My 2 year old has seen the dentist and has cavities in her 4 front teeth. The dentist says there is really nothing to do with them except brush so cavities do not get worse. I am afraid they might start to bother her but the dentist said in most cases of cavities in kids they do not bother them. Is this true????
She has been brushing her teeth since she was 1 year old, but the problem is from a sippy cup at night even tho there is hardly any juice just basically water. The cup is gone now. The teeth looked very stained. Has anyone heard of any other remedy. The dentist will not do crowns as they do not last on such small teeth.

I believe that most baby teeth without roots, just fall out at about age 6 or 7. (In rare cases some baby teeth have roots, and are retained throughout adulthood, although.)

So, I would guess the best thing to do is just try to keep the teeth clean and follow what was suggested by the dentist. I read on the internet, that in some cases, cavities that haven't bore through too deeply will heal themselves if proper cleaning is applied.

Maybe since the dentist knew that these baby teeth are temporary, maybe that's why he or she wasn't too concerned about the cavities. That's just a guess, on my part.

I'm wondering how large the cavities are? It is very common for dentists to take the approach of waiting on baby teeth depending on how deep the decay is. Apparently these four teeth do not have deep enough decay to require immediate attention? Baby teeth do have roots, and nerves like permanent teeth. Roots on baby teeth resorb as the permanent tooth pushes its way in. I'm not sure if by four front teeth your talking about top or bottom teeth or both, but she should lose these teeth between 6-8 years old.
The best thing to do is to limit the amount of sugar or sticky foods your child eats. Also for you to brush her teeth at least 2 times a day and floss them daily. In my experience working with kids, very few actually know how to brush correctly. In fact most kids still need assistance even up to the age of 9. Is she taking any fluoride (drops?, tablets?) If you are using the drops, apply the drops directly to these areas of decay. Fluoride can actually remineralize the area of decay and make it stronger than it was before. Depends on amount of decay. If you are using systemic fluoride be careful with the amount of toothpaste you use, especially with a 2 year old. They usually swallow it. Too much systemic fluoride can cause fluorosis. Another option would be a fluoride varnish application at your dentist's office. It is a high concentration of fluoride that is painted onto the areas of decay. When saliva touches it it hardens. It stays on the tooth for a day or two and releases fluoride into the areas. Check with your dentist.

[This message has been edited by jdream (edited 02-23-2003).]

My sister always let her son drink from a sippy cup (because he was always spilling it and it saved on carpet cleaning. LOL!) Because of this his two front top baby teeth are completly gone. She took him to a dentist and he said that there was nothing that he could do, he just told her not to give him so much sugar or else it could effect his adult teeth. This could lead to more serious problems if not taken care of. I'm glad to hear that the bedtime cup is gone, and I hope that there are no more problems.

I too have a 2 year old who has cavities in her two front teeth. Everytime i brush her teeth I get very upset knowing that we have brushed her teeth since she started to get her teeth. And I do the brushing. She does however eat a lot of sugar (well did until I stopped that habit) but I do brush them. She also has used a sippy cup which they say is a big cause of the sugar sitting on her teeth. I did post something on here a while back and got a lot of heat because of her teeth. Her dentist wanted to put her threw surgery and cap them but all kinds of mothers as well as other dentist told me to either let them go and just keep brushing them or get them pulled. Its hard to go through this and it really stresses me out worrying about what to do with them. I was going to go through the surgery in the fall last year but right before the fact they said that my dental/medical coverage would not pay for the anasthesia and there was no way i could afford what it cost for that. So i decided to go with friends/family and other dentists advice and let them go. But now her one tooth is getting worse and i have to take her back to be checked this week but now i am very upset that it is much worse and it will cause more problems. I don't know what it is but it seems that there are a lot more children out there now with dental problem. Is it in the air/water because I know I brushed my child's teeth faithfully a few times a day atleast. Plus she also used the brush after I am done and continues to brush them herself.

No, it's not something in the air or water, it's all the sugar that kids are being allowed to eat nowadays, coupled with sippy cups and bottles of juice. It doesn't matter how faithfully you brush if you're going to bathe your teeth in sugar all day.

