?

His canines have got white blotches too, but it's the brown stuff that's bothering me. DS eats a lot of fruit between meals (he couldn't exist without snacks) as well as cheese and carrot sticks and raisins (cue cries of 'worse than chocolate!' but I'm not sure I agree). He also has the odd sweet biscuit or small piece of chocolate, but not that often. Do I need to take him to see a dentist? Am really at the idea that I might have let his teeth get manky.

[rubyslippers]

absolutely take him to the dentist

my DS had a blotchy tooth which may have been because of a course of antibiotics when he was very young

if your DS has got decay better to get it sorted now

[MamaGoblin]

I wondered if the blotchyness was because of flouride? He's not had antibiotics yet.

Yes, will register him with dentist. Needed a nudge to do so, really.

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

When Dd was 2 the tops of her teeth went an awful yellowy brown colour - i was mortified as we are very thorough with cleaning.

My dentist told me it was a reaction to antibiotics - very odd! Thankfully it faded and her teeth went back to normal within a month.

Take him to the dentist - you really should anyway at his age, just to get him used to it.

[MamaGoblin]

I know, he really should know about the dentist by now. We've got a dentist book...