Question:
I have noticed that DS's teeth (17 months) are starting to stain (slightly)
and we have made sure to brush his teeth every night and twice while on
antibiotics.
he gets a lot of juice but we dilute it half and half , and he HATES water
but he is beginning to like milk!!!!
I spoke with his ped. and he said it was fine if all he wanted was juice.
well i know there are more things out there targeting his teeth but he
doesnt really like junk foods and we limit the ones he does like.
(sorry for rambling, just covering all bases)
Any advice? i know these are only his baby teeth but doesnt that
say something about his permanent ones?
Answer:
I'd like to know if there is a relation btw staining in baby teeth
versus that in permanent teeth also! I hope someone in the know
answers.
By the way, I have been conducting a longitudinal study with two
identical girl babies that has now been going on for 8+ years. One twin
("A") ate cinnamon sugar toast frequently and the other ("B") usually
ate fruit. Most the the remaining food intake was similar for each
girl. Twin A had three large cavities, luckily only in baby teeth.
Twin B had no cavities. Result is I no longer serve cinnamon sugar
toast nor anything with straight sugar.
The stains are darker, however they are so slight that you can see them
better in direct sunlight!
Idont like to give things with straight sugar, its bad for the
teeth and waist line as well.
I was just wondering, do you brush his teeth with fluoride
toothpaste? A friend of mine is a dentist and has told me that fluoride is
not suitable for kids until they are able to rinse their mouth with water
and spit (~ 3 yrs she said). The fluoride can cause stains and spots on
teeth unless it is rinsed off properly. I noticed in the grocery store that
you can buy fluoride free toothpaste. I might try that. Currently I am just
brushing my 15 month old's teeth with water.
Do you put juice in a bottle? That is bad for their teeth as well. They
should only have it in a cup. A bottle right before bed is probably not a
good idea anymore either-or rinse his teeth after. I have also heard that
some people have teeth that are more porous and more susceptible to stains
and decay-unfortunately it is genetic. My dentist friend also told me that
it is not necessary to take kids to the dentist until they are older than 2
yrs UNLESS you are noticing problems. Maybe, since you are concerned, it
would be best to take the little guy to a dentist. I know that my
pediatrician hasn't been any help with teeth. Amy already has 16 teeth at
15 months and through it all the doctor always told me to just rinse her
mouth out with water and not bother brushing. I try to brush them anyways!