I had a lot of cavities as a kid, so I really try to limit my kids' sugar. They never got juice, and only water in sippy cup as infants/toddlers. I limit the sugary treats to once per day. I don't permit soda, gum, or sticky candies. It's not really that big of a deal, as they never realized they were missing anything.

Well I hate to say it but I was a big candy/juice/sippy cup user and my teeth were fine (growing up). And... I wasn't a very faithful brusher. My parents were not strict with what I ate and my teeth brushing. I would actually go to the dentist and he couldn't believe i was a child at my age with no cavities. and... i didn't go to the dentist very often either. at around age 10 i started seeing a dentist more often because i was afraid (myself) that my teeth would start to go sooner or later since my urge for sweets increased even more. well i am 30 and my teeth are not nowhere near as good as my teeth were when i was young/ate all those sweets/and rarely brushed. now that i see a dentist faithfully and have all the problems that i have now i sometimes wonder. my kids do not get all the sugar they want - they get snacks after their meals and then i brush their teeth. i did however make a mistake and let my daughter use a sippy cup because i had a hard time getting her off a bottle so i thought that was the next best thing but obviously something caused her teeth to go bad. i did also use mostly water in her cups and juice only at meals. so now what could be the problem?

sorry i even posted into this topic to try to make someone feel a little better about their child's teeth since someone tried to make me feel worse about my problem.

i thought this was supposed to be a support board, not one to make people feel rotten or have regrets about their life.

thanks for making my day.

Momoftwo1128....
please don't let one post get you so upset.
As parents, we all make mistakes, it's part of parenting.
I, too have a 2 yr. old with cavities in his two top front teeth. He was weaned off the bottle very early, but, I also used a sippy cup. I used it with my now 10 yr old as well, and he never had cavities until just about a year ago. Most kids get cavities, it's a fact. And for some, it doesn't matter how well you brush their teeth, or limit their sweets. I was one of those kids. My brother was not. I had bad teeth, he has wonderful teeth. Go figure. We both went to the dentist the same, we both ate the same things, we both brushed the same. My father had his teeth removed at age 19, my mother had beautiful teeth with barely a cavity all her life.
My husband has bad teeth, so did his father. His brother has wonderful teeth, as does his mother. My 2 yr. old, at least I believe, is a product of our genes...his teeth are bad no matter how diligent we are. I honestly believe that genetics plays a major roll in our teeth and how they develop. I could be WAY off here, but, judging from my family history, it's hard not to believe there's not more to it than daily brushing and flossing.

That said, don't beat yourself up about it. It doesn't mean you are a bad parent....it just means you are like alot of parents, past, present, and future. I know you love your kids, and take care of them, so why let one post get you so down? You didn't do anything wrong....and if you did, then every parent that has a child with a cavity has done something wrong...see what I mean?

I wish you all the best and keep your chin up, ok? http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

scaredstiff70

well thank you scared. I really appreciate the encouragement. I know that I am a great mother and did what I needed to do to TRY to prevent the cavities. My husband does have very very poor teeth and does make me believe that possible genetics has something to do with it. I don't care what people say on here but its annoying when people put others down. I am one to support and help people and I do like honesty but it stinks when people try to put others down. i think if people want to put people down then they shouldn't post. especially when there are so many people on depression types of meds people take it to heart what others say. i laughed actually when i read your post cause i knew that i let it get to me a little too much and of course i'm fine now and know that i did ok with my family. it was just a bad day when i read the post. haha

Hey, we all have bad days, we're parents, and we're allowed to have them! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Have you decided to do anything with your toddlers teeth? Trying to decide myself if there's anything more I can do for my 2 yr. old besides having them extracted, which seems like an extreme considering they are baby teeth. Just don't know what to do at this point except brush, brush, brush.

