Build up of plaque on 2 year olds teeth.

[Washimal]

My DS has just turned 2 and he has what looks like a build up of plaque on the back of his two bottom front teeth
No amount of brushing will remove it. I've even tried to scrape it off (gently) with my nail but he won't co-operate.

I just don't understand how this has happened. We have brushed his teeth twice a day, every day since they first appeared. He only drinks water and milk and has a very healthy diet. Where am I going wrong?
I feel so guilty but I can't think of anything I should have done differently.

I'm trying to get him an appointment with the dentist but will they even be able to do anything? DH and I have to pin him down to brush his teeth so I can't imagine he's going to open his mouth for the dentist!

Has anyone had similar with their toddler and have any advice? This is probably a stupid question, but is there such a thing as an electric toothbrush for toddlers??

Any advice would be very much appreciated. I feel like a terrible Mother.

We got a toddler electric toothbrush - it has made a massive difference to the quality of the brushing and how clean her teeth are

I don't have any advice but I can empathise. We had no problems with DS's baby teeth. They were perfect despite the fact he made it hard work to brush them. Then the adult ones came through and the 2 new bottom ones have a build up of plaque on them front and back.

He's so much better at letting me brush them now that I really don't understand why it's there. He has an electric toothbrush. I feel like people judge me for how they look (pretty sure this is in my head). Occasionally bits of it break off and they look better again but it always comes back. He's been going to the dentist since he was a baby and she said for now they just leave it. Some people's teeth are more prone to plaque build up than others apparently. I'm not overly happy with this but I trust her as she's been my dentist for 30 years. Hopefully your son's adult ones won't be prone to it in the same way.

Wowzel that's really interesting, I've just looked on Amazon and they all say age 3+.
Do you know what brand yours is or where you found it? Thanks.

bakingcupcakes it's a horrible feeling isn't it? I feel like I've let him down. But it sounds as though your dentist isn't too concerned which I guess should be reassuring? Leaving it and doing nothing seems counterintuitive but I guess we have to trust the experts.

this happened to my 8yo recently. I was quite worried. DH took her to the dentist and they took it off. DH says he always had it as a child, so it might be the type of tooth.

Dentist blamed the fact she sucks her thumb before sleep. Given that she has massively reduced thumb sucking over the last few years, I am not too worried.

Baby sonic do one , if you search baby electric toothbrush there will be some.

@Washimal I think she as trying to be reassuring and to be fair he was 5 when we last saw her and although he'll open his mouth willingly for her to look I have doubts he'd have let her scrape it off.

I feel terribly guilty anyway because one of the plaque covered teeth is marked inside too which I (and she) thinks is from when he hit his face hard on the coffee table as a toddler. I do trust her judgement and wouldn't take him to anyone else because I've received excellent treatment over the years as have my parents. We'll all be gutted when she retires!

I've searched for toddler electric toothbrushes and they all seem to say age 3+. I wonder whether they might be better though as the ones made for babies are all very soft bristles but perhaps a harder brush might remove the plaque?

We just used the 3+ toddler electric toothbrushes from when dd turned 2yo