baby with bad teeth

Stacey - posted on 12/28/2012

My niece has really bad teeth and my sister asked the Melrose family dental (http://www.stoneybrookdentalmalden.com/) as to why they said if my niece ever had a really bad fever when she was young (which she did) it could have done a lot of damage to her teeth. I don't know if that helps at all but I found it interesting.

Kirsty - posted on 02/27/2010

i am a dental assistant, and healthy teeth start with YOU! try to limit sugar intake if not cut it out completely, DO NOT GIVE JUICE OR CORDIAL OR ANYTHING SUGARY OR SWEET IN A BOTTLE!!! that is really bad. make sure YOU brush their teeth as kids aren't able to do it properly or effectively until they are at least 8-10 years old, even then they need help. also get your child used to seeing the dentist, for children usually every 4-6 months is a good idea, for check up's and cleans.

Danielle - posted on 02/08/2010

one thing that alot of ppl don't know is that you should not put your child to bed or down for a nap with juice or milk. they have sugars in them (yes...even milk) that will sit on their teeth and cause problems, cavities or even discoloration of the teeth. just remember that children loose their baby teeth. while this does not mean that you should not take good care of their baby teeth...they will get permanent teeth. there are programs out there that put a mold on your childs teeth with floride in it. they leave it on and it makes a barier for your lil ones teeth. ask your doctor or local health department. many wic programs do this for your child for free. i would suggest doing that. floride is bad for kids if they swallow it and with this method it goes directly where it needs to with no risk of them swallowing it.

Robin - posted on 02/08/2010

My son actually had to have oral surgery to remove his upper incisors (all 4), because of tooth decay, and had to have crowns on his 2 first molars because of big cavities. I went to his dentist (an oral specialist) and she has me put a product called Gel-Kam on his teeth after he brushes at night. Gel-Kam is not a toothpaste, but a super Flouride gel that stops tooth decay and strengthens healthy teeth. Ask your kid's dentist about this product. You might also look into a plastic-like agent that they can put on teeth to help prevent more damage. My son has that on the teeth that are healthy. I hope this helps, I felt horrible to have to put my little one through surgery at such a young age, he is 2 1/2. Blessings and good luck!

Stacy - posted on 02/07/2010

As a new mom I made the biggest mistake of letting my daughter take juice to bed with her. I thought it was ok because it was watered down juice. Big news flash for me, it wasn't. I took her to a pediatric dentist and they were very good with her. She usually doesn't take to people well but she did to them. Her first visit was just a warm up. She actually followed the lady and let them count her teeth and that was not on the agenda. So anyway, they knew my fears and they knew also they didn't want to put any in her about the dentist so things went slow. 6 months later we went back and got her first cavity filled in the back. It was small but that tooth she will keep until she is almost a teenager. Then she has three front teeth that drive me nuts where the enamal is literally coming off!!! Everyone wants there child to look perfect. So I use childrens proenamal in the mean time until June. Then they will see if she will sit to let them do those. You see the front teeth they loose at a very young age 5,6,or 7 so they stress no real concern. They also are afraid to do the front because they will have to use a needle to numb it. This will make for a bad experience. They tell me to just brush, brush, brush, the darker it looks the cleaner the cavity is. If it is turning green bad news. They want the color to stay a brown. That means it is getting clean. juice or milk only at meal time. I hope this helped. I know what its like. It sucks!!! I have a daughter and I hate that three of the top of her front teeth are a little brown. You can't really tell though.

Melissa - posted on 02/06/2010

My daughter has what her dentist calls "weak teeth." She's 28 months and had her front 4 teeth capped. There is really nothing you can do that you haven't been doing by brushing. The biggest factor in cavities is not sugar, but carbs. Carbs like chips and bread stay in the teeth while sugar is easily washe away by drink and saliva. Hope this helps.

Colleen - posted on 02/06/2010

Bad teeth can be hereditary but you can help slow down the degeneration. You need to preserve his baby teeth for as long as possible as that protects the big teeth waiting in the gums. My stepson had to have his four front teeth removed when he was little as they rotted to little black stumps (his mother has a mouth full of falsies). We took measures with his diet after that and thankfully his big teeth are still in good condition (he's 19) and still going strong.

Maybe ask your dentist about flouride. I know too much can mark the teeth but suppliments can help in cases like this but you need to find out from a professional as there is flouride in toothpaste and the tap water these days.

As most of the girls have suggested, limit sugar. If you do give fruit juice dilute it half water half juice and give in a sippy cup and not a bottle. If your son still drinks from a bottle do not allow him to hold in his mouth or fall asleep with it as the milk pooling around the teeth causes them to be eaten away. No fizzy drinks as its the CO2 in the drinks that depletes the calcium in your body. A stick of cheese when a toothbrush is out of reach helps neutralise the acid in the mouth and is also packed with calcuim.

If he does have sweets stick to boiled sweets (lolipops) rather than sweets that stick to the teeth (chewy gums etc.). Whether he has one or a whole packet is irrelevant (for teeth not health) as long as it's in one sitting and you brush his teeth after he's finished.

If you do find holes in his teeth have them filled with temporary fillings (the white ones) to help preserve them and keep them in his mouth for as long as possible.

Don't lose hope, you can only do what you can do.

Arianne - posted on 02/06/2010

My three year old had eight cavities filled and two caps. I read that green tea, it can be decaf, is good for the teeth. Our dentist told us not to give him gummy snack, sticky foods, nothing with carbonation, and go light on the juices. fruit and juices cand ruin the tooths enamel, so just really dilute the juice and maybe try not to give your child alot of acidic fruits like oranges, grapefruits, apples, ect but try giving melon, grapes, berries(i don't think those are quite as acidic). If he can brush, spit, and not swallow, try toothpaste with flouride and kids mouthwash and even though he's young, floss. The enamel on babies teeth is very thin and easier to destroy, if taken care of he may not have that problem with his adult teeth.

Donna - posted on 02/05/2010

Milk also contains a natural sugar called lactose so whilst it is good for your bones because it has calcium it is also bad for your teeth especially if babies use a bottle as a pacifier ie when going to sleep. Dummies/Pacifies are also bad for teeth. So make sure there is no prolonged contact with either. I had bad teeth as a child in early 80s and had to have them pulled out but I now have a full st of healthy teeth. I had to have braces as a teenager to make them straight though.

Chatty - posted on 02/05/2010

CALCIUM.....cannot forget about calcium! Very important! And remember, milk isn't the only source of calcium.......vegetables, cheese, yogurt etc are actually better because milk, although high in calcium is FULL of sugar!

Amanda - posted on 02/05/2010

Make sure brush every day, no sugar and make sure that they get their vitamins everyday and they needs lots of calcuim

Chatty - posted on 02/05/2010

I'm guessing you've already cut out all sugar intake? Things like candy and even juice.....any kind of juice will cause ur childrens teeth to rot! All you can do besides that is make sure you brush them after each meal including snacks, carefully of course! Do you floss them? I've flossed my daughters teeth since her first tooth came up at 6 months! It's never too early to get them in the habit! All that being said, some people just have soft tooth enamel which makes them more likely to get cavities......ask ur dentist about special toothpastes with higher flouride but besides that the things I suggested above will hopefully help!



P.S. I'm almost 33 and never had a cavity whereas my youngest brother's teeth are rotting out.......this is a hereditary problem and sometimes it doesn't matter if you're doing everything right! My dad has good teeth but my mom doesn't and my brother enherited that from her! Good luck!