DS (4) needs 2 milk teeth taken out, feeling like a bad mum

[dribbleface]

Title says it all really, tooth teeth need removal due to damage/decay . I brush his teeth religiously, he only had milk or water till he was 2.5 years old. Feeling very very crap.

Anyone else had this? What should I expect?

dd needs a tooth out i think, she is only 6 and like wise brushes well with help 2x daily, no excessive sugar or acid.

good helthy almost sugar free other than fruit etc as a baby and toddler.

I think some people have weaker teeth, I do out of all my siblings I have all back teeth filled mostly as a youngster and all the others never had fillings as kids.

You do realise some people will come on to the thread and judge you .

not sure what you have to expect im afraid as dd is still waiting for a referal to the com dentist as she is so phobic.

however I have just switched her tooth paste to pro enamle to see if this helps strenghthen her teeth.

Fully expectin judgy people, tis mumsnet after all

I have weak teeth, chatting to my friend tonight who only brushed hers and hers kids once a day, I do mine twice if not three times, DS's twice without fail. Grrrrr!

expecting!

My son had to have 2 teeth removed at the age of 5 due to decay. They only drink water, I am very careful about what they eat, sweets only as treats, watch the sugar intake on everything etc. The dentist always looks down his nose at me and gives me a lecture, but he has to eat his words when he checks my teeth and they are absolutely perfect. So it is just unfortunate that they have weak teeth.

DS had his taken out by the community dentist. They gave him gas and air and he was good as gold.

Thanks ninjanurse, thankfully the dentist was lovely, did ask about his general health, he was a poorly baby from 16 weeks until about 9 months,not sure if this has any bearing on it. Waiting for referral letter to do done.

Mine had two out aged 5/6 no com dentist just an injection and pliers but he was very brave. Dentist said to use adult toothpaste but a tiny amount and make sure he doesn't swallow it.

Try not to feel to bad, there is not much you can do. I thought that it started to be more accepted by dentists that some people have weaker teeth, which could also have to do with antibiotics use, prematurity, etc. Also, do not brush within 15-20 minutes of the child having eaten or drunk something else than water, as the enamel is softer than normal in that period and you can brush the enamel away.

After fruit juice it is good to give a cube of cheese to neutralise the acid.

Good luck and try not to worry too much.

Thanks everyone, feeling a bit less guilty for now! Top tip about the cheese cube, will do that.

My son also had to have a tooth removed when he was around that age. He also was only given water, milk and sugar free squash as a little one but he did enjoy eating fruit which I thought was a healthy option. I think as others have already said, some people simply have weaker teeth. His tooth was extracted under sedation and it was easy peasy, although I stressed at the time worrying how safe it was. The sedation and extraction wasn't done at the dentist, he was referred to a specialist clinic so that reassured me a little.

My son is now 13 and as a result of that extraction it was a little touch and go if he'd need braces. The dentist and orthodontist explained to me that because his baby tooth was extracted it was not there to act as a marker or barrier to stop his adult teeth from shifting slightly as they pushed through. As a result one adult tooth came through and then the second adult tooth, which came through a while later, had shifted into the wrong place and was trying to push through in the same place which obviously it couldn't do because there was now a permanent tooth in the way. It resulted in him having to have an extraction again, this time of his adult tooth. Fortunately it was a molar towards the back so it hasn't impacted significantly on the appearance or functioning of his teeth. It was a bit of a nightmare for us because the dentist stupidly extracted the wrong tooth however it turned out that either of the teeth would have been okay to extract so it has all worked out okay and no need for braces. The reason I'm telling you this is not to scare you, if your son's tooth needs extracting then there's little you can do. However please check that it's not possible to have it filled rather than extracted. If they can save the tooth by filling it I would recommend that is a better option.

Some people just have weak teeth I have learnt! I'm lucky that my teeth are really strong (albeit quite crooked!) and I've never had any problems. DS1 is the same. DH has a mouth full of fillings and DS2 has just had his first one aged 8. Looks like he's taking after his Dad! Try not to feel bad about it, these days there is so much dentists can do, I'm assuming you're in the UK so just be glad it's free while they are children

Sophia - they did say the specialist will see one or both can be filled. He will need braces anyway, very overcrowded mouth as he has extra milk teeth (23 not 20, possible 24!). Bit worried about sedation as he is asthmatic but I'm sure it will be ok.

Suburbabdream - Glad its free, school uniform for Sept is wiping me out!

Birth trauma, placental insufficiency or illness shortly after birth can cause baby teeth to be weak. Our dentist said this so pretty sure its correct.

My DS (6) needs to have one of his molars taken out in a couple of weeks. We have always brushed his teeth religiously, avoided sugary snacks etc. My DH took the news very hard as he works in the dental field and has perfect teeth with no fillings.

