A Reminder For Dental Check-Ups

I had been thinking for a while about getting the girls teeth checked, we are on tank water with no fluoride and despite brushing they often seem to have off color teeth.
When we attended DD1's 3.5yr MCHN appt the nurse gave us the contact number for the local (well kind of) health centre who do dental work - it's $30 per child for the appt and that covers any work completed while they are there.

So we took both girls in this morning, the dentist fond a hole in 1 of DD1's back teeth and also a small hole in 1 of DD2's :redface:
We discussed the girls diet, being lots o fruit, water, dairy etc etc and that they get 1 packet of plain bisuits for the week and will often get a small cordial with dinner, a soft drink if we go out (rarely) and lollies at special occasions or long cr trips etc.... so their day to day diet is fine but we need to cut out the cordial and leave any swet foods (treats) until after dinner before they brush their teeth.

The girls brush twice a day, i do the brushing then they get the brush to themselves - we have the rare occasion we forget or we are not home but otherwise brushing is not an issue.
DD2 is a pain and still sticks her tongue out and eats the toothpaste but the Dentist said that is common at this age anyway.

So i guess i'm saying while we THINK we are doing everything right (diet, brushing etc) it's still a good idea to get a dental check-up for our LO's - it's also better to get them used to the dentist now right?

Miss A didn't cry and didn't need numbing for her filling, DD2 was all good until they had to put the stuffing stuff in her mouth and then she got a little upset but neither needed numbing, no needle and both were quiet calm... so check with your local council and you might just find there is a dental scheme that helps out with the cost and can save you some $$ and your LO's teeth.

In the meantime i have made the girls a cool chart to tick off morning & night brushing and at the end of the week they can put a sticker in their BRUSHING CHAMPION spot, anything to keep them positive about brushing... and back to NO CORDIAL in the the house and treats after dinner.... too bad there is so much natural sugar in fruit... thats a big issue for our girls too.

Don't restrict their diet just because of a hole in their tooth. As you said, their diet is pretty good and TBH, I think all that stuff about sugar giving you cavities is bull****. If you are worried about it, make sure that they have a drink of water after eating something with sugar in it to remove any traces of it, but don't go all hard-assed and make your kids miss out :) FWIW, my 4 kids all have exactly the same diets, they all brush their teeth twice a day, they only get flouride from the toothpaste (tank water) and two have the crappiest teeth you've ever seen and the other two don't. Once my DD1 had multiple fillings in a single visit because she just has terrible teeth. Not once was I ever told to cut out all sugar, but I have been told plenty of times that some people just have bad teeth. And I used to work as a dental nurse so I saw a lot of kids with cavities in that time.

But do what you gotta do. If cutting it out makes you feel like you are being proactive about it, then its not a bad thing :) i"m just saying that it may not make a difference.

Thanks hun, i'm not going to cut it out all together but there are things that they coudl really cut back on (like DP buying them lollipops just because or me getting them to keep them quite in the car).
I think the girls are going to have horrid teeth like me.. both my parents had false teeth by the age of 30, i have cr@ppy teeth and DP's are nowhere near perfect.
I was a little shocked they had a hole each but the dentist said otherwise they were fine... which is good i guess.... i just think it makes you realise that often despite making the best efforts some things are just out of our control :)

Yeah it sucks alright. I hated the looks the *****y dental technician used to give me when I took DD to the school dentist time and time again when she was only 3, but the problem was also that she was terrible at her job and the fillings kept falling out. Since I started taking her to a real dentist we've not looked back and her teeth are actually pretty good atm. I think her adult teeth will be OK< but her baby teeth were shocking. DS2 is the same and has had preventative capping done to prevent cavities.

I haven't taken DS1 to see the dentist yet :redface:

Think I'd better book him in for a checkup!

We are in a study and the boys get check ups every 6 months. They swab for a certain bacteria and you can only get holes if you carry this bacteria and another one together the nurse told me? So I agree I don't think it's about what you eat it's about what bacteria is in your mouth.

Big hugs Hun xxxx

You may be surprised at how much sugar there is in fruit ;)

My dd is a diabetic so she doesn't eat foods with high sugar content, and overall eats a lot loss than most kids, yet she has had to have 3 teeth removed due to abscess'. We clean twice a day and it still happens.

