fluoride supplementation for rural babies? - Page 2

[mamadelbosque]

Yeah, I grew up here and its never even crosed my mind that I might want to supplement w/ flouride...

[toughcookie]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

Yeah, I grew up here and its never even crosed my mind that I might want to supplement w/ flouride...

well, it didn't really cross my mind. i got a 'script for fluoride at my son's 6 mo. visit to an older, VERY experienced rural pedi who i really trust in every way. i was confused, because my dentist never suggested it for my babe, even though he's too young to actually be seen by her. then i started thinking, and it started bugging me.

my gut reaction is saying tell the pedi no, i won't, but a niggling part of my head is telling me that fluoridation in cities has definitely turned around dental health in america. i say that, of course, not having researched this historically, it's just anecdotal "knowledge" (used loosely). the comments here are pretty compelling. i will do my REAL research, and will talk again with my pedi in a couple months when he goes for his 9 mo. visit - i need to at least be on the same page as her.

[askew]

I live in the county and have well water as well as spring water delivered for drinking. We use non fluoride toothpaste. My 3.5 year old DS eats very little sugar, mainly in the form of fruit. No straight juice (some honest kids stuff once in a while). He eats lots of plant foods- we are vegetarian and I consider that we have an excellent diet. That said- he went to the dentist for the first time 6 months ago and had 8 cavities!!!! The dentist advised we switch him to fluoride toothpaste, and we did. 4K in dental work for a 3 year old was enough to make me willing to try anything. I understand the argument against very well, and I know in large quantities fluoride can leach calcium. However, I do think in small amounts it protects teeth pretty well.

[ann_of_loxley]

Flouride is a poision. I would stay far far away from it if I can. You are lucky you have well water! They don't put flouride in our water here (only a few places do in the UK) and if they start, them I am getting something to remove it before ever giving it to my children!

[mamadelbosque]

FWIW my DS1 is 3, just went tot he dentist for the first time a week or so ago and had one lil itty bitty cavity... and he doesn't brush w/ flouride toothpaste and as noted previously drinks well water I grew up here and don't know when I started brushing w/ flouride toothpaste but I just had my very first cavity's filled w/in the last 6 months. I'm 26. Flouride is *not* the be-all end-all of dental health, IMO.

[NSmomtobe]

I was told to use a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste ("rice-sized" amount) on a toothbrush twice/day after the first tooth came in. He got his first tooth at 5.5 months and I waited until he was 6 months and on solids before brushing his teeth once/day with a very tiny bit of fluoride toothpaste.

[HappyMommy2]

Originally Posted by toughcookie

thank you mommas, for your responses. i maybe have a bit of a battle with my ped, or at least a heated discussion. no one has anything good to say about supplementation!

No need to battle. Just nod, and then don't give it to your son. The battle can't be won.

The ped gave it to me, and I gave it a few times. It just didn't sit right with me. So I stopped.

Later, I read an article about how the flouride was added to the water. Industry needed a place to dump a bunch of waste. They never went back and studied the towns to see if teeth were actually healthier there. But later somebody found that floride cancer was highly prevalent there. Now, it would be too embarrassing for the gov't to say "whoops" and change the status quo. So it keeps getting added!

I know it sounds like a cuckoo conspiracy theory, so I hope some other mamas have some links to the article and research.

I now use Tom's of Maine toothpaste without flouride for myself and DH. (Especially since I am also a thyroid patient!)

[HappyMommy2]

Originally Posted by NSmomtobe

I was told to use a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste ("rice-sized" amount) on a toothbrush twice/day after the first tooth came in. He got his first tooth at 5.5 months and I waited until he was 6 months and on solids before brushing his teeth once/day with a very tiny bit of fluoride toothpaste.

The toothpaste tube itself says do not give it to kids under six years old! Perhaps you should ignore that advice and use non-flouride toothpaste instead!