looking after children's teeth

[jogym]

At dentist today with DD2 who is 8. She needed one filling, this is her first. I feel bad. What do other mums give their kids to drink (we normally have cordial - we don't buy fizzy drinks). Anyone in particular lower in sugar than others. Do you reserve sweets for one day a week. Any tips appreciated. My DD2 I didn't think ate that many sweets - maybe not brushing teeth enough?

poor dd2 - I dread ds having a filling as he'd be impossible to restrain ! Fortunately so far he has none (is 10) and does take quite good care with brushing,twice a day. He has sweets - not every day but when I think of it - I try to make it after meals, and he doesn't have fizzy stuff -just occassional squash...he mainly drinks water or green tea. If I give him squash or fruit juice I do give him a straw to bypass his teeth!

water, v occasionally smoothies or organic cordial. dd1 (7) has had coke about half a dozen times (ever). dd2 prefers milk.

my girls have just had their first ever dental checkup and their teeth were absolutely fine.

they brush their teeth twice a day with electric toothbrushes.

cheese cubes for snacks at school not just because they're not as bad as sweets but I think they neutralise acid in the teeth

ought to google that to check I'm remembering the dentist right, but it stuck in my mind

water to drink, no cordial and fizzy drinks only at parties

my 1st two were fine but my 3rd has two very bad teeth ..same brushing routine but i think the difference was water fluorine (different countries)

The only sweets I see my DD2 take are M&S percy pigs I am guilty of buying them as a treat. She has a thing for orange juice as she always seems thirsty. I don't know what I can replace that with as she doesn't drink milk and only water at bedtime. I think she needs to spend more time brushing. I have to speak to my parents but they don't really see fillings as a big deal - we're talking here about my mum who had two children to the dentist for extractions who were both throwing up in the back seat ie. me and my brother so I really don't want DD2 or DD1 to go down that road as I myself am petrified of the dentist through experiences as a child.

Re sweets, I'm told chocolate is not as bad for teeth as sticky sweets of any sort. I tend to give occasional (usually weekend treat, sometimes odd one mid week) chocolate to dd but always after meals, and never much of it. Drinks are hard - water is best, but she loves juice so I give it watered down and, when possible, with a straw.

Re younger kids: dentist told me that brushing matters more after about age 2, so before that is mostly just for getting them used to it; he also said beware of 'healthy' snacks like raisins, because they stick to the teeth and rot there according to him, food and drink matter more than brushing.

dd1 had loads before I knew that and is lucky so far - she's 4.5 and no problems. Lots is down to genetics, and it doesn't sound as though you're doing anything awful with your dd at all so don't give yourself too hard a time, ok?