Children with Weak Teeth

[rainbowmama]

Two of my three living kids have had so much dental work. I dread taking them to the dentist. I make them brush and floss 2-3 times a day. They almost exclusively drink water or milk. I limit their sugar. They still get cavities, and I just get so discouraged.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Have you tried getting them sealants?  That's worked well for my two who also have weak teeth.

 

 

[Arcadia]

We have molar sealant done for my DS11 who has weaker teeth than my DS12 and my husband. Our dental insurance covers the cost of molar sealants for the kids up to two sealants per child per year. I had sealants done on my molars as a kid and found them helpful.

 

Link to explanation of sealant

https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/ToothDecay/SealOutToothDecay.htm

[chocolate-chip chooky]

My third daughter is just like this.

I took her to the dentist as an infant because I saw pits (little indentations) in her brand new front teeth.

 

The dentist explained that there are points in a pregnancy when a fever for example can result in not enough mineralisation on the developing teeth.

 

Our dentist has been fabulous. He never made me feel like a bad mum. As the years have passed, she had heaps of work on her baby teeth. The dentist would tell me that her gums were great, so the brushing is going well. It's just that the teeth had weak spots when they came through.

 

Her adult teeth have (so far) come through just fine.

 

I hope you have a friendly and encouraging dentist.

[AmandaVT]

DS seems to be taking after me with weak teeth. The x-rays at his last appt showed 4 cavities. 

 

I started brushing his teeth for him again - first pass is me and then he finishes up. 

 

I bought floss with fluoride in it (not sure if it's going to help, but it can't hurt). 

 

We both use ACT restoring mouthwash. I get the sensitive kind so no stingy alcohol taste in the mouth. 

 

Adult molars are sealed.

 

The dentist just gave us a prescription for fluoride tablets for him to chew/dissolve in his mouth before bed. 

 

The dentist and hygienist were both very surprised at the cavities because he has barely any plaque at cleanings and they said it's obvious he has good hygiene. 

[rainbowmama]

We are doing sealants on adult molars, but one of my kids with weak teeth only has baby teeth. Both of my kids with weaker teeth have had work in the front of their mouths.

[regentrude]

are they receiving fluoride supplements? Especially the baby?

[rjand6more]

This stuff is magic. :)

Just For Kids 

 

2 of my kids have had problems with decay starting very young.  This has kept them from having fillings until they are older. The dentist I work for is amazed at their results.

[Anne in CA]

A woman who works for me just told me that her ds (15yo) had 18 cavities yesterday at the dentist. He just saw the dentist last November, so she was shocked. I have never heard of that. He had no cavities in November but 18 in April??? I told her she needs to get her water tested.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Dd has sealants on her teeth.  And she uses a special prescription toothpaste. 

[IfIOnly]

A woman who works for me just told me that her ds (15yo) had 18 cavities yesterday at the dentist. He just saw the dentist last November, so she was shocked. I have never heard of that. He had no cavities in November but 18 in April??? I told her she needs to get her water tested.

That happened to me. Got a second opinion and low and behold the actual cavity number was MUCH less. There are scammers out there.

[Katy]

Have you had their vitamin D tested?

[Anne in CA]

That happened to me. Got a second opinion and low and behold the actual cavity number was MUCH less. There are scammers out there.

In this case she wanted to make 18 different appointments, one for each cavity although several are supposedly on the same tooth... They have really good insurance to pay for it so she (my employee) is wondering if they didn't just see dollar signs. 

[IfIOnly]

In this case she wanted to make 18 different appointments, one for each cavity although several are supposedly on the same tooth... They have really good insurance to pay for it so she (my employee) is wondering if they didn't just see dollar signs.

Yup. I had fantastic dental insurance through my dad. I was also young and just out of the house and on my own. Perfect target. Grrr.

[Ravin]

We are getting sealants on DD's molars next visit to the dentist. He recommended it at our last visit but DD doesn't do well with surprises at the dentist.

[Ausmumof3]

Two of my three living kids have had so much dental work. I dread taking them to the dentist. I make them brush and floss 2-3 times a day. They almost exclusively drink water or milk. I limit their sugar. They still get cavities, and I just get so discouraged.

