Poor quality baby teeth and lots of trips to the dentists.

[2kidsintow]

Both of my kids seem to have had poor quality baby teeth that are prone to cavities. I've compared their diets and brushing habits to friends' children who have pristine teeth and can't seem any difference.

They are allowed to brush their own teeth, but are monitored and if they haven't done a great job, we take over and finish the job for them too.

Both of them have had problems with cavities and then problems with their fillings.

DD1 had a couple of fillings in her molars and they kept falling out. She ended up with on of the teeth crumbing completely. Most of it fell out, but a fragment remained. It caused no problems until it got in the way of the emerging adult tooth and started to make it come through at a funny angle. The dentist applied some anaesthetic gel and pulled the rest of the tooth out. Her adult teeth have been great sofar. No sign of any problems, no weak spots and no cavities.

DD2 is following in the same footsteps. Last week we went back as a filling in a molar had fallen out. We were told it was a large hole, with an exposed nerve. It needed a dressing applying (which I doubted there and then would stay in) and a follow up appt booking. Today she came through and asked me to feel her gum as it was all swollen. Luckily the dentists gave her an appt and she was seen quickly. She needed antibiotics and the dressing removing as it needed to drain - they didn't say, but I expect it is an abcess forming - and told me it would need extracting in a couple of weeks once the antibiotics have had a chance to work.

I am dreading the extraction and will find it upsetting. No idea how a 6 year old is going to cope either. The dentists words were "As long as she'll be able to cope with having the injection she will be ok" :(