Good luck to you and your little one. Hope all turns out well.
Best wishes,

scaredstiff70

hello,
none of us are bad moms!
i bet that if we had a time machine, we'd go back and BURN those bottles!
but what's done is done, i cried myself to sleep, many nights over the bottlerot in my 4 yr olds top 2 middle teeth.
the dentist wanted to extract,(they don't do capping on baby teeth in the U.K), but i did a lot of research and managed to persuade the dentist to bond them. they look reasonable now, i still feel guilty.
but i was very lucky in my daughter's temperament, the dentist told me that no child of her age would sit still for that.
we made a deal, if she didn't co-operate, extraction under a general anesthetic was the next option.
she was an angel, we got it done, i felt a mixture of great pride in her, and shame that i didn't manage to not let this happen to her.
reading this string has made me feel better, i'm so sorry that your children are dealing with this, but i feel less alone.
i personally feel this was a mixture of bottle and genetics, some people are more prone to cavities. also saliva dries up at night making it easier to develop cavities, the tongue protects the bottom front teeth.
i'm not taking any more risks though, no more bottles/sippy cups in my house!
i just thank god that i get a second chance with her permanant teeth, if i get them to 18 with good teeth, i'll forgive myself!

that is another problem i have. the dentist doesn't seem to want to try. my daughter is very good with listening to people so i am sure she would be ok in the chair, maybe maybe-not. but why don't they at least try before saying the want to do it in the operating room. its is quite depressing and i am thankful for this posting as i now know that i am not ALONE with the dental problem. I try so hard to not let her eat any kind of sweets but how can a kid go without them all together. I do limit them now of course but i do give her some now and then, but then i brush right after that sweet.

My daughter was 2 when she had all of her front teeth pulled.They started to become very painfull and it was done in the hospital under anesthesia.

I really think some kids are prone to cavaties no matter how well you take care of there teeth. I had all mine pulled at 2 years old so did my mother. my daughter is now 10 and still needs to see the dentist for alot for preventive care because her teeth are soft. She does not eat to many sweets at all.

I have 2 other kids whos teeth are perfect and they all had the same upbringing so I think genetics has alot to do with it not who is being a good parent and who is not. Cattys

[This message has been edited by cattys (edited 05-24-2003).]

A large group of dentists in Britian are refusing to drill and fill children's teeth anymore.
Instead, the have found a new way - they put a little bag [ballon] over the bad tooth, and pump Ozone into it for 15 minutes. Three or four treatments like that, and THE CAVITY IS GONE.
gone...it heals itself, once the ozone kills the pathogens.

That sort of proves that the problem is pathogens, not sugar. Sugar will feed pathogens [bugs, germs,viri, etc]. though...

these British dentists are dead against mercury, by the way.

Did you know that the A.D.A. was formed when the american dentists in 1857 were going to agree not to use mercury? The ADA controls the colleges and so on, and they shut out the mercury-free association, and hence we get mercury.

Save the children!! You will have to fly to Britian, since the ozone treatment is not sanctioned by the A.D.A. that all of outr dentist belong to in order to get a license.

[This message has been edited by Well-come (edited 05-30-2003).]

My son had baby bottle syndrome and his 4 front teeth were decayed badly. Your dentist is doing the right thing. Some of my son's teeth lasted till they grew out and some became abscessed and had to be pulled. The only good thing is that they have another set of teeth and more of an incentive to take care of the ones that really count.

ummm...

[This message has been edited by supernumerary (edited 05-31-2003).]

Just curious (have a few friends with kids); is it related to the "sippy cup" or baby bottle at all, harboring germs, or maybe rubbing against teeth? Or does "sippy cup" just imply that the child drinks a ton of sugary fruit juice? Probably a stupid question; as long as you give me an answer, you can laugh at me http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

best for teeth
drinking with a straw,(the drink bypasses the teeth altgether.)
a glass/cup,(the drink touches the teeth briefly)
worst for teeth
sippy cups/bottles,(bathes the teeth ,especially the front, in the drink, takes substantally longer to drink) and the top front teeth are the least exposed to saliva,(the sugar doesn't get washed away.)
i only wish i knew this 5 years ago!

Only water belongs in sippy cups (never juice or anything with sugar). Also, you should begin wiping or brushing baby teeth as soon as they appear. They make special baby safe toothpastes for this. I don´t understand how parents can let their baby´s teeth get to the point that they actually rot. Don´t you look at their teeth? Babies smile constantly, and are right there in front of your face. I´m perplexed how anyone could miss teeth rotting away. Everyone stares at those cute little baby toofers!

Ok, I'm curious to know if you can explain something.....