Ask your dentist about a tooth mousse. This has made a difference for mine who had horrible teeth.

 

I had baby fillings and there are a high percentage of kids in our extended family that have had these kind of problems.

[foxbridgeacademy]

My third daughter is just like this.

I took her to the dentist as an infant because I saw pits (little indentations) in her brand new front teeth.

 

The dentist explained that there are points in a pregnancy when a fever for example can result in not enough mineralisation on the developing teeth.

 

Our dentist has been fabulous. He never made me feel like a bad mum. As the years have passed, she had heaps of work on her baby teeth. The dentist would tell me that her gums were great, so the brushing is going well. It's just that the teeth had weak spots when they came through.

 

Her adult teeth have (so far) come through just fine.

 

I hope you have a friendly and encouraging dentist.

This. For baby teeth a mothers fever causes improper mineralization/enameling. If the child has a high fever while an infant (under 18 mos. is what I was told) it can cause the same issue for the child's permanent teeth, which is why we will be shelling out $1000's over the years for DD's teeth.

[Noreen Claire]

:crying: I thought it was just my kids.  :crying: Thank you for starting this thread... It makes me feel like less of a horrible mom.

[sgo95]

3 of my 5 have weak enamel...just so much $$$ to fix all their cavities, infected teeth, etc.  The other two have much stronger teeth (1 cavity for one, 0 for the other).  They've all been raised the same-- breastfed for ~2 yrs, same foods, same tooth brushing regimen...it's gotta be genetics, right?

[MomtoCandJ]

Dd2 has weak enamal, in fact she goes to have fillings done on her two front teeth may 2nd. Dd1 hasn't had any cavities though we are looking at a palate expander for her.

[JessReplanted]

I have recently purchased "Dirty Mouth", a natural tooth powder that claims to help heal cavities and strengthen teeth. The reviews are very positive, although I have not been using it long enough to determine if it really makes a difference.

[MistyMountain]

My kids have this issue too with weak enamel. I have never had a cavity and I drank juice and ate less healthy growing up then they do.

Edited April 20, 2017 by MistyMountain

[IfIOnly]

We've turned around our kids' dental health. Thankfully, their cavities were mostly in baby teeth. In fact, my DS13 had a cleaning and exam today and NO cavities! Yay! We used to be a fluoride free family but now we do the treatments and buy the toothpaste. I also make my my oldest two use the hydro floss every night. My 8, 10, 12, and 13 year old children use Listerine every night. DH now brushes our 4, 8, and 10 year old children's teeth every night rather then letting them do it. This was recommended my our dentist. They do their morning brushing though, except the 4 year old. I'm not sure what worked but am glad we haven't had new cavities in a couple of years now.

Edited April 20, 2017 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[IfIOnly]

Oh, and they also get $20 bucks if there is no new cavities come check up time. I have to remind them from time to time about it, but it provides some motivation for them. :P

[Guest]

Is your water fluoridated? Fluoridated toothpaste? Fluoride treatments twice a year at the dentist?

 

That said, my youngest child, at the tender age of... three?... had four cavities: one on the face of EACH eye tooth. It was the oddest thing. The dentist told me that can happen if the mother ran a fever during gestation, so he suspected I ran a fever during the two-week gestational window when the eye teeth were forming. Go figure.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Kinsa

[Zinnia]

We started doing cod liver oil every night, and we saw a reduction in cavities

[rjand6more]

:crying: I thought it was just my kids.  :crying: Thank you for starting this thread... It makes me feel like less of a horrible mom.

 

As a hygienist(and a mom to 2/6 kids with enamel hypoplasia) I feel so sad that parents(MOMS!) blame themselves for their kids' dental problems.

 

In dentistry, decay is blamed on poor hygiene and eating habits 95% of the time. I know first hand that we do it right.  We have healthy eating habits, very little pop and juice, we brush kids' teeth for them until age 10+.  Two of my kids had enamel hypoplasia.  I saw it as their baby teeth were erupting.  I began tiny bits of fluoride with a Qtip at age 9 months.  My 9 year old has ugly baby teeth, but the decay areas are very hard.  So, he will probably not need fillings in them.  My 4 year old has ALL 8 of his baby molars bombed out. :(  He has not had a filling yet.  He is being "watched." I am watching for signs of infection. Some of those will need fillings but hopefully not until next year when he is big enough to sit well(He has a medical/dental phobia.)

