I've noticed recently that DS (8) has streaking and white spots on his adult front teeth, we've got an appointment with a dentist next week but a friend who is a dentist has said it's likely fluorosis from photos I've sent.
I feel terrible as this is basically entirely my fault. We don't have fluoridated water so his fluoride intake has been entirely from toothpaste. I had NO idea that at 0-3 they should have a tiny smear of toothpaste and from memory (hazy) I was probably using a pea sized blob (def never bigger than that, but still). I don't think he ever really spat it out (most kids that age don't?!) but I never tried to make him spit as I honestly had no idea that fluorosis was a thing.
I know it's just cosmetic and there are bigger things to worry about in life but I do worry about about this affecting his self-esteem as he gets older.
He has 2 younger siblings (4 and 3) and now I'm tearing myself apart trying to recall how much toothpaste I gave them when they were smaller (as the most vulnerable time for fluorosis is apparently around age 2).
Does anyone have any experience of this, anyone have any toothpaste guzzling DCs or even just DCs who had the pea sized blob of toothpaste when 2 years old and didn't spit and ended up not getting fluorosis? Or one DC who got fluorosis and one who didn't?
Just feel like I've let them down and f*cked up their teeth and can't believe I didn't know about this.
Sorry for overreactive post, just feeling really upset and sensitive about it all. Thank you for reading x