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

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

Original poster

2.5 year old dental issue - feeling so guilty

23 replies

User24689 · 15/02/2018 14:47

Hi All
My DD is 2.5 and 2 days ago I noticed she had a white build up on the gumline of her two bottom middle front teeth. I tried to brush it away but couldn't. Since then we have been doing extra thorough brushing morning and night and it looks to have improved very slightly but is basically still there. I'm assuming it is a build up of tartar?

I just don't understand how it's happened. We brush her teeth morning and night and she is cooperative, I thought we were doing a good enough job. She only has milk and water to drink and there is very little sugar in her diet. I can only think that we aren't brushing for long enough.

Im going to call the dentist tomorrow but dreading seeing them. She has only been once for a checkup 6 months ago and cried the whole time he was trying to check her teeth so don't know how he will clean them.

Anyone have any similar experiences?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

User24689 · 16/02/2018 13:02

Hopeful bump!

OP posts:

eyeoresancerre · 16/02/2018 13:07

You're doing exactly the right thing going to the Dentist so you don't have to feel guilty. You go every 6 months which is fantastic.
However totally understand the guilt. When my dentist said my DS needed at small filling a couple of years ago I felt dreadful, like a properly crap mother.

Original poster

User24689 · 16/02/2018 13:12

Thank you for your kind message eyeore. I do feel like I have failed her. I have an appointment for next Thursday morning and the receptionist recommended I take a picture of the teeth in case she won't open her mouth. I'm just worried about how they will remove it because I honestly don't think they're going to be able to do it without sedating her :(

OP posts:

bettydraper31 · 16/02/2018 13:15

Don’t need feel guilty! These things sometimes happen through no fault of anyone’s, you can only do what you’re doing! Could it be a build up of calcium? Have you googled it? Still keep your appointment but it could be something else.

Original poster

User24689 · 16/02/2018 13:19

I have googled it but haven't really got anywhere. I assume it is tartar but that comes from not removing plaque and I'm surprised at that when we brush twice a day, but maybe we don't do it well enough. Build up of calcium, what causes that, is it literally having too much calcium? Will look into that thanks

OP posts:

mouseistrapped · 16/02/2018 14:34

Do you use an electric toothbrush ?

2 minutes on an electric is like 8 minutes regular brushing my dentist said. Also it does circular motions as traditional up / down brushing can move plaque into the gum line

try not to feel

Too guilty as you have tried very hard!

Original poster

User24689 · 16/02/2018 19:36

Thanks mouse.We haven't, but I went an bought an electric one when we noticed the problem. Thing is, she won't let me put it anywhere near her. She doesn't like the buzzing noise it makes (she's a bit sensitive to noises in general). We could hold her down and I'm prepared to if it's the only way we will get the teeth really clean, but right now we are in a place where she is willingly opening her mouth to have them cleaned with the manual brush so seems like a lot of upset to do that. I'm letting her watch me clean my teeth with the electric one now in the hope she gets used to it.

OP posts:

mouseistrapped · 16/02/2018 21:32

We've had crying every night for 2 years now
6 nights out of 7 and there's the odd. Igbo where he's totally fine. My
Husband says in some ways when he cries he can get a really good brush.

Def try circular motions first -
And maybe let her choose a minions/princess/ pirate electric toothbrush in the shop as a starter point?

bettydraper31 · 16/02/2018 21:34

Mine was the same with her electric one at first. So we went and bought an electric one each too, and just left hers on the side in the bathroom no pressure. After about a month or so she got interested in hers and now absolutely loves it! It’s an oral b frozen one.

welshmist · 16/02/2018 21:36

We have the frozen music tooth brush, it does help.

Original poster

User24689 · 17/02/2018 00:29

Thanks so much for all these brilliant suggestions. I will look for a musical brush I think. I have a Colgate kids electric one and it does make a really loud noise. Just hope damage hasn't been done to the teeth already and that Thursdays appointment isn't too traumatic!

OP posts:

Thirtyrock39 · 17/02/2018 00:38

We had this with my eldest there are certain teeth more prone to it but other than that just wondered if your little one has milk at night? Really important that fluoride is the last thing on teeth over night so toddlers that still wake for milk at night ideally should still have teeth brushed again before going back to sleep (easier said than done I know but milk at night has a big link to dental problems in young children

Original poster

User24689 · 17/02/2018 00:42

Thanks thirty. She doeshave milk before bed, but we brush her teeth after. She doesn't have it during the night . There is one thing that it could be - recently we started rinsing her mouth out with water after brushing because DH was concerned she was swallowing the toothpaste and then going to bed with it on her teeth. There was a white spot on her front tooth a few months ago and after googling DH wondered if it was from excessive flouride. The white mark disappeared in a day or two (no idea what that was now!) . Now I'm wondering if she should be keeping the toothpaste on the teeth and not rinsing it off. It's a minefield!

OP posts:

differentnameforthis · 17/02/2018 00:46

It's very hard to brush the front teeth of another person adequately, because the natural reaction is for the bottom lip to brush the brush away.

You need to hold her lip gently away from the teeth in order to get to the gum line

differentnameforthis · 17/02/2018 00:48

so toddlers that still wake for milk at night ideally should still have teeth brushed again before going back to sleep Which is completely impractical as you would have to keep them awake for 20 min after the milk as you can't brush straight away!

differentnameforthis · 17/02/2018 00:48

Ideally yes, she should keep the toothpaste on her teeth and not rinse.

Original poster

User24689 · 17/02/2018 01:04

Ok thanks. We should have just taken her to the dentist rather than googling, lesson learned there :(

@thirtyrock39, what happened with your DC's teeth, did you need to get the build up removed by a dentist?

OP posts:

Gunpowder · 17/02/2018 01:22

DD2 is the same age and has this too. She had a dental check up this week and I was terrified but the dentist said her teeth were fine. She said keep brushing them twice a day, ideally with the electric toothbrush and also advised not rinsing the toothpaste off.

Original poster

User24689 · 17/02/2018 02:15

Thank you gunpowder that's reassuring. So the dentist just left it? Did he say what caused it?

OP posts:

Gunpowder · 17/02/2018 02:53

She said that (unless they need fillings), up until they are three it’s just about them having a good experience at the dentist and learning to open their mouth, have their teeth checked etc.

Gunpowder · 17/02/2018 02:54

She didn’t say what caused it. But she was relaxed about it.

Original poster

User24689 · 17/02/2018 03:28

That has made me feel a lot better. Thank you! 😊

OP posts:

IceBearRocks · 17/02/2018 03:34

I have a severly disabled Ds aged 8 and I could probably count on fingers how many times I've had access to his mouth.
His teeth are great but he's tube fed do very little has passed his teeth since 2013.
Kids are hard work...... Have Ds10 and Dd6 too an nag and moan re teeth...

Flip