Ds1 (6) - molars are crumbling? Any advice?

[verygreenlawn]

I feel awful about this - took ds1 to the dentist for the first time and she said his lower 2 molars right at the back are crumbling. His teeth otherwise look very clean and healthy but she said they are "weak".

He has to go back and have them built up with a special filling.

She didn't really offer much advice otherwise than saying to cut down sugar. He eats next to nothing anyway, he has no real interest in food healthy or otherwise - which is a different issue - only drinks milk or water.

He was premature and a pretty sickly baby, not sure if that makes any difference. No sign of any permanent teeth yet, he got his milk teeth late (none until he was a year old)

I feel dreadful about this. Ironically ds2 has a far worse diet, loves all food including biscuits and cakes, but his teeth were fine.

What else can I do? Will the permanent teeth also be weak? Would it help to take vitamins or is it too late? Any advice appreciated.

''Ironically ds2 has a far worse diet, loves all food including biscuits and cakes, but his teeth were fine.''

nothing you have done, at all, yet i am sure it's upsetting to find out.

bit strange no other advice or explanation was offered tho.

Thanks piratecat, in fairness it has spurred me on to be a bit more disciplined with ds2, as his diet is more "balanced" but definitely includes more sugary stuff.

Fillings at 6 though - feel really ashamed

Don't feel dreadful, really. Premature babies have softer enamel - someone at the dentists told me this last week, her dd has exactly same problem and she's only 2.10. She's had all her top and bottom teeth capped.

My own dd is 5, was not premature, and has two crowns and five fillings as of last week...not my or her fault, she's a great brusher and hardly eats sweets, but she has weak enamel and needed to floss - the decay is on the surfaces between the teeth.

I've been told to ask about coating adult teeth as they come through, but haven't done so yet..meantime, just regular visits and lots of brushing and flossing.

Just remembered, she also told me that premature babies' teeth tend to come through earlier, and therefore be affected more by formula and breast milk both - and premie formulas have more sugars in them.

Ah thanks Elibean - useful to know. My DH says he remembers having problem milk teeth and having them coated - I'll ask about this next time?

Don't be ashamed about a filling, we still regularly do lists where children have dental clearance. Yep, taking out all the baby teeth because they are too rotten to do anything else.

A friend's dd (similar age) has the same problem with molars. But that is nothing to do with diet - her milk teeth came through with imperfections at the back - just a natural weakness. They are waiting and seeing what happens. Have cut down on chewy sweets and are brushing as normal.
Is not your fault. Don't feel dreadful. Sympathies though as is rotten luck.

Thank you all, not just me then. I also just remembered he was on continuous antibiotics for over a year after he was born, I wonder if that made a difference - he took two syrups and they were pretty sickly but I was just was so pleased to have him healthy I never gave a thought to his teeth!

Your poor ds, but it's obviously not your fault.
According to these studies it's much more common than not in premature/very low birth weight babies.

You would think doctors would warn parents about it, wouldn't you?

Thanks Pania, I certainly wish I'd known, we'll just have to be extra careful from now on.

My ds had this diagnosed when he was about the same age - poor calcification of the molar teeth which leads to them being wekened. I asked the dentist for a referral to our nearest dental hospital where they coated his molars to harden them. They did suggest that we would need to keep a close eye on them from now on. Three years on and everything has remained fine. The Consultant paediatric dentist said that they are unsure what causes this but did ask about whether I had been unwell in pregnancy (no), if he had been on antibiotics for any length of time (no) or whether he had had
an illness as a baby - only chicken pox. I've always been really careful about sugary intake so it certainly wasn't cos of anything he was eating. He confirmed this as all his other teeth were perfect so I think it was just one of those things.

Don't worry,all will turn out just fine.