Childrens teeth.

[mrskitty]

Jack had to go to Royal Blackburn this week and have a tooth extracted under general anaesthetic,i wasn't happy at all,mostly because i felt like it was my fault (i brush his teeth regularly) but give him sweets nearly everyday.Poor little mite was basically having surgery because of me, but it turned out he had cracked a tooth (from falling over) and it had got infected without us knowing and actually had got as far down as the root of the tooth.It didn't make me feel much better because he still had to have this tooth out but at least i have looked after his teeth properly.
How do i know this?
Although he was one of the youngest,he was the only one having one tooth out-the rest were having 6 or 7
Considering there were 10 of them having teeth out(varying ages), i thought it was a bit extreme.I asked a nurse why there were so many to be told they have 10 every Monday,and its rare they have a child having just one tooth out.
So my question is (and i havn't google yet) apart from natural decay or parents not brushing these kids teeth,why else would a 5 year old or under have more than 2 teeth out?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by misskitty

So my question is (and i havn't google yet) apart from natural decay or parents not brushing these kids teeth,why else would a 5 year old or under have more than 2 teeth out?

You answered your own question partly - accidents

[pipinfort]

I know a lot babies and toddlers should only drink water and milk as almost anything flavoured contains sugar, even if the sugars are naturally occurring, it has a real detrimental effect on their teeth and also the lack of flouride in our water does`nt help to strenghten the little `uns teeth enough, we were advised by our health visitor only last week to use adult toothpaste on our 10 month old as it contains plenty of flouride where as the baby stuff does`nt!!!

[mrskitty]

Originally Posted by Neil

You answered your own question partly - accidents

So alot of these would have been because of accidents? (EG falling down concrete steps).
Is it that common that Jack was lucky to have damaged just one tooth?

Pipin-Jack has always used adult toothpaste,i found out when he was a few months old that kiddies toothpaste doesn't contain enough flouride for them.Also surestart dental advisors tell parents this,as do health visitors.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by pipinfort

the lack of flouride in our water does`nt help to strenghten the little `uns teeth enough

Nooooooooooooooooooooo don't mention that.
You know who will be getting her soap box out as we speak.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by misskitty

So alot of these would have been because of accidents?

You should have asked the Nurse you were talking to what the common reasons are.

[mrskitty]

Originally Posted by Neil

Nooooooooooooooooooooo don't mention that.
You know who will be getting her soap box out as we speak.

Can we delete pipins post?lol


I couldn't really ask the nurse-we were all in an open ward n i would have looked snotty and they were VERY busy
Plus i wasn't feeling at my best-nearly fainted a few times,Jacks dad had to go with him to be there as he was being put to sleep mainly because i faint at the sight of needles in someone else and i was very upset that Jack had to be put to sleep that i kept welling up

[MUMMIBOO]

Rebecca had to have 8 teeth out when she was 5 because they had holes in even though we brushed her teeth we used childs toothpaste at that time, and they gave her flouride tablets because of the lack of flouride in out water i obviously learnt since to use adult toothpaste, and you cant not give children sweets even if you dont give them someone else will mine used to get them at the doctors and at school they would come home with lollys! which are not allowed in my house because they are the worst offenders and because of the choke factor.

My Jack had a tooth out without being put to sleep just had injection when he was about 3 years old he went because he had got an abcess under his tooth so when he went they just took it out no warning or anything! bless him.

I too felt the guilt but you dont realise until its too late.

[keetah992000]

My step daughter had all of her upper teeth out and most of her bottom ( except for the front bottom four)
reasons given were that she had her dads unfortunate soft enamel ( obviously not soft but not as hardy as some enamel) plus she had a lot of antibiotics when she was younger which can affect the quality of teeth
she is now nine and has only just started to get her teeth through because the gums heal over and are harder for teeth to break through. they seem fine and she does look after them. but after all that time without teeth she now looks odd with them lol

[Neil]

Originally Posted by keetah992000

she had a lot of antibiotics when she was younger which can affect the quality of teeth

That is interesting to know.

[emamum]

misskitty....... dummys and bottles can damage teeth and cause them to come though wrong... idealy a child should go onto a cup at 6 months and not use a dummy to prevent this.

here are some links for you....

ADA.org: Oral Health Topics: Early Childhood Tooth Decay (Baby Bottle Tooth Decay) Frequently Asked Questions
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay | Bottle Feeding Problems
Dummies and babies' teeth

[mrskitty]

Jack had a dummy till he he had just gone two.He was VERY attached to it and nothing i did would get him off it then one night he went to bed without it and never had one again(!)and he NEVER had juice from a bottle-had a sipper cup from 6 months and only had milk from a bottle at 'meal times'-ie didnt walk around with a bottle of milk,and bottle was stopped at a year old.
I did everything by the book (and he was a text book baby) as his the only one and i think you are more cautious with your first.

[emamum]

i wasnt having a go at you! was just saying........ some parents dont realise that there is sugar in milk.... anything that ends in 'ose is usually sugar.... lactose, fructose, glucose etc

[BERNADETTE]

I would try cutting the sweets down if I were you misskitty. Does Jack not like fruit?

[emamum]

i used to give ty boxes of raisons and call them sweeties and he still eats those fruit bars from health food shops and calls them sports candy..... lol......emzy will tell you, im full of tricks like that! lol.... fed her boys semolina and called it yoghurt, they loved it! lol