DS was premature and I read that this can be linked to weak teeth.

My DD is shortly due to have 5 teeth out under GA . we are devastated and feel so guilty. DD on the other hand is really looking forward to having a bumper present from the tooth fairy!

According to my dentist I bf her too long . She brushes twice a day religiously and we try to keep her diet healthy but I can't say we have avoided sweet things completely. I always thought it would be too mean to deny her any chocolate or sweets whatsoever, although she has nowhere near as much as many other DCs. However looks like we are paying the price now.

My teeth and DH's are crap so I wonder if she has been genetically short changed

Same here - ds had to have two teeth out last year when he was 5, I have never had any fillings and we brushed his teeth religiously, he drank only water, no sugary snacks, etc. He had them out under GA and they discovered a hole in the one next to one of them aswell, so he had 3 teeth out!

I was devestated like you, felt like the worst Mum for a while. I bf ds till he was 3, and my dentist said he'd seen a lot of anecdotal evidence that bfing was the cause. He said 'Humour me, did he have a favourite side?' (He did.) 'And I bet it was the right, so the milk pooled in his mouth on his left where the decay is?' No, actually, so that blew that ridiculous theory.

After he'd had them out and we were waiting for them to call us in, the staff at the dental hospital sat us down and said 'Now you will make sure you brush his teeth twice a day from now on, won't you?' I wanted to cry with frustration - no one could explain why with careful brushing he had such decay, they just didn't believe us! I think they were convinced we had given him coke in his bottle or something. My niece the same age went to bed with juice in her bottle every night, and has the healthiest teeth!

We use adult toothpaste with him now, and - touch wood - we are a year on with no more decay .

Cross posts, Mangohedgehog - what a crock from these dentists. Bfing has been around for thousands of years, but tooth decay is a relatively new phenomenon, fgs.

My children both have weak enamel. No filling yet but there will be. The dentist asked me about the medication I had to have during pregnancy... apparently some of the meds I was on during pregnancy cause compacted enamel.

I feel huge guilt but I had to take the drugs or there would have been worse issues for my children.

So it's not always parents shovelling sugar into their kids and poor dental hygiene.

My DD1 (now age 6) had operation last year under general a to have several teeth removed and crowns put on the remaining molars due to decay. I was and am totally devastated- especially since some of the dentist we met along the way were horrid to me in front ofmy daughter. We now see a paediatric dentist every couple of months and she paints flouride paste on to try and strengthen them - she tells me that DD1 (and DD2 age 3 ) have a problem with their enamel.... I am careful with their diet and brushing etc but still feel so awful about this- especially since DD2 is going to need to have crowns on her little teeth too. Life is not fair sometimes and people can be very judgemental :(

Don't beat yourself up OP. I had to have quite a lot of my milk teeth extracted when I was little. I had chicken pox when I was a few weeks old and when my teeth came through they had a brown line across them and that's where the decay was focused. The dental hospital told my DM that some childhood illnesses, like cp, can affect tooth development. I've just had a quick google and it seems that is true.

If it helps my adult teeth were so much better!

Thanks everybody, he was a poorly baby, had gastroentiritis at 16 weeks, numerous ear infections/throat infections. Nasty case of bronchiolitis at 25 weeks, then chest infections every few weeks until at 9 months the doctor finally believed me that he couldn't breath. Asthma diagnosed, steriod inhaler etc etc, finally settled my boy down. Guessing that the huge amounts of antibiotic and also very strong ones at 5 months (secondary infection after bronchiolitis) didn't help.

I have terrible teeth, but brush etc religiously, as does my mum.

I feel less guilty but guess that will return when he actually has them out. My friend is a peads nurse and says they have hundreds of chidren through for extraction. She said the only time they raise an eyebrow is when the child is in having lots of teeth removed and they are in the waiting room drinking coke from a babies bottle (it actually happens she tells me!)

My hunch is its the anti-B's if taken at length they can cause issues.

Don't beat yourself up over it. It's not fair but you are aware of it now, on top of it in getting him treatment and dentistry improves all the time.

And the fact you give a damn shows you'll do your best for him.

I've just been told today that DD6 has to have four teeth out under GA. I have been crying at the tea table, feeling like toe worst mum in the world! She's had to have three lots of antibiotics because of infections in her teeth, and I have been trying to get her sorted for a few months now. We just got passed from dentist to community dental to dentist to hospital, all the while getting nowhere. So I'm at least relieved to have a concrete plan of action now. I was always told to give her juice through a straw, so that it doesn't linger on her teeth too long - has anyone else heard this?

When I was 5 I had to have all 4 back teeth out due to decay , was under GA and I still remember it . Don't know how my mom coped but us moms do! Good luck

I had to have four fillings in my milk teeth, but my adult teeth are filling free! So, try not to worry that this will plague your DS through life.