HELP - baby with brown teeth!

[anonymoose]

Gosh I am so horrified but my ds has been poorly on and off for the last coup;e of months and on the days he hasn't been too good he's missed an am toothbrushing but other than that I have brushed his teeth since they started to cut through at 4/5 months.

he was giggling the other day and I noticed his front teeth are so discoloured the almost look beige with the tips looking more white.

I'm so devasted because I have always made a real effort not to give him juice/sugar sweets and he's only 19 months old. I am so gutted. Could his teeth be rotten already.

I feel like it's all my fault. I'm going to try and find a dentist next week, I don't care, even if I have to pay. Will they try to scale his teeth (he'll freak out if they do)

So ashamed I won't post my real name.

Mine are like this as an adult and I was told I had thin enamel, that I had intaken too much fluoride as a child, that I brushed them wrong...but my point is that no one has told me they are rotten...
I am sure they are fine, but can imagine your distress

but spagblog he hasn't had years of neglect or crappy diet. I am so gutted.

Can you scrape it off with a fingernail? I found that my daughter's front teeth became very yellow but I could scrape it off. I did that with a fingernail and then bought a harder bristled brush and paid more attention to brushing. I took her to the dentist and she said that her teeth were in good shape. Don't blame yourself!!!!! I'm sure that his teeth are fine.

thanks mp, they're not yellow, they're an almost beige brown coloured but not flecked which I thin would suggest dodgy enamel.

Has he had antibiotics, have heard that could cause discolouring or, dare I suggest, juice, squash or sweetened drinks.

he had antibiotics about 4 weeks ago yes.

No juice/sweets/etc.

Think it would take more than one isolated dose, rather prolonged use, and more than 4 weeks ago to show up now.

Ta! my teeth haven't had years of neglect or crappy diet...I only have one filling and don't think I needed it either!

What I am saying is that what you are describing doesn't sound like rot. It sounds like his enamel has become transparent. Illness, medicine and fluoride do this

I know it seems really daft to be so worried but I am. They look awful.

That was the first time he's ever had the AB's.

Oh Spagblog I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was I was amazed that he went from having white/normal coloured teeth to this in a matter of weeks. What's that all about?

Message withdrawn

I know you didn't hence the dodgy wink! It is odd, but I am sure I have seen my DDs teeth look as you described.
My teeth go stripy, some days more obvious than others. I have a feeling that your Ds's teeth will go back to looking normal soon.

No I didn't happyMum

anonymoose don't worry ds has got a funny coloured tooth and we are very careful about his teeth as well. Took him to the dentist (he is 21 months now) and he said that it was due to antibiotics and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Apparently it will look better with time and will have no effect on how his adult teeth will look.

When she was about 3 years old I noticed my dd's teeth were getting quite discoloured along the tops of her top teeth and the bottoms of her bottom ones. Mentioned it to the dentist who said it if she had had antibiotics at around 6/7 months that could have caused it and that there was nothing I could do. Felt very down (and guilty) but the more I thought about it the more I was sure that she hadn't had any antibiotics at that age, so I began a real drive to brush for 2 minutes no matter what (as she's no. 3 dd she sometimes got left to manage her own toothbrushing while I sorted dds 1 and 2 out for school )

... And it worked. Not sure how long it took (couple of months, maybe) but they really are as white and sparkly as ever now.

Hope this works for you too!

well that's good to hear.

Think I willgo to the dentist's anyway. I really would like some reassurance really.

They do look a bit furry sometimes too which would be plaque, that comes off ok with brushing, it'sjust the colour that's alarming.

anyone else?

I had antibiotics when i was about 2 months pregnant, for a bad cold (didn't know i was preggers). Was really worried that it would harm my baby - the doc said that the only thing it could do was it may cause teeth to discolour. At the time i was relieved, but i know if he does, i'll feel guilty, as i don't normally take antibiotics.

Don't feel bad anonymoose. I don't think it's anything you have done. Hopefully his second teeth will be better. At least he's not in pain or anything like that. Don't beat yourself up. xx

What antibiotics were they anymoose?

Soya formula (Infasoy, Wysoy) can do this too.

I read that overdosing on fluoride can discolour teeth, ie too much toothpaste on the toothbrush or sucking on the toothbrush tube as my two children would like to do given half the chance. Do you need to buy the next toothbrush up which is slightly harder in order to be more effective?