 

As to the cause of the hypoplasia...no one really knows.  Fevers in moms CAN cause that.  I did not have a single fever or sick day other than "morning sickness" like every pregnancy.  Another possibility is vitamin deficiency during that window of tooth development(en utero) Oddly, I had almost the exact defects in my baby teeth that my 9 year old did!  The odds that my mom had a fever the exact time I did in pregnancy...

 

I really wish we could get past this dental theory that home care and diet is the only cause of decay.  I stick up for parents ALL THE TIME in my office.  Now, I always tell parents that if they know that the hypoplasia is there, they must be more vigilant with home care.  A little plaque is like going a week without brushing.  

 

And, the tough part...diet and plaque control ARE so important!  Some people can only brush a few times a week and not get decay.  They can have terrible diets and never get cavities.  It's frustrating. lol  But, as a rule...sweets are treats and we shouldn't treat daily.  Juice should be an occasional(if at all...) drink.  All those sports drinks are full of sugar.  Pop should be avoided. It is a terrible mix of sugar and acid.  My kids really like it. lol  I don't buy it around the house.  But, if we are out, I let them have it.  I think we may have it enough that they don't feel deprived. lol  My sister in law is the hero.  She always has pop. And I don't freak out.  It's rare. The worst part of these drinks is exposure.  If you sip the drink over hours, it does not give your body a chance to recover.  The remineralization process is halted.  If you drink it all at once, like in 15 -20 minutes, the teeth have a chance to remineraize themselves after the exposure.  Add in lots of crunchy vegs and Xylitol gum to naturally remove plaque.  Avoid anything sticky, ie fruit snacks, gummies,

 

I do my best to educate and not sound preachy.  Dental hygienists get a bad rap for that. lol  I think we start to sound like a machine after years of repetition.

[AmandaVT]

Is your water fluoridated? Fluoridated toothpaste? Fluoride treatments twice a year at the dentist?

 

That said, my youngest child, at the tender age of... three?... had four cavities: one on the face of EACH eye tooth. It was the oddest thing. The dentist told me that can happen if the mother ran a fever during gestation, so he suspected I ran a fever during the two-week gestational window when the eye teeth were forming. Go figure.

 

That's interesting - DS's cavities are all on the same tooth, 2-year molars I think. I can't remember when I had the flu when I was pregnant with him, but I did get sick somewhere in there. I wonder if it's related?

[Noreen Claire]

As a hygienist(and a mom to 2/6 kids with enamel hypoplasia) I feel so sad that parents(MOMS!) blame themselves for their kids' dental problems.

 

In dentistry, decay is blamed on poor hygiene and eating habits 95% of the time. I know first hand that we do it right.  We have healthy eating habits, very little pop and juice, we brush kids' teeth for them until age 10+.  Two of my kids had enamel hypoplasia.  I saw it as their baby teeth were erupting.  I began tiny bits of fluoride with a Qtip at age 9 months.  My 9 year old has ugly baby teeth, but the decay areas are very hard.  So, he will probably not need fillings in them.  My 4 year old has ALL 8 of his baby molars bombed out. :(  He has not had a filling yet.  He is being "watched." I am watching for signs of infection. Some of those will need fillings but hopefully not until next year when he is big enough to sit well(He has a medical/dental phobia.)

 

As to the cause of the hypoplasia...no one really knows.  Fevers in moms CAN cause that.  I did not have a single fever or sick day other than "morning sickness" like every pregnancy.  Another possibility is vitamin deficiency during that window of tooth development(en utero) Oddly, I had almost the exact defects in my baby teeth that my 9 year old did!  The odds that my mom had a fever the exact time I did in pregnancy...

 

I really wish we could get past this dental theory that home care and diet is the only cause of decay.  I stick up for parents ALL THE TIME in my office.  Now, I always tell parents that if they know that the hypoplasia is there, they must be more vigilant with home care.  A little plaque is like going a week without brushing.  