Lots of hugs to your girls for being so brave though :)

Is there ant reason why you can't get fluoride tablets?

My DD's go 6 monthly, DD1 has several fillings done in April under GA (refused to get done in chair grrrr) because of her anatomy, nothing o do with diet/brushing, she's just unlucky!!

Enamel is part hereditary but just because you or your parents had bad teeth, doesn't mean your kids will! Prevention is better than cure.....get some fluoride!!

Dentist said not to bother with fluoride, as it doesn't make much difference to already developed teeth.
They would get enough from toothpaste & other products made with fluoride in the water etc etc.
Girls are all excited about their brushing chart and when DP got home DD proclaimed no soft drink or cordial & kept telling me all arvo she HAS to have dessert then brush her teeth cos the dentist said... Funny the things they think of right.


Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

Took DD2 to a dentist due to a hole in her front teeth, we are also on tank water. The dentist gave her a product called tooth mousse, it is put on the teeth of a night time. Seems to have stopped the progression on the hole. Might be worth checking it out, it was the dental clinic that gave it to us.

Wow really..... They still have 36 teeth left to develope!

Was also going to suggest tooth mousse, DD uses it every night between two particular teeth after flossing

This thread has made me feel a bit better, but I am sorry to hear about your girls ZA.

A couple of weeks ago DD1 told me her tooth hurt, then it was the whole side of her face. We have a fantastic school dental service here. Everything is covered and the dentist visits every kid (including 3yo kinder) every 6 months. She only saw the dentist in November, but she has multiple holes. One requiring root canal therapy. We're currently trying to nurse it along with antibiotics and temporary fillings but she tells me it hurts again tonight.
I feel like the crappiest mother that I didn't find out about a hole before it got that bad. She too brushes 2x daily and is the only kid I know that eats such a fantastic range of vegies and a whole food diet. We don't have juice or cordial or soft drink. The dentist kept insisting that it was those things and too many sweets and wouldn't believe me when I said those things are not only occasional but rare.
I see kids walking around with bottles of juice and kids drinking soft drink all the time....gah poor DD.

Kim is it a baby tooth? Are they going to do a pulpotomy??
Poor chook :(

Yep, first baby molar. No they haven't mantioned anything like that. Should I ask about something like that?

That does suck Kim. The dentist blamed extended breastfeeding and feeding to sleep. Did the same with DD1 and so far her teeth are fine and she fed to sleep more! The main difference between the 2 is fluoride. From half way through DD2 pregnancy we have not been in fluoridated water.

Kim its a root canal on a baby tooth, the root is chemically treated and filled (or stainless steel cap put on) I'd ak darl, will stop the infection. Otherwise how many teeth as she lost so far??

Only 1, bottom middle left. She got two shark teeth last December in the bottom middle and only one baby tooth has been lost. The other one is still waiting in the background.

I'd like to take Moo but I'm 100% certain he won't get in the chair...I wonder what they could do for that?

Might have to see if I can get DD2 in, looks like a tooth at the front has a hole on the outside... Not impressed.

Can I just have a "back in my day" moment?

When we were at school, we had a dental van that wld come twice a year to see to all the kids....why oh why don't they do that anymore? Or do they?

I need to find a dentist for the girls...miss h has already had one tooth removed as she fell and pushed it into her gum when she was 9months old and it went black when she was 2ish...but that was the last time she saw a dentist! Eek!!!

Hesitant we found a dentist who has a technician who specialises in children. The waiting room had great toys and an Xbox and they had barbie sunnies for them to wear, a tv above the chair and they got goodie bags with toothpaste, plush, stickers and stationary. The tech was wonderful, she has four children and she spent lots of time chatting to them before she started. Also DD2 went first which made DD1 more relaxed as she is fairly anxious.

