Teeth extractions age 7

[Onesonmum]

My son had fillings needed pre lock down. 2 , then 4 .... we had to get referred as he was so scared of first dentist . New Dentist were going to fill but due to closures and lock down and appointment halted , the teeth got worse even though we always brush and he had to in the end have 7 teeth removed under general due to one getting infected . We have always brushed his teeth . I feel awful for him . Anyone been through this ? I’m worried about his confidence , his speech and eating . He’s recovering well even after 36 hours ... school again after 6 months in 2 days . He cried about his friends laughing at him. Lego reward has helped but this doesn’t help my worries of how he will adapt ...

[StillMedusa]

Is there a reason why his teeth are so bad? 7 teeth out at his age is pretty serious! I'd want to know why they had decayed.. weak enamel..too much sugar...?
My son had 7 teeth out at 10... no decay whatsoever but they had sunk back into the jaw bone (there is a name for it that I can't remember) and they had to remove them to allow his adult teeth to grow.
He was sore for a few days but no one teased him or really even noticed when he went back to school!

[CitizenFame]

Four fillings and 7 teeth removed at age 7? That’s not normal.

[Waxonwaxoff0]

There must be a reason for that. My DS is 7 and hasn't had any issues with his teeth.

Does he eat a lot of sugar? I had to have a tooth out at primary school because my grandparents were giving me lots of sweets and lollipops behind my mum's back. If not then I'd be pushing the dentist to investigate.

Are they adult teeth he has had out or his baby teeth? Mine was a baby tooth so my adult tooth came through after and I didn't have to be self conscious.

[Happyspud]

OP I'm with u. My 7 yr old has had a load of filings and 4 teeth out. It really upsets me. I think he got away with some brushing age 4/5 because I was so sick in pregnancy and had 3 babies younger than him so I let him do his own too much but the dentist also said he has very soft back teeth naturally. They are noticibly translucent compared to his other teeth and apparently some people are just born like that. My SIL as a child also was the same my MIL always tells me.

That doesn't mean we're not responsible to some degree. Kids with soft teeth need extra brushing and cut backs on sugary things. But it's not the same to compare all kids and simply blame you.

[Mintjulia]

Is there an underlying reason why your sons teeth are so bad, like a lack of enamel?

Does your son have fizzy drinks? Could it be the carbonic acid that is destroying his teeth. Or fruit juice is acid too. Too much sugar?

If his teeth are basically normal, perhaps you could completely review his diet. And make sure any family members who care for him stop giving him anything like that too.

Something needs to change radically before his adult teeth come through or he will lose those too.

[Onesonmum]

Thanks @Happyspud .
We have a balanced diet . He only eats sweets when it’s a treat . Juice perhaps was the reason but we mainly drink water . I think one of the main reasons is that it couldn’t be dealt with when the dentist found the first two fillings plus lock down .
These are his first teeth not adult teeth.
I was hoping there may be others that have been in the same situation recently. I think removal seems common when children are completely scared by the Dentist .

[Onesonmum]

We have of course reviewed his diet , brushing routine , all of that .

[DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon]

There will be a reason op

Either a diet with a high frequency of sugary foods (not just sweets anything sugary -dried fruit,yoghurts etc) or not brushing teeth well enough, most likely a combination. Teeth dont decay in the absence of sugar and plaque

He had 7 teeth with decay in them, thats 7 teeth that would have needed fillings. Even if he had had the first 2 filled in time he would have still ended up needing 7 fillings and most children dont need 7 fillings.

If he had weak enamel the dentist would have noticed and you would have known about it before he needed the teeth removing.

Most children are missing teeth naturally at 7 so i wouldnt worry about what other DC will say, I doubt they will notice