I have two children. I have brushed their teeth and gums from age 4 months, until they were old enough to do it on their own, first with baby-safe toothpaste, then regular when they could spit...I still brush my youngest child's teeth.
My oldest drank juice from a sippy cup all the time, I mean, ALL the time. He had no cavities in his baby teeth.
My youngest drinks juice from a sippy cup RARELY, and has cavities on his two front teeth. How do you explain that one child used the cup more and had no cavities, but the other one uses the cup substantially less, yet has cavities?
My brother and I were raised on the same foods and beverages, ate pretty much the same amount of candy, and brushed our teeth the same amount of times a day....he had no trouble with his teeth, I have immediate dentures now. Any idea why?

What hurts one child's teeth, seems not to be such an issue with another child...why?

I'm inclined to think that if genetics can play a role in our medical histories, ie: cancer, asthma, allergies, heart conditions, ect.... why is it so far fetched that dental problems would/could be passed down as well?

The posters in this thread are not bad parents, myself included. We DO look at our children's teeth...hence the reason we are here talking about them. From what I have been told by dentists, there's nothing they can do for baby teeth, and are reluctant to pull them unless they are painful to the child. It's not a matter of us parents not doing anything or being unaware of our children's teeth...we do what most of our parents did and their parents did for years. That doesn't make anyone of us bad parents.

Is there anything helpful you could add, without the sarcasm? I am sure that's not why these posters are here...to be made to feel less-than-adequate in the parental department. Remember what your mother told you...."if you don't have anything nice to say..."

I wasn't being sarcastic at all. And I agree with you about the genetics. My brother and I ate the same foods growing up, brushed the same amount, etc. I had cavities nearly every time I had a check-up. To this day my brother has never had a cavity, and he's 40. He got strong enamel and I didn't. Probably the same with your kids. What I don't understand is how parents can let their kid's teeth get to the point where they have actually rotted out of their mouths. How could you not see this before they got to that stage? Besides, we live in a society where we are constantly warned against putting a baby to bed with a bottle, letting them sip juice every day, etc. Why do some parents just choose to ignore that? It would kill me to know I was the cause of my little one losing his/her teeth. I guess some people just don't care until it's too late? Just like the ones who don't bother to use car seats...

I personally, wouldn't let my childs teeth rot out of his mouth, but, there are dentists that refuse to pull them, or work on them at all, so what choice to some of these parents have but to continue brushing and watch their childrens teeth fall apart?

I didn't allow my little one to take a bottle to bed with him, and as I stated, he only drinks from the sippy cup ocassionally. It's so very frustrating to know that you are doing what's best, yet the child still doesn't benefit from the "advice" of dentists to brush, brush, brush and watch what they eat, drink, ect. ect....

While I totally agree that there are actually some parents out there in this world that don't care until it's too late, I don't think anyone in this thread happens to be in that category. It's hard enough having to look at your childs teeth that have cavities when you know you've done nothing to cause it...but for a few that might have made a mistake in judgement, it's devastating for them to hear implies of not caring or being aware of their own children's health. Yes, there have been plenty of dental recommendations about sippy cups and bottles at night. But, humor me here....
If you did it with one child, and there were no ill-effects, would you not tend to do the same things with the next child? I know I did. It seems alot of people in this thread did too. The question is....
what to do now?

scaredstiff70 http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Sorry to hear about your kids' tooth problems! I have a 2-year old, and as far as I know his teeth are still OK. I am going to discontinue using sippy cups for anything but water, and also stop giving him one at night because of your posts. Thanks.

As far as what I would do about treating cavities, I don't think I would let them go. The ozone treatment sounds interesting. Is it allowed in Canada? I would go so far as to travel to get treatment. Having bad teeth myself, and now going through dental pain because of all my problems, I can't stress enough to take care of your child's teeth. And I tell my son that too.

One question I have concerning sugar and decay- I have heard that even raisins or dried cranberries are bad for kids' teeth because the tiny pointed depressions in molars can get bits in them that the brush can't reach, and cavities are likely. Has anyone else heard this? It sounds like the problems you are having are mostly in the front teeth.

The problem with the internet is that, while there is lots of good info out there, you will find a lot of nonsense and propaganda. It is easy to mix some facts with fantasy and have it sound believable.

