My 15mo is facing extractions due to decay...help!

[XyMama]

X-posted in Toddlers...

I am just sick over my poor baby's teeth. Decay on all 4 top teeth to the point where the ped dentist said that extraction will be the only option. (Outer two have crumbled with jagged edges, small chip out of the bottom of one of the middle two, dark spots on backs of all teeth). All of this despite frequent brushing ever since his first teeth erupted at 3mo, delayed solids, xylitol toothpaste and a very low sugar diet (he's still mostly on BM at 15mo). They are getting worse so quickly that we were referred to an oral surgeon for a consult.

I am so worried about him missing those teeth. Will it affect his speech? His ability to nurse? I guess they can fit him with a "flipper" or partial denture when he's a little older, but if those teeth have to come out now he will be without his top 4 teeth for probably a year.

Has anyone been through oral surgery/decay issues with a LO this young? If your LO had teeth removed, how did it affect them? Also, did you nightwean once decay became an issue? (I know it is a controversial subject, but DS is an all-night nurser so I feel pretty sure that it has to have contributed to such rapid and extensive decay at such a young age with no history of dental problems in our family).

TIA for any answers, advice, support...

[dinahx]

Honestly, my son is a night nurser and has no signs of decay at 2.9 years, so it truly is prenatal nutrition and genetics, IMO. There is a lot of variation!

I am sure it will be fine! IMO extractions are very much preferable to pulpotomy/root canal. Your son might need speech therapy, but the flipper may avoid that!

(((Hugs))) I am sure this is incredibly diffucult! Hang in there!

[dinahx]

Also, with decay this rapid and extreme with no genetic history, I would honestly have your water tested. Could some unknown contaminant be playing a part?

[hugAmommy]

I feel for you. I just went through the same thing. My DS is 24mo now, at 15 months I noticed the black spot on his front tooth. By time the insurance and bla bla bla was said and done his tooth had broke and the other front tooth was starting to decay too. I also nursed, exclusively, and through the night. I brush teeth a few times a day and bought the nursery water with flouride(still do). My dentist says that some children are born with little enamal on the teeth. I didn't realize that baby bottle mouth was possible when my child had never drank from a bottle, but so it is. I had to wean from the breast b4 the surgery because after an extraction they can not suck. At 18 months he went in for the surgery. They put him to sleep and pulled his front 2 top teeth and had to cap ALL the rest of them but 3. I wasn't allowed with him during the surgery and could never have been prepared for the sight of my dear baby when they brought him to me after all was said and done. BUT after that first day he was fine. He bounced back so quickly, and adjusted better than I would have. It took a few weeks and they put a kiddie partial in. It is 2 front teeth on a metal piece that is cemented to his back molars. He has had no speech problems and now has a healthy mouth. I def recomend having them put to sleep, even though that was the scariest part for me. I feel your pain, your anxiety, and helplessness. This situation was the hardest thing I have gone through as a mother. The only thing that I am not satisfied with in this whole thing is that his teeth don't match. He has 3 natural teeth on the bottom that are a diffrent color that the bright white caps and they are a diffrent size and color than the 2 front teeth of the kiddie partial. It doesn't look nice but the dentist says that most insurances wont cover matching the teeth because they all fall out anyway. I asked to pay for it and he told me it would be some crazy amount like 10 grand. I'm too poor for that. Now when you ask my DS to smile he says, "new teeth, beatuifull" then smiles real big. So cute. So any way I wish you the best. Keep me/us posted and pleese feel free to e-mail me with questions/concerns.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

DS had those top 4 teeth removed at 2y2m I put it off as long as possible before doing it waited to long actually and they got abcessed. They where pulled in the dentist office with lidocain numbing didnt take but a minute for all 4 wasnt pleasent but he didnt have to be put to sleep which I was not going to do.

Those top 4 teeth only affect speech slightly and there is no need for a bridge there unless you just want it for looks.

Ds nursed an hour after the teeth where removed. Since it was the top 4 and that area was pressed to my breast there was no danger of dry socket. I am not sure about molars though. Dont let anyone tell you that nursing causes this it dosnt. If a child is prone to tooth issues bfing helps not hurts. It is a genetic thing not a bfing issue.

It breaks my heart to read of mom's who weaned because they where told nursing was causing the problem If you search my name in dental here you will find a link about how nursing and caries are not related.

DD nursed exactly the same amount of time as ds and didnt have a single tooth issue until she was nearly 5yo ds's teeth came in with weak enamal.

Ds went on to nurse 5 more months after the teeth where gone it did not affect his suck at all.

[XyMama]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate all of the information and support. I replied to the x-posted thread http://www.mothering.com/discussions...1#post13276184 as well, and I will update as things progress.