 

And, the tough part...diet and plaque control ARE so important!  Some people can only brush a few times a week and not get decay.  They can have terrible diets and never get cavities.  It's frustrating. lol  But, as a rule...sweets are treats and we shouldn't treat daily.  Juice should be an occasional(if at all...) drink.  All those sports drinks are full of sugar.  Pop should be avoided. It is a terrible mix of sugar and acid.  My kids really like it. lol  I don't buy it around the house.  But, if we are out, I let them have it.  I think we may have it enough that they don't feel deprived. lol  My sister in law is the hero.  She always has pop. And I don't freak out.  It's rare. The worst part of these drinks is exposure.  If you sip the drink over hours, it does not give your body a chance to recover.  The remineralization process is halted.  If you drink it all at once, like in 15 -20 minutes, the teeth have a chance to remineraize themselves after the exposure.  Add in lots of crunchy vegs and Xylitol gum to naturally remove plaque.  Avoid anything sticky, ie fruit snacks, gummies,

 

I do my best to educate and not sound preachy.  Dental hygienists get a bad rap for that. lol  I think we start to sound like a machine after years of repetition.

 

Thanks for this.

 

A number of times I have gotten 'the speech' from a dentist/hygienist... "Stop feeding them candy and juice. Etc..." My kids rarely have candy (Halloween, Easter, Valentines are probably it for the year), have juice and chocolate milk each once a week. They brush/floss/rinse regularly. The adults help at night to brush the little kids' teeth thoroughly *after* we let them do it themselves. But, still, DS8 has had two fillings and a baby tooth extracted. DS5 had decay (probably due to upper lip tie) removed via laser, and DS2 (who will be 3 next week) just had his first check up and had SIX cavities of varying degree.  :eek:  (I could see one 6mos ago, but our dentist doesn't see kids until they turn 3.) The baby just started cutting teeth - I'm not sure what I can do to keep him from going down the same road...  :crying:

[Pippen]

Same with one of my kids. I agree with sealants and the fluoride rinse. I'd also suggest buying them Philips Sonicare toothbrushes--that made a big difference for her. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

A woman who works for me just told me that her ds (15yo) had 18 cavities yesterday at the dentist. He just saw the dentist last November, so she was shocked. I have never heard of that. He had no cavities in November but 18 in April??? I told her she needs to get her water tested.

 

She needs a second opinion.  Some dentists are freakin quacks.

 

Something similar happened to my husband.  He went to one dentist who told him he had a cavity in literally every tooth and wanted to drill into every.single.tooth.  This is a guy who had no dental problems whatsoever growing up.  So he went elsewhere and they found no cavities.  He has now been going to that dentist since.  It's been 10 years now and in that amount of time he has had one filling.  ONE. 

[TravelingChris]

Two of my children have good teeth but my youngest was born with too little enamel.  She has had many more cavities than the other two.  She is very good about brushing.  She had sealants and fluoride treatments and those have helped.  One other factor that can be causing cavities is dry mouth for any reason.  Many medications do that but also Sjogren's Syndrome which while probably not diagnosed until later, it can start in childhood or teen years.  I know that looking back the first sign I had of Sjogren's was that all of a sudden I started getting cavities in my mid teens.  I had never had a cavity before and I did take care of my teeth well.  Then in my early 20's. I started with arthritic symptoms. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 31.

[rjand6more]

She needs a second opinion.  Some dentists are freakin quacks.

 

Something similar happened to my husband.  He went to one dentist who told him he had a cavity in literally every tooth and wanted to drill into every.single.tooth.  This is a guy who had no dental problems whatsoever growing up.  So he went elsewhere and they found no cavities.  He has now been going to that dentist since.  It's been 10 years now and in that amount of time he has had one filling.  ONE. 

 

Diagnosing decay is a matter of opinion.  Some dentists are more conservative and choose to "watch" areas that have begun the decay process and wait and hope the teeth remineralize themselves.  Often times, this will happen.  Sometimes, it does not and the decay progresses past the enamel layer.  Then a filling is needed.  There is absolutely no way to predict how long this process may take.  And teeth can show no progress in the decay process for a very long time and then all of a sudden it becomes a problem.

 

Other dentists don't believe in watching decay start/stop, etc.  They want to do a filling on any decalcified area.

[rjand6more]

Thanks for this.

