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Original poster

Child neglect to blame for bad baby teeth

50 replies

springbabydays · 14/07/2014 13:03

m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28292448

Ds has recently started to struggle against having his teeth brushed (although he still enjoys chewing his toothbrush). But brush them we do - and give him water to drink and try to keep sweet treats to a minimum.

There is so much information out there that I admit I'm a little shocked at the numbers. I feel so sad for the kids who have to go through this.

OP posts:
Original poster
springbabydays · 14/07/2014 13:05

Trying again for a clicky link - sorry, am on phone

m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28292448

OP posts:
Lottapianos · 14/07/2014 13:11

I work with children under 5 and I'm not at all surprised by this. I regularly see children who are drinking from teated bottles up to 4 years old. Constant snacking and drinking sugary fizzy drinks. Loads of parents who claim not to know that their 2 year old needs to have their teeth brushed. I have seen 2-3 year old children who have a mouth full of little brown stumps where their teeth used to be and have seen quite a few children who have had extractions, sometimes more than 10 teeth at once. Its horrifying.

MasqueradeWaltzer · 14/07/2014 13:14

There is no mention in this article of the dangers of MILK being given in teated bottles and sippy cups to toddlers.

This was the culprit for both of the children I know who have had to have baby teeth extracted. Neither of their parents would have dreamed of giving juice/sugary drinks in bottles - but neither had heard that milk could be just as bad.

Why don't the dentists speak up about this instead of blaming parents who are understandably ignorant of this issue?

Lottapianos · 14/07/2014 13:19

Why don't the dentists speak up about this instead of blaming parents 'who are understandably ignorant of this issue?'

There's a huge problem with trying to get parents to take the children to the dentist so the message isnt' getting out there. There has been a big Oral Health campaign in the borough I work in recently because oral hygiene in children is so poor.

Paddingtonthebear · 14/07/2014 13:20

What should toddlers drink their milk out of then if sippy beakers are bad?
Or do you mean toddlers that are drinking milk from beakers / bottles all day rather than once or twice a day?

Lottapianos · 14/07/2014 13:21

Paddington, bottles and sippy cups should be gone by 1 year old as extended use can damage teeth. Same for dummies. Over a year old, all drinks at home should be given out of an open cup with no lid. Cups with a pop up straw or sports cap bottles are fine when out and about.

MasqueradeWaltzer · 14/07/2014 13:22

Thanks, Lotta. I know there is a big problem with oral hygiene generally and too many parents aren't taking it seriously. I just felt bad for my two friends being regarded as neglectful when they didn't know about this milk issue (neither did I and I was shocked when they told me).

Paddingtonthebear · 14/07/2014 13:25

Oh ok, that's completely different to the advice we had from the dentist

Lottapianos · 14/07/2014 13:25

Masquerade, I didnt' know about the milk issue either until I went to an Oral Health training talk at work a few years ago!

I think there is an issue with this information not getting out there, but there is also a huge problem with some parents just wanting to take the easy way out - giving in to demands for sweets etc, neglecting to enforce teeth brushing which can be a huge battle with toddlers, giving drinks in bottles because they're less likely to spill them etc.

Lottapianos · 14/07/2014 13:27

What did the dentist say Paddington?

Original poster
springbabydays · 14/07/2014 13:32

I confess ds still uses a sippy cup over one year. But only with water in it surely that's ok?

As for the milk issue with teats and sippy cups, I did know about that as I read about it in a book I think. But I guess not everyone has the time to read books.

Time for a national awareness campaign surely? Or a mumsnet awareness campaign at the very least?

OP posts:
Paddingtonthebear · 14/07/2014 13:39

That dummies don't tend to cause damage until after age 3, and that it also depends on the individual child too. That children generally don't have the fine motor skills to drink from an open cup successfully until they are two, teated bottles yes - should be stopped from 12 months but flip top spout type beakers are ok (milk and water) until they transition to open cups. My DD (21 months) has milk from her beaker when she wakes up In the morning and before bed (teeth brushed afterwards) and the rest of the day is water from flip top beakers.

I haven't known a child under 2 who can drink their milk from an open cup without spilling it everywhere or throwing it around?

Is this all wrong then? Why are manufacturers able to sell these beakers if they are not recommended?

