Constant tartar on child's teeth - any dentists about?

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DD is 7. She is quite late with teeth so only just got the bottom 4 adult ones coming through. 6 adult teeth in total!

Ever since she had the middle 2 adult teeth about a year ago, we have noticed she gets a build up of tartar behind them. This was present at a dentist appointment in May and he scraped it off and advised better brushing. Since then we noticed it builds up on an almost weekly basis. We bought a tooth scraper ourselves and my husband now does it whenever it's visible, she's really good about it. I check her teeth regularly. There are 2 new teeth just erupting on the bottom now as she lost two a couple of weeks ago. Already there is tartar on them! The rest of her teeth look absolutely fine.

I am really fastidious about teeth and actually I still brush them for her and her younger brothers. I work in a field where I see a huge amount of child tooth decay so the moment my own kids had teeth I was really careful about it because I see how much distress it causes in the kids I work with. My younger two have absolutely no problems at all with their teeth.

Only difference with DD is that she was a thumb sucker at night up until she was 6.5 at which point we finally cracked it and stopped the habit. Her teeth are not straight and she will need orthodontics but they don't cross over so it isn't causing a problem with cleaning. Diet is good, only drinks water and not much sugar in diet.

What could we be doing wrong? And should I be taking her back to the dentist for advice about it? Next appointment is early January so not that long to wait but it's worrying me and I could ask to bring it forward. Thanks!

Not a dentist but things I’d try.
Could you maybe get some disclosing tablets so she can see where she needs to concentrate on brushing?
Does she struggle to hold the brush at the right angle?
would a kids battery operated brush help? Or if she’s using battery see if a normal toothbrush is better.
change of toothpaste maybe?
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If you're brushing for her, consider disclosing tablets before brushing. This will guide you naturally to the correct place to brush for her.

Tartar can only form if there's plaque. It's mineralised plaque, therefore you aren't effectively removing the plaque morning and night.

Is it definitely tartar build up or is it just plaque? Another voice for disclosing tablets to help you see where you need to brush. Would she get on with an electric toothbrush?

I wouldn't recommend your husband scraping it off. That can result in damage to the gums and teeth if not done properly

My DD (11) has this, and in her case it is due to acid reflux (possibly caused by dairy). She has to have them scraped by a hygienist.

Thanks so much for all your advice.

I had thought tartar rather than plaque as it doesn't brush off. It is white in colour. Sometimes slightly yellow.

I was definitely concerned myself about husband doing it but there are no NHS dentists here so paying for private and it's about £50 a time. So really what I'm hoping for is we can work out what's causing it and stop it building in first place.

Already using electric brush (decent oral B one) and I do it for her. Don't think it's technique as other DC teeth fine. I have never had this problem with my own teeth! Disclosing tablets a good idea though and also trying a different toothpaste. Wonder if we can move to an adult one?

Is she old enough for mouthwash? I've just discovered dentyl which shows up plaque in green when you spit it out. I've found it really good.

I had issues and was trained to brush which made a huge difference. I was brushing too high and with the brush incorrectly angled..

On a side note: How is she ever to learn how to correctly brush her teeth if you are doing it for her?

Mouthwash is next to useless. You should use adult paste anyway but what removes plaque and therefore stops tartar is mechanical cleaning.

I'm sure you're trying hard but it is physically, chemically, and physiologically impossible for tartar to form if you clean the plaque off every day.

Disclosing tablets are excellent at showing you where the issues are. Tartar is 100% preventable.

@MadelineUsher I do take your point . To be fair our dentist recommends an adult brushes until 7 and she only turned 7 last month. We started letting her do it then but found the problem even worse. At the moment she does it most mornings and I do it every night. I had gone back to doing it all the time but trying to let go a bit as I know she has to learn to do it herself!

Will check age and maybe try dentyl thanks!

Thank you @MrsMorton . I'll definitely get the tablets. Really feeling the mum guilt about this!

Yes she should be using an 'adult' or 1450ppmF paste now at 7.
Mouthwash won't help this situation, it's all about the correct mechanical toothbrushing technique to remove the plaque before it has time to become calculus. Disclosing is the way forward.
PS you could apply red food dye to a cotton wool bud and sweep it over that area before brushing as an alternative to disclosing tablets.

Amazing info @Underscore21 thanks!

Sometimes high iron intake can cause this, do you buy those milk with high calcium and iron or give iron supplements?

Electric toothbrush (not those ones for baby but proper one from Oral B) definitely removes them better than hand brushing, prevents further build up etc, though it is challenging to fit inside small mouth. You need to try to angle such that the whole brush head is not perpendicular to the tooth, otherwise it won't fit, at least for my case...

My dd had the same problem and our dentist recommended she see the hygenist for a scale and polish and also to show her the correct way to brush them. She told me electric toothbrushes are much better, as the 'sawing' back and forward with a manual is not good technique. It's pricy but very worth it.

Watching this thread with interest op, as my 7 year old seems to have exactly what you are describing. I have always been really strict with teeth cleaning, she brushes then I brush afterwards. I limit sugar intake, avoid snacks and she only drinks water. I'm not sure what else I can do.

Is she a particularly salivary child ? If you produce excess saliva it can cause more calculus (tartar)

Also sugar/diet doesn’t effect plaque/calculus this is mainly down to dental hygiene

whereas decay is solely down to sugar

This is what my old dentist told me. Particularly when the buildup occurs behind the front lower middle teeth, which is where one of the salivary glands is.

My DD has a similar problem. Our dentist said two things about it: 1. People's saliva composition can vary naturally and some people have more build up of it on their teeth, and 2) sometimes this happens if the people don't drink enough water, so that the saliva is too concentrated which is what is causing it.

My eldest suffers with this and she goes to the hygienist several times a year. The hygienist gave several reasons, her saliva composition and the fact she mainly breathes through her mouth.

Unfortunately it's just one of those things that affects some people despite good brushing etc. I would consider taking your child to the hygienist though as they can get them much cleaner than just scraping.

People can be more prone because of their saliva composition but ultimately the calculus can only form if plaque is left on the teeth.

7yo parents should be brushing for them as they will not have the dexterity to properly remove the plaque. You are doing the right thing here

Try the disclosing tablets, make sure you are brushing the gum line. It might be worth gently flossing daily as well