Astrid DD1 had lost some enamel but it had 'rehardened' but she picked that DD1 had formula (she did from 5 months) and that DD2 was breastfed!( she was until almost 12 months) so in our case they blamed formula for some minor damage which had resolved

They asked when they could go back as soon as we left :)

Bugger Z, hope its not too hard to fix

Soooo i've just made an appt for DD2 to see the dentist again, she has a hole in her tooth that i can actually see - mind you i have had to HIDE the toothbrush & toothpaste outside of me brushing as she just helps herself and brushes her teeth.
I know their diet is ok, i know they brush their teeth twice a day but it doesn't stop me feeling horrible... i can't believe my 3yr old has HOLES.

So DD2 had her emergency appt yesterday - she had a filling in the top tooth (which we could see had a hole) and we've made another appt to go back as the dentist found a hole in one of her bottom teeth :wall:
God they have a way of making you feel like utter crap without actually meaning too.

We discussed the fact i have to HIDE the tooth paste & toothbrushes from her and that we brush twice a day, i'm no angel at at times we've forgotten or been running late etc but as a majority we brush twice daily every day AND she brushes atleast 2+ times a day herself when we don't hid the brushes or she climbs and gets them.
I was told it doesn't matter how many times a day she does it herself as she doesn't do it properly.....'.... i'm well aware of that but she actually has the technique down pat on the front teeth and that is where she had the hole :wall:

She then said "well it has to be her diet, she must be eating the wrong foods" :wall: never thought i would be told my child eats TOO MUCH fruit again.
Yes i know she should NOT be eating more than 1 apple a day but she's a sneaky little turd and at times has had up to 4 apples, she climbs the cupboard to get them if i hide them and sneakily eats them in her room.
My kids get 1 packet of plain teddy bicuits to last them the week and on occasion get lollies or chocolate but they don't eat these things daily.

I walked out of there feeling like crap all over again - she had a filling last year, 1 yesterday and 1 or more next time... what the hell else can i do?

So she's been warned no more than 1 apple a day (and she's already asked for one this morning) absolutely no soft drink or cordial (even if we go out or to family parties etc) and see how we go.... :wall:

That sucks zF it's horrible how they make you feel. The only other thing my dentist suggested was rinsing the mouth out with water after eating to get rid of some of the remaining food that gets stuck in the teeth. Good luck.

Oh ZF :comfort:

Sounds to me you guys are doing everything you can!

Call me silly, but I wouldn't have thought fruit could do the damage?!?!

My 2 eat at least 1 - 2 peaches a day. HEAPS of grapes each day, and have just finished off a box of apples my dad sent over from Tassie! And these were by no means, small childsize apples! I struggled to finish one, but my girls scoffed them like lollies!

As for brushing their teeth, sounds like you are ensuring they brush them!

You have me scared of taking my two to the dentist !

Guess I better book them in soon!

If it's any consolation, I was an apple addict as a child - bag of 2 kilo apples a week. I ate them as I read in bed, so after dinner and teeth brushing. I also as a kid rarely brushed my teeth at night. I've had one filling and I'm 32 - so I think it's just her teeth :(. Not you or her diet!

Fruit obtains lots of natural sugars, hence why it's not great to eat lots of it.
Make sure you don't brush teeth straight after particular foods or drink ( particularly acidic foods) because it will erode the enamel. Offering cheese after such foods or after chocolate etc is a great way to help neutralise the acid.

Nikki friends see Luke at meadow gate dental in C/park and like him

ETA and remember to FLOSS their teeth!!

Teeth have a lot to do with genetics too. You can only control so much. Please don't beat yourself up. My boys are split one has DH's teeth who boasts he has never had a filling but does have low enamel over the years. The other has mine & I have the true pommie teeth lol. Had a number of fillings in my teeth not as much in the last 15 years but they are crowded. My parents don't have great teeth so I know that some things are out of my control. I say to DH when we go that it's good cop, bad cop. I always get a lecture & he doesn't. DS2 is a sugar nut. Loves cordial, fizzy drinks etc where as DS1 is hit & miss.

Just re-read not saying you or DH have bad teeth just genetics down the line plays apart. Sorry :o

Oh Olive i don't floss myself and i've never flossed their teeth - i wouldn't know where to begin with flossing kids teeth.
I've never been able to floss myself it makes me gag, with brushing i tend to wait say 20 - 30min after breakfast or dinner, sometimes a little longer if we have an early tea and then we brush before bed.
Sometimes earlier if we have an early start at kinder etc.

