Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Aibu to refuse fluoride treatment for child

44 replies

Thingsthatgo · 16/02/2018 07:18

Taking children to dentist today. Last time we were there the dentist painted on some fluoride on my 5 year old’s teeth. (I agreed to it at the time). I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do though. What are your thoughts? (I’m not anti vax, just unsure about fluoride).

OP posts:

Oblomov18 · 16/02/2018 08:22

"so I’m concerned that the fluoride is causing it."

No, no no. Please OP. This is so wrong. The white spits are where the enamel has not properly formed.

For Ds2 they don't know why this has happened. So they paint the fluoride on, to protect what is a weakened tooth.

Please, please speak to your Dentist again.

iammeegan · 16/02/2018 08:23

I think it was drops added to my milk in a bottle, I'm not entirely sure though I will have to ask dm
Obviously if this was the case drink from a bottle would mean it wasn't getting washed away afterwards leading to the staining

TinaMena · 16/02/2018 08:23

after doing my own research on it
The words that make the hearts of medics and scientists sink.
So we're all supposed to blindly follow the instructions of medics all the time?

allegretto · 16/02/2018 08:25

I never had the fluoride treatment and am in my forties - no fillings yet, touch wood! I was a bit dubious about getting it for my children as well OP - mainly because I didn't really see the point. I did do it in the end. I hate the idea of fluoride in the water supply though.

Ollivander84 · 16/02/2018 08:26

I've had it painted on as an adult, no issues at all. I make sure I don't rinse after brushing too so the fluoride stays on

BelindasRedPlasticHandcuffs · 16/02/2018 08:28

So we're all supposed to blindly follow the instructions of medics all the time?

The point the poster was making is that most of the time people's 'research' is a few websites written by conspiracy theorists or overly concerned individuals with very little scientific understanding or backing. Average Joe doesn't tend to be able to read a genuine, peer reviewed scientific paper, critically or otherwise and understand the implications of its findings. So maybe leave the 'research' to professionals who are trained to understand how to research properly.

Ask questions of your healthcare provider absolutely. But don't assume 'research' means you actually know what you're talking about better than the experts.

Original poster

Thingsthatgo · 16/02/2018 08:32

Oblomov18 This is from the NHS website about fluorosis.

Aibu to refuse fluoride treatment for child

OP posts:

dramalamma · 16/02/2018 08:35

What’s more important to you - strong teeth or strong body? Fluoride is toxic - we avoid.

LipANik · 16/02/2018 08:37

I refuse the flouride, after doing my own research on it I've decided we won't give it, we also use flouride free toothpaste

This seems really dumb.

DH had flouride as a child, 40 now and no fillings. I didn't, same age, more fillings than I can count.

Fondantfancypant · 16/02/2018 08:39

Fluorosis can occur with excess fluoride but you would have to ingest quite a lot. White spots can be minimised with whitening as an adult anyway.
Not to out myself but in my job i've seen people who refused fluoride or their parents...many don't have any back teeth, teenagers very upset with their parents for depriving them of fluoride as now they have to think about dentures whilst at university...not nice

NorthStarGrassman · 16/02/2018 08:43

If you’ve managed to misspell fluoride twice in one post my hopes for your “own research” aren’t very high.

k2p2k2tog · 16/02/2018 08:48

Growing up in Sweden, the 'flouride nurse' would come around the classrooms every month or so with a tray of little cups of flouride mouth rinse.

Not just Sweden - we had this in Edinburgh! Definitely until about age 10, perhaps right through primary school. I remember she had a different flavour each time and there was always much speculation about whether the favourite bubblegum flavour would ever make a return.

We don't have fluoride in the water here and I've always made sure that we have toothpaste with the correct level of fluoride for the children.

I also think that having gone through at least 5 years of dental school plus regular on the job training, my dentist knows a lot more about fluoride than someone who "has done their research" courtesy of Dr Google.

baublesnbubbles · 16/02/2018 09:22

We had no fluoride in water or with dental tx growing up, I have several fillings and need 2 implants.
My dentist (and one of my siblings who is a dentist ) swear it s because of no fluoride. And also say they can see it in the teeth and when clients who have had no fluoride come in.
The amounts of fluoride are small. Negligible.
Treat your kids teeth.
I ve a really beautiful looking set of teeth that are completely full of fillings cracks and need expensive painful work done. If there s a chance that s associated with lack of fluoride and I can save my kids from it I would

Backenette · 16/02/2018 09:43

Fluoride is toxic - we avoid.

Everything’s toxic, you just need to up the amount. Some things that you absolutely need for survival are toxic in excess (water, salt etc.)

You’ll die if you have no salt. You’ll die if you have too much. You can die of dehydration and you can die of hyponatraemia. the dose makes the poison

Fluoride in the amounts present in uk tapwater is beneficial, not toxic.

listening blindly to experts

Public health issues recommendations about public health, i.e. evidence based advice that applies on a population level. The threshold for the evidence they use is high -generally multiple studies over many years. As with everything, you take that as a basis for your individual circumstances. So five a day of fruit and veg is good, but if your kid has hereditary fructose intolerance that’s going to be made up of veg not fruit.
Public health are not lying to you, not engaged in any great conspiracies or mind control. They are issuing evidence based advice.

So follow blindly? You never follow anything blindly. Listen to over the weirder reaches of the inter web/mercola/random woo peddlers? Yes. Definitely

BarbarianMum · 16/02/2018 09:51

You crack on OP. May just set up an account to pay for the dental work your dd will need later on. She'll thank you for it.

FluffyWuffy100 · 16/02/2018 09:54

@BelindasRedPlasticHandcuffs great post

dementedpixie · 16/02/2018 13:14

Fluorosis of the teeth occurs during the formation of the teeth when they are still in the gums so adult teeth would be affected before they erupt when you are still a child. That means that they are not affected so much by fluoride after that time. That's why its important to use a smear of toothpaste for under 3s and a pea sized amount for over 3s. They should spit and not rinse too and don't use a mouthwash after brushing or you wash the fluoride away again.

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 17/02/2018 08:27

Leaving the fluoride issue aside, I’m crying with laughter at the poster who thinks public health advice is accurate.

Low fat diet yogurt, anyone?

YreneTowers · 17/02/2018 09:31

I have some dental fluorosis. I grew up in the Birmingham area, which has fluoride added to the water, and my parents believed that if a little of something was good, then more was better, so my brother and I were given adult toothpaste and encouraged to swallow it, and given fluoride supplements too.

My teeth are now very strong, but are discoloured and have white patches.

Due to my experience, I tried to avoid excess fluoride for my DC, and DS1 has very weak enamel, and needed a filling in one of his adult teeth almost as soon as it erupted.

I'm now trying to find a middle ground.

Flip

1 2