I'm a Paediatric Dentist AMA

[Toothwiggler]

I'm a dentist working in the specialty of Little People.
Ask me anything.

[doze]

What age do you recommend kids to start using an electric toothbrush?

What age to start using floss?

[doze]

Whats the most common problem kids come in to see you for?

[imsoboredwithitall]

If teeth are brushed twice a day using age appropriate paste, are we seriously looking at minimal decay?

[ShovingLeopard]

My DD (3) has enamel hypoplasia, like me. I have had a lifetime of extremely expensive and painful dental restorations, which I am desperate to avoid for her. Apart from the obvious stuff like limiting acids/sugar, brushing, etc, is there anything else we can do? Wondering if there are any protective treatments. I had fluoride treatment as a child, but I'm not sure it did much.

[unadventuretime]

My 6 year old has two adult teeth but they haven't pushed out the baby teeth so he has two rows of teeth at the front! The baby teeth aren't wobbly at all. Due our dental check up in a month - should we go sooner? Is this common?

[Samanabanana]

My 2 year old still screams the house down every time we brush his teeth. He won't scream forever, right?

[superking]

Like a pp my DS has hypoplasia (still has his milk teeth). Are his adult teeth likely to be affected too?

[EspressoPatronum]

What's your view on 'extended' / natural term breastfeeding, especially feeding through the night? Do you have any research to back up your opinion?
I have fucking awful teeth and desperate to avoid the same fate for my son, but have heard conflicting things about feeding overnight.

[ShovingLeopard]

superking I think it depends on the reason for the hypoplasia, as to whether it is both sets of teeth or just one. I had it in both, which is likely to be genetic. I am hypermobile, which is correlated, and so is my DD, so I am assuming she will have it in both sets too. Other causes can be illnesses, antibiotics, and possibly vaccinations (not 100% sure on that last one though), occurring at the time the teeth are forming. Hopefully your DS will only have his baby teeth affected.

[Bananalanacake]

One of my neighbours has a girl who is 4. This girl has very rotten, as in black and partially missing teeth on the top row. Will the rot spread to her adult teeth or will they come out unscathed.

[superking]

Thank you shoving leopard. It's not genetic and no other health issues so hopefully the adult ones will be ok. Hope you find a solution for your worries for your DD.

[Footofthestairs]

My DD (9) has staining on her bottom incisors along the edges where they are close to each other. We supervisor her brushing with an electric toothbrush, floss and use mouthwash but it will not go. What else would you recommend? At her last appointment she was descaled and that got rid of it but it is returning! The teeth used to cross over but have evened out as she has grown. She had antibiotics a lot for recurrent tonsillitis when younger could this have affected her teeth? Would love to get on top of this now for her so it doesn't lead to cosmetic work when older. Or decay at all!

[holycityzoo]

My dd also had hypoplasia on her back teeth. So far apart from a small white patch on her front tooth her adult ones haven't been affected.

[waterlily200]

My 4yr old daughter grinds her teeth. Mostly during the day and sometimes at night. She has also started mumbling and sometimes says there's 'something stopping her from speaking. She's going to the dentist this week. Do u have any advice? Anything we should be asking? Have you come across this before?
Thank you

[unadventuretime]

Sorry but I think you missed my question about having two sets of teeth at once

[DamsonPie]

Do you see a lot of kids who have oral problems due to sucking dummies? Or it is not an issue?

[somewhereovertherain]

Difficult one bit why did my private dentist miss so much in the kids mouths and seem to always recommend treatments he could charge a fortune for but haven’t been needed and the NHS seem to be sorting.

It’s a rhetorical question, his sister and dad have both been struck off so guessing runs in the family.

[AndIWouldWalk500Yards]

I had chicken pox aged about 3/4 months old. When my baby teeth came through they all had a brown line across them. My baby teeth decayed from those brown lines and I had multiple teeth out when I was 4 or 5 in the early 1970s. I remember it being a horrific experience. The smell of the gas and waking up afterwards. It's quite possibly the worst childhood memory I have.

As an adult I've been told by more than one dentist that CP in children who haven't yet got any erupted teeth, can cause damage to teeth that are yet to erupt. Does current thinking support this view?
Surely as a baby, whilst my teeth where still in my gums sugar, not that I was given anything other than breast milk, wouldn't have played a part?

[Toothwiggler]

Oops sorry: busy day!!

I'll have a go at some answers

What age do you recommend kids to start using an electric toothbrush?

What age to start using floss?

I say not before 6years for a proper rechargeable elec brush, but the cheaper battery operated ones are ok from toddler hood.
Flossing from when they are capable. My own kids stared doing their front teeth age 8 or 9 back teeth a bit later.

[Toothwiggler]

Whats the most common problem kids come in to see you for?

Tooth decay. Plain and simple, preventable and 90%+ of our work.

[Toothwiggler]

If teeth are brushed twice a day using age appropriate paste, are we seriously looking at minimal decay?

As long as sugar intake is controlled too

[Toothwiggler]

My DD (3) has enamel hypoplasia, like me. I have had a lifetime of extremely expensive and painful dental restorations, which I am desperate to avoid for her. Apart from the obvious stuff like limiting acids/sugar, brushing, etc, is there anything else we can do? Wondering if there are any protective treatments. I had fluoride treatment as a child, but I'm not sure it did much.

There are some treatment options for children with significant enamel hypoplasia, but the child has to be co-operative to receive them.
The right choice depends on the specific circumstances of the child and their teeth but may include: prevention only (including fluoride varnish); a coating (like a white filling material) stuck on to teeth; push-fit metal caps to back teeth.
It's a tricky balance, as you say, they may have a life long commitment to dentistry and so the last thing we want to do is too much, too young and lose co-operation for the future.

[Flumptastic]

Would you recommend painting baby teeth with Fluoride? At the last checkup the dentist said that my daughter who is 4 had some thinning enamel on the front teeth, am wondering if this would help?

[Toothwiggler]

My 6 year old has two adult teeth but they haven't pushed out the baby teeth so he has two rows of teeth at the front! The baby teeth aren't wobbly at all. Due our dental check up in a month - should we go sooner? Is this common?

Don't worry, yes it's quite common as the lower adult incisor teeth actually develop a little bit behind (towards the tongue) the baby teeth. In the vast majority of cases it will sort itself out. Take him when he's due for his check up and hopefully your dentist will give you the same reassurance after seeing them x

[Teenageromance]

Do you like being a dentist? Dd was going to go for this but chemistry A level too difficult so rethinking.