ds's teeth- I feel awful

[Tiredoftiredness]

Just been to the dentists and DS (4) has got to have his 2nd filling. I feel like a total failure as a parent, I couldnt believe it when he had to have a filling in his baby teeth last year and stepped up his brushing routine with an electric toothbrush and timing 2 minutes twice a day and now he needs another one!

I honestly don't understand what I'm doing wrong, he barely has sweets - maybe once or twice a week? Only has diluted fruit juice with breakfast, otherwise water or milk. Eats healthily, the only thing I've wondered about is he was born premature-not sure if this can impact? And if so, does it follow through to adult teeth?

Would really appreciate any advice or similar experiences, feel like I'm letting him down but don't understand how! Thanks for reading.

You could try doing a diet sheet for four days. Record everything that passes his lips.

He will get his first permanent molars at 6, these should be sealed by the dentist ASAP and he should
Be having six monthly fluoride applications at the dentist.

are you using a toothpaste with enough flouride in it?

Thank you, what would the diet sheet be for? Hidden sugars? We cook from scratch mostly so don't think this is an issue either. Forgot to say, he did get a flour idea coating 6m ago, will ask about it again when he goes back for filling.

Thankyou

Lots of people will come on and tell you that the prematurity has caused this. The baby molars were already formed when he was born so it will not have affected those teeth. The adult first molars are forming (calcifying) around birth so they may be affected. Even more reason to ensure they are sealed ASAP.

Yes, hidden sugars. It's up to you, it's one of the tools we use to work out why there's decay in children whose parents say what you've just said.

His toothpaste is 1450ppm (means nothing to me!) I did ask the dentist 6m ago about moving to the next stage but she didn't seem keen

I would be surprised if it's anything that you are doing wrong.

I know of 3 children who had fillings so young. The first one was having juice in the bottle and the other two had very healthy diets. I think some people just have genetically bad teeth which is bad luck. I have also heard of bad teeth in infants being linked to antibiotics which again can't be avoided if they were needed at the time.

Thankyou Mrs Morton, I'll try that and show dentist. I take it you're a dentist? Can I ask what my dentist should be doing - should she be investigating a young child having dental issues? I'm a little worried as her attitude seems to be just a knowing look and a filling rather than any advice etc.

Yes I am a dentist. 1450 toothpaste is spot on. We can prescribe higher concentrations but only when children have learnt to spit out properly.

Well, it's hard bcse some parents aren't interested in stopping the decay, just treating it so it can tend towards not asking questions.

It's almost always sugar in afraid, the odd developmental abnormality but usually (as pp has demonstrated) people are looking for something else to blame.

So, I would suggest doing a diet sheet getting some disclosing tablets to double check excellent brushing and also specifically asking your dentist for prevention advice next time you see them.

The only other thing I can think of right now is my friend was told her children were eating too much dried fruit, eg raisins and those YoYo bear things. The fruit sticks in between their teeth and the sugar rots there (or so I was told). I know another friend who wondered if it was because her children ate a lot of fresh fruit, snacking throughout the day so always sugar on their teeth.

Sorry for appalling spelling etc.

What I'm trying to say is that after you've tried the investigate/intervene in hundreds of children and got nothing back, it sort of makes you just treat it and wait for the keenness to come the other way IYSWIM.

Thankyou, I've just ordered some disclosing tablets from boots so will give those a go, and start a food diary.

He does eat a fair amount of fresh fruit I guess, hope that's not the issue - don't want to cut it out!

Will also speak to the dentist in s bit more detail next time, was a bit too surprised today to do so properly!

Mrs Morton - can I ask if in your experience this is likely to continue on to adult teeth, be it either diet based or developmental?

Thankyou for all the help

I really don't know about the adult teeth I'm afraid. It's impossible to say at this stage!! If it's diet based then he will continue to get cavities.

Make sure you put down the times that he eats the food and how long it takes him to eat it? If he just scoffs it down of if he sucks and chews it for aaaages.

He is the worlds slowest eater. I guess that doesn't help things!

I read somewhere that it is important to wait an hour after eating before brushing teeth. Is this information correct?