 

A number of times I have gotten 'the speech' from a dentist/hygienist... "Stop feeding them candy and juice. Etc..." My kids rarely have candy (Halloween, Easter, Valentines are probably it for the year), have juice and chocolate milk each once a week. They brush/floss/rinse regularly. The adults help at night to brush the little kids' teeth thoroughly *after* we let them do it themselves. But, still, DS8 has had two fillings and a baby tooth extracted. DS5 had decay (probably due to upper lip tie) removed via laser, and DS2 (who will be 3 next week) just had his first check up and had SIX cavities of varying degree.  :eek:  (I could see one 6mos ago, but our dentist doesn't see kids until they turn 3.) The baby just started cutting teeth - I'm not sure what I can do to keep him from going down the same road...  :crying:

 

 

I linked a fluoride gel.  Use it with a qtip on any questionable areas.  Really, it works SO well.  Do it every night.  You need to do it(don't let kiddo be in charge)  and just a tiny bit.

[IfIOnly]

I just remembered something else that helped. Children's tooth brushes are awful because even the ones the dentist gives are practically flat. It's like they're designed purposefully to not get the bacteria and food from the crevices of the teeth especially the molars if they're deep. Ugh. Even my 4 year olds uses an adult tooth brush made for cleaning deeply. It hurts my pockets to buy everyone Oral B adult toothbrushes regularly, but I think it helps. Also, we emphasis brushing in circles at the gumline rather than just side to side. I've noticed cleaner teeth on my oldest two since they finally take the time to do that.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Diagnosing decay is a matter of opinion.  Some dentists are more conservative and choose to "watch" areas that have begun the decay process and wait and hope the teeth remineralize themselves.  Often times, this will happen.  Sometimes, it does not and the decay progresses past the enamel layer.  Then a filling is needed.  There is absolutely no way to predict how long this process may take.  And teeth can show no progress in the decay process for a very long time and then all of a sudden it becomes a problem.

 

Other dentists don't believe in watching decay start/stop, etc.  They want to do a filling on any decalcified area.

 

Sure, but is it really a good idea to drill into EVERY SINGLE tooth in someone's mouth without a very good reason?  I'm no expert, but I'd say NO.

[xixstar]

My husband's teeth have been declining/increasing in cavities. He's wondering if it's because he has been living on well water for 15 years or so now.

 

I am thinking of finally buying the electric toothbrushes several dentists have recommended over the years. The rest of us are fine, well except some gum issues for myself. May also have him start doing the fluoride rinses too. He would never apply a flputide gel to specific areas but a daily rinse he might do.

[SparklyUnicorn]

My husband's teeth have been declining/increasing in cavities. He's wondering if it's because he has been living on well water for 15 years or so now.

 

I am thinking of finally buying the electric toothbrushes several dentists have recommended over the years. The rest of us are fine, well except some gum issues for myself. May also have him start doing the fluoride rinses too. He would never apply a flputide gel to specific areas but a daily rinse he might do.

 

FWIW, I've always had crap teeth and I've always had fluoride in the water wherever I lived.  I also had extra fluoride treatments as a kid.

[Minerva]

Something to keep in mind, if your kids have acid reflux or GERD, they are more susceptible to tooth decay. If this is the case for you, talk to your dentist about it. They will have strategies to help you neutralize the acid in your mouth. 

 

 

[CadenceSophia]

Flouride is a quick fix, not a long term solution. Fluoridated water is so bad for you. It is nothing but poison inside your body. It only works when in actual contract with the teeth. Flouride varnishes at the dentist and toothpaste are a much better choice.

Longer term though, remineralization paste and procedures to change the oral bacteria. Some people have aggressive oral bacteria, some have weak enamel, some have both.

Ozone is a little known but awesome option for saving teeth with surface decay. Saved my oldest son's baby teeth. It is hard to find a dentist who does it but it was totally worth the (very very long) trip for us.

[rjand6more]

Sure, but is it really a good idea to drill into EVERY SINGLE tooth in someone's mouth without a very good reason?  I'm no expert, but I'd say NO.

 

Absolutely not.  I hope it didn't sound like I approve of that plan.  I get to choose who I work for and I will not work for a dentist of that type.

 

Clearly, I feel the more conservative route is the better way.