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Tooth decay, 3 yo grandson, not sure how? Feel ashamed!

13 replies

peaches27 · 11/04/2006 22:19

When my grandson came to live with me he was 18 months and still being breastfed. He would fall asleep on the breast each night. I noticed then that the two teeth either side of his upper front teeth seemed to be eroding slightly, and he has what seemed to be tartar around the gum line on his front two teeth. I didnt see him drink fruit juice from a bottle, but Im not sure about that.

So when he stopped being breastfed I gave him diluted apple juice in a trainer cup, and also milk in a trainer cup which he refused. I also started cleaning his teeth every night. He now has small brown patches of decay on his two front teeth in a narrow line and the teeth either side look as if they have broken.

I am not sure how this has happened. I went to the dentist and the dentist thought he had been given medicine as a baby, but I checked and he hadnt. The dentist cant do anything about it at this stage. Neither of my children had any tooth decay and they both drank diluted (pure) fruit juice as young children. But I noticed his father's younger sibling (age 5) had baby front teeth that had decayed at the front and broken off.

Is this a genetic thing or is it something caused by fruit juice? I feel a little ashamed about it as one or two people have commented on it and I wish there was something I could do. We all have nice teeth in our family. Now he lives with me he has a healthy diet, but I cant speak for when he was with his mum.

Anyone else had children with this?

OP posts:
waterfalls · 11/04/2006 22:21

Maybe it is genetic, I know gum disease can be.

starlover · 11/04/2006 22:21

there is something called baby bottlemouth which, as the name implies, is mainly found in bottlefed babies.

However, it can occur in breastfed babies too, and is basically a result of being fed to sleep and left for periods of time during which the milk is left sitting round the teeth and can cause decay.

starlover · 11/04/2006 22:23

also, if h wasn't having his teeth brushed that may well have contributed to it.

peaches27 · 11/04/2006 22:24

Will look up baby bottlemouth. Strange, but my two were mostly bottlefed but didnt get it, neither did I. But they both had toothbrushes as soon as they had teeth!

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starlover · 11/04/2006 22:24

don't worry too much though, it doesn't sound too serious, and he'll eventually get his adult teeth through anyway, which are the most important ones

WharfRat · 11/04/2006 22:25

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starlover · 11/04/2006 22:25

yeah, i don't think it's THAT common... it's the result of feeding AND poor dental hygiene

WharfRat · 11/04/2006 22:26

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starlover · 11/04/2006 22:26

the little girl I lived next door to when I was growing up had it from breastfeeding... her 4 top front teeth were just rotten stumps... was horrible!

just be glad his isn't so bad!

peaches27 · 11/04/2006 22:32

Thank you Starlover:
See Bottlemouth: \link{http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E0DEFDE1039F937A25757C0A964948260\this}

Breastfed babies get it too and there is a genetic predisposition. Its when they fall asleep with milk in their mouth. So Im absolved!!!

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chipmonkey · 11/04/2006 22:34

My brother had terrible teeth at 3. He was bf till he was 3 but my dad also used to make him cups of tea with loads of sugar. Juice in a bottle is supposed to be the worsr culprit.

abusybee · 11/04/2006 22:57

Don't beat yourself up too much as it might not be anything to do with you - my 3 year old just had his teeth checked for the 1st time and my dentist pointed out some points where the enamel is weaker than it should - slightly creamy like spots.

It has a long name can't remember it! but she asked if he was premature (no) ill soon after birth (no) given medicine then (no) so she said that it was just one of those things and that we needed to be vigilant and make sure to brush regularly and cut out / down any sugary snacks.

I think if it develops then there are brown spots where the enamel is weak. I don't think it necessarily will have any effect on adult teeth.

I looked it up in the MN archives and it seems to be fairly common

peaches27 · 11/04/2006 22:59

have a look at \link{http://fnl.atendesigngroup.com/ONSITE/render.php?currentObjId=165\this}

This is a slightly more scientific report which cites studies that show some people have a genetic predisposition to a particular type of bacteria in their mouths and if they have this and are either breast or bottle nursed to sleep at night (with teeth) the bacteria and the milk causes decay.

Thank you for that reference to "bottlemouth". I had never heard that term before.

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