I read somewhere (and I can't remember where, which is a shame as it was an interesting article) that the mouth can only naturally cope with five "acid attacks" per day. An acid attack would be a meal, some fruit or a sugary drink. Any more than 5 results in damage to the teeth. So basically 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. If you eat fruit or drink anything with sugar in it away from mealtimes that is an "attack". Hence why people who have ostensibly very healthy diets but who might graze on a couple of apples through the day, or a glass of Orange between meals might have worse tooth decay. Since reading this I have noticed that my friends who are "grazers" and who might eat small amounts through the day have worse teeth than me - I'm a 3 meals a day kinda person and always have been

Fruit may well be your 'hidden' villain. Five a day is very misleading since it refers to five fruit and veg. Google the sugar content of fruit to see how much sugar it contains. Also try and avoid fruit juice, smoothies etc the whole fruit is far better nutritionally.
Colgate have launched a new tooth paste aimed at families with young children (purple tube). They claim that after using it for a number of weeks it works with the bacteria in your mouth to increase the ph of saliva. The ph will drop when eating sugar but since starting ph is higher it doesn't drop to such a low level, if that makes sense. Research claims that it reduces decay by 20%.
I agree with Mrsmortan that prematurity is far more likely to cause disruption to the development of permanent teeth. It also depends on how many weeks early they are. DS was born at 36 weeks and after a difficult few days he took to BF quickly, he has no damage to his first molars. However his cousin and another friend DS who were born at 37 weeks both have significant damage to their first molars.
A food diary is very useful, with time and quantity, it gives us a lot more information than you would imagine.

maybe it was just a pregnancy thing and he has weak first teeth? at least you are taking him to the dentist, brushing his teeth and taking advice. dont feel bad

Dc1 was the same. I was horrified but honestly there was nothing- pfb so no juice, sweets etc.

I did some research as we were getting a dentist phobia. A chat with the dentist and as no pain or trouble we decided to leave well alone. Baby teeth fall out eventually any way.

Thanks all,

Started the food diary yesterday although as it's the bank holiday weekend there's been a few more treats than usual so perhaps not the best time to start!

He was born at 31 weeks, had no health issues resulting from it so far, so I guess if it is resulting in poor teeth I should still count myself lucky - could have been far worse!

I'll keep an eye out for fancy Colgate toothpaste too.

Luckily no dentist phobia here - always runs straight in and goes 'aaaah', seems to love it - odd child!

I'm sorry - it doesnt sound like you are doing anything wrong!

Could you bin the morning juice and just have water?

I think I read about xylitol being another good option for kids teeth. You can get xylitol/fluoride toothpastes...

It is possibly also just genetics/luck. My kids have no fillings or issues but DH's teeth cleaning is appalling (they are 5 and 3 so need help). I do restrict juice though

I've done plenty "wrong" with my 4 DC, they didn't get any fillings until at least 7yo. So I vote it mostly down to factors OP can't control.

Mine had a lot of juice and fruit when they were small, (before it was demonised) and the occasional helping of sweets and chocolate. At early 20s, late teens they have no filings; just like their Dad. I honestly think some people are just more fortunate than others in the genetic lottery.

But we don't know that done until we actually investigate what OP is doing that is within her control.
On MN, no one believes that a child's diet can cause their dental problems, it must be from "antibiotics when they were born" or some other spurious reason that didn't even happen at the correct developmental age.

It is most likely to be sugar/brushing related. After that it may be developmental and sometimes it's due to the buffering capacity of the saliva. No one can determine these things from the "internet" so I suggest the armchair experts let OPs dentist help when the diet sheet is done and the disclosing tablets have been used rather than absolving OP of any responsibility (this sounds like a dig but it's vital to exclude the most likely cause before expensive tests etc) by declaring its totally out of her control.

OP with the diet sheet, usually Friday-Monday is good, two normal days and the weekend. Bank hol not ideal but dentists are human too and I just ate a massive Toblerone as my bank hol treat so she will understand

Fair enough Mrs Morton but OP feels crap about it and on the DCs of it, has no reason to so nothing wrong with trying to make her feel better, is there? It's not going to stop her doing the diet sheet.