The types of beakers I use for milk or water are these:

m.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/kids-on-the-go-big-chill/

m.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/kids-on-the-go-super-sipper/

m.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/easy-drink-beaker/

7Days · 14/07/2014 13:41

I don't think it's all realistic to expect a twelve month old to be able to drink from an open cup.

Paddingtonthebear · 14/07/2014 13:42

Also, are sippy cups different to toddler beakers then?

I am confused!

Fairylea · 14/07/2014 13:43

I think regular tooth brushing is key really. And making sure it's done well twice a day.

Both my dc have always had fruit, juice and other various treats (including dummies until around 3 and a bottle of milk before bedtime routine till about 2) and neither of them have had any problems with their teeth at all. The eldest is now 12 and at her last dental check up the dentist said her teeth were perfect. No fillings etc at all.

I think some of it is luck and having good enamel and most of it is just really good brushing.

AnAirOfHope82 · 14/07/2014 13:44

What about free access to water oit of a waterbottle/sport bottle?

I have a 2.8 yo that I bf to sleep at night after brushing her teeth and the dentist told me last week that her teeth are fine but not for long if she has bm to go to sleep Sad

Im planning on night whening her next week (start of school holidays so not too bad for 5yo kept awake all night by meltdown 2yo) but I hate not feeding her to sleep but I hate the thought of her having no teeth and being in pain more.

Original poster
springbabydays · 14/07/2014 13:48

anair I read that having a bottle of milk all night long was the problem, not feeding to sleep, as the teeth are then potentially 'bathed' in the milk all night with a bottle.

Clearly a LOT of conflicting information about.

OP posts:
sleepyhead · 14/07/2014 13:50

There's also a problem with some parents in the hard to reach group thinking that baby teeth don't matter as they're only going to fall out anyway.

Dental hygiene is a huge issue round here and all sorts of things have been tried, including offering mums extended free NHS treatment (ie past the standard 1 year post birth) to encourage them to bring their small children to the dentist.

To be honest, I don't think routine drinks out of a sippy cup are so much of an issue as bottle/cup being used as a pacifier and sipped from constantly so that the teeth are continually exposed to milk sugars, especially left in a cot or buggy.

Lottapianos · 14/07/2014 13:51

Paddington, I definitely don't agree about the dummy advice. I'm a Speech and Language Therapist and have seen children of age 3-4 who have a noticeable arch in their front teeth where the dummy has been. There are some sounds like 't', 'd', 'f', 'v' which involve the teeth and if children have had a dummy in there for long periods, they can have difficulty saying them.

The advice about using sippy cups as a transition to open cups sounds reasonable. Children do have to learn to use open cups and need a lot of help with this in the beginning but 2 year olds can definitely manage it.

Of course some children will use dummies and bottles for ages and have perfect teeth but it is a risk, which is why the advice is to stop using both by 1 year old.

Fairylea, absolutely agree about tooth brushing.

AnAirOfHope82 · 14/07/2014 13:51

I agree lots of conflicting information Sad

rainbowtoddle · 14/07/2014 13:57

paddington it's perfectly possible for a 12 month old child to use an open cup. We have never used any kind of sippy cup or beaker for DD (16 months). She is breastfed but for water we started using a doidy cup at 6-7 months which is an open cup with one larger slanted side to make learning to tip easier. She moved on to short glasses at around 9-10 months and by 13 months was using normal glasses and mugs. In fact she absolutely insists on having the same receptacle as we are using. Yes it took patience to start with to teach her to hold the cup in two hands and take sips but it's totally doable. We have had only one glass break the whole time and that was just a couple of weeks ago by accident. There is absolutely no issue with fine motor skills to use an open cup at a young age - just patience and practice.

Heels99 · 14/07/2014 13:57

And quit with the raisins!

OneLittleToddleTerror · 14/07/2014 13:58

I don't know about the sippy cup. I thought if they are free flow they are fine? Isn't free flow very similar to straws? Or am I mistaken?

These are the free flow ones I use
www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/first-cup/

Paddingtonthebear · 14/07/2014 14:02

Well done rainbow

Lottapianos · 14/07/2014 14:05

Good stuff rainbow Smile

OneLittle, freeflow is loads better than the type where the child has to suck the fluid out. There's still that hard lump of plastic behind the child's teeth though, which can push them forward over time.

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