The concept that bacteria is responsible for dental caries is not new. This is common knowledge. It is also common knowledge that SUGAR and starches are converted to acids by this bacteria. The acids eat away at the tooth enamel, causing cavities. So yes, sugar IS responsible for cavities via conversion to acid by bacteria.

And this bacteria is the bacteria we ALL have in our mouths as part of the normal flora. It isn't some mutant strain that we are infecting our children with. It isn't some mutant strain that is going to be eliminated with clove oil and gum. As soon as you read about a "secret weapon" that the entire dental profession doesn't know about, warning flags should go up in your mind.

I agree that sealants can help, but these are only put on the chewing surfaces of molars, and generally only on permanent teeth. They do nothing to prevent cavities between teeth or at the gumline.

If your theory of parents infecting children with rogue bacteria was correct, then shouldn't ALL the children be equally affected by cavities? How do some siblings escape them? The answer to that is genetics, not microbiology. Enamel varies in strength, and those with genetically weaker enamel will be more affected by the acids produced by bacteria feeding on SUGAR.

I think it is good to do research, but please, ask a dental professional about any findings you come across. Don't run out and try new things willy-nilly because someone on a message board made them sound believable.

On a Whim,

Not to say that precautions shouldn't be taken, but you are saying that these mutans are causing this, I have rea dthe article it concludes.... Collectively, this review indicates that further clinical trials are needed to translate knowledge regarding the acquisition and transmission of mutans streptococci into clinical interventions that will likely prevent dental caries.
Furture trials are needed, they basically tested in all 200 kids out of how many in the world. Give me a trail that test 20,000 kids. The report also says that mutans may ossur or may acquire, it's not a definate. That is like saying you may hit the lottery or you may have a car accident, if you don't brush your teeth you may get a cavity. I am not hear to bash you but it just seems you have selective reading in the report.

I am new here and have been reading this thread. I have a now 3 year old that never took a bottle or sippy cup to bed and had her gums and teeth brushed since she started drooling at 3 months. In Nov 2003, at 2, she underwent two hour of dental work under anestsia (sp?). She had 7 caps, 1 crown, 3 fillings and 1 extraction among the sealing of her healthy teeth. She has a spacer where her 1 year molar was. (That one was infected so bad it had to be pulled. I didn't even see it looking bad when I brushed her teeth.) She recently broke off one of her front teeth (cap and tip broke at the gum line) and had to have the root pulled out. She was great through it all. Still likes going to the dentist's office.
She brushes three times a day and doesn't eat much with sugar. When she does, she immediatly brushes.
All this because she has "soft" teeth. The dentist said she had very little enamal on her teeth.
My oldest daughter has no cavitites at all. And she kept her bottle until 1 and sippy at night til she was 3. She also had her pacifier til 3.
I do believe it has alot to do with genetics. I believe it does have to do with good hygene but she has it and still had alot of work.

This post isn't addressed to anyone in particular. There is a lot of variation among people, and some people are very prone to cavities, but that doesn't mean that you can just write them off. If brushing doesn't work, you shouldn't just say "It's genetics." and let their teeth keep rotting. Brushing is not enough. I am going to write that again. Brushing is not enough. It doesn't matter if you've brushed their teeth since the beginning. Brushing is not enough. Go to the local pharmacy, and buy an oral pick, floss, and mouthwash because brushing is not enough. Use the floss and the pick to remove the plaque that accumulates around the necks of their teeth because brushing is not enough. If the child is old enough, make him use the mouthwash. If he isn't old enough, you use the mouthwash because brushing is not enough for you too. It'll do you good. Make sure that you get ALL of the food particles out from around every tooth, every night because brushing is not enough. Those food particles host colonies of bacteria in your child's mouth. Sugary drinks only supply food to those colonies. The sugar is not the cause of the decay itself. If you remove the food particles, then it will be much harder for the teeth to further decay. Sitting a small child down to do this every night will be extremely difficult, but if you're waving at your kid as the nurses take him into the OR for general anesthesia and major dental work at the hospital, and your heart is in your throat, thinking about what might happen to your little baby as they sedate him, you tell me if avoiding that isn't worth some kicking and screaming before bedtime. It's tough love.