Possible filling for a four year ol

[Bantambabe]

Hi
4.5 year old DD went to dentist yesterday, he said she has a bit of tooth decay in bottom left tooth at the back of her mouth and may need a filling. I am mortified as I always felt we looked after her teeth, she has her teeth brushed twich a day, she doesn't eats lots of sweets and doesnt have fizzy drinks. Should I ask that the tooth be monitored for a while before anything happens as I dont want to put her off the dentist for life

Thanks

Hi there - we've got 2 ds's (10 and 8) - one's got perfect teeth and the other has had to have a couple of fillings and an extraction so far... they both eat the same amount of sweets - not too many - and neither have fizzy drinks, so I think this is more of a nature than nurture thing to be honest.

If she needs a filling I think best to let the dentist do it - before it gets worse and the filling needs to be deeper?

Thanks - I'm also worried she won't sit still for the filling and will scream and create

If the decay isn't too serious, the dentist may decide just to paint the tooth with a fluoride paste. It helps the enamel to recover and lowers the risk of further decay.

DS is also 4 and is having a filling on Thursday, he is having it done at our local dental centre, rather than the dentist and under anaesthetic. I have told him hat the dentist will put some magic cream on him & mummy will be there all the way through.

The way I see it is a nature thing, rather than anything I have fed him or done, I have had several fillings, DH has several fillings, I think he was destined to have them.

Once he has had his filling I am happy to talk to you about it, if you want.

OP, my 4yo DD also has some areas on her teeth that are being monitored for decay by our dentist. Am similarly mortified as we have been "good"!

But here's the thing that stops me feeling too guilty. I've been taking her to the dentist since she had teeth. I told other school mums about taking her to the dentist (needed time off school) and some said they had NEVER taken their DCs. Or have taken them once.

Here's the other thing. She has clearly inherited my crappy teeth and nails. My DSis has very strong teeth and nails, whilst I have a mouthful of fillings. Same diet, same tooth care regime growing up.

I don't know the answer about your situation but wanted to share my philosophy and try to help you feel better!

Thanks everybody, I dont feel quite as guilty now, if you could let me know how your DS gets on after his filling that would be great.

DS had his (2)fillings this morning. We had to go to our local dental clinic rather than our usual dentist.

When we got there the receptionist put some magic cream on the back of DS hand and covered it with a plaster. It took about 30 minutes for us to be called in. The dentist looked in DS mouth and counted all his teeth and really put him at ease. Then he had to lie back on the chair and breathe gas and air through a mask while they put the anaesthetic in the back of his hand. I was with him all the way through. Once he was 'under' they moved him into the right position and I left. About 10 minutes later I was called into recovery and there he was, very groggy & disorientated, but he can't remember anything. We were in recovery for about 20-25 minutes then came home.

Because he hadn't eaten, DS wsa sick a couple of times on the way home (about a 20 minute drive, but I had a bowl).

Looking at him now you wouldn't know he had had something done!

The dentist did tell us that DS teeth have weak enamel as he can also see decay on the back teeth, so we might be back there for more fillings in the future.

Ohh, like poppywearer when I mentioned it to so mums at school, they said that they have never taken their DC's to see the dentist either

Thanks Knittingnovice glad it went okfor your son

Hi all

Now my husband says she can never have sweets again, whilst I think they should be very restricted but think it would be very hard and a bit unfair not to let her have them when she goes to parties and they gave out sweets during games - what does anybody think?

We have never restricted sweets as sometimes the sugar found in fruit & fruit juice can be just as damaging & corrosive as sweets.
I honestly think it is a nature rather than nurture thing.
I had orthodontics, teeth removed and have about 4 fillings as well as no upper wisdom teeth. DH has had numerous fillings too and reacts really badly to anaesthetic so can only have local rather than sedation. He needs work doing on his wisdom teeth which we can't afford & he won't have the sedation so just has to live with it.
I think our DC's were destined to have bad teeth.