Both girls now have an appt for May - Miss Z for her next filling and Miss A for her check-up which i no doubt believe will also include a filling of some sort as they have exactly the same diet & brushing routine.

I use the floss handles to floss my girls teeth, though DD1 can do her own now, your dentist should be showing the girs how to floss!! If he doesn't next visit, ask him to.
Do you have mains water or tank?? Fluoride will help if you're on tank water

We have tank but were told last time not to worry about adding fluoride :wall:
Will ask about flossing in may... Would a 3 &amp; 4yr old get shown?

I definitely think genetics have a lot to do with it. I am 38 this year, have forever eaten loads of fruit, drank cordial and copious amounts of soft drink and I don't have any fillings. I had a wisdom tooth removed recently as it had broken from when I accidentally bit down hard on the ball on my tongue piercing a few years before and it slowly broke away.

My eldest son had terrible teeth when he was younger, to the point that I flossed and brushed his teeth for him. Once his permanent teeth came through, his teeth have been fine.

ZF what he said about no fluoride is crap...( please no fluoride bashing from anyone)
Genetics do play a part, if it makes you feel better DD1 has 4 fillings, I brush and floss, always have....ad I'm a dental nurse, I was horrified, she has very crowded teeth.

ZF what he said about no fluoride is crap...( please no fluoride bashing from anyone)
Genetics do play a part, if it makes you feel better DD1 has 4 fillings, I brush and floss, always have....ad I'm a dental nurse, I was horrified, she has very crowded teeth.

I'd be getting a second opinion.

I have been going to the same dentist all my life. When I moved away at 29, I went to the clinic that my health fund ran. Within seconds of examining me the dentist said I needed at least 5 fillings and possibly some root canal work. I was horrified and declined to rebook. I made an appointment at my old dentist back home and drove the 2hrs to see him. He took one look and said they were dreaming. I had nothing!

Needless to say I now make the big drive back to the old dentist every year! Just be careful of the cheaper clinics! They have to make money somehow!

It's a community clinic, the last appt (incl filling) was free, her next appt with filling is only going to be $30.
I can clearly see both holes so I know I'm not being ripped but thank you.

i've been taking bilby every six months for a dental checkup, since she was a toddler. In the early visits, the dentist would get me to sit in the chair, have bilby on my lap and he would give her the dentist things to handle for a bit, chat with her and then have a VERY quick look in her mouth. As she got older, he would get ME to lie down, then HER to lie down on top of me, same deal.

Now she is six, he gives her the gadget, and lets her make ME go up and down in the chair (with the chair remote).


He just counts her teeth, adn gives her a sticker/balloon after - its very quick.

He wanted her to first experience dentist visits as positive, and to get into a good habit (of regular checks).

This guy is an oldfashioned dentist - don't know what i will do when he retires - and has grandkids same age as bilby. She thinks the dentist is like a God of the Teeth. Loves going there. i love going to a dentist who is honest and good at his job.

i think i now know WHY her teeth have been ok so far - my very fussyeater child, eats hardly any fruit! (no cordial, no soft drink, lollies are rare), but i have been trying for years to get her into fruit. Never thought there would be an upside to that, ha ha.

Yeah it's odd isn't it Gigi.
My girls have only been once before, this time DD2 got in the chair, popped on her glasses &amp; laid down.
No numbing cream or needle &amp; had a filling... So proud.

:

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Will ask about flossing in may... Would a 3 & 4yr old get shown?

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We were given a little flossing tool, (it looks like a piece of string on the end of a toothbrush) that is very helpful for flossing the little ones teeth. I was told you can get them in some chemists.

wow ZF, as an adult, i would want/need the injection, to have a filling, your DD is very brave! i had two wisdom teeth taken out "in the chair" (not in hospital), so i figure that was MY brave moment. Well, i was proud of myself.

i have needed alot less SCALING, since the dentist suggested i buy an electric toothbrush. This might be obvious to everyone else, but i had no idea.


i'm guessing quite a few people are challenged by flossing string, as there are so many more flossing options available now (the little sticks etc).