If you succeeded in healing cavities/remineralizing/arresting caries in your kids' milk teeth,...

[MittensKittens]

My two year old has cavities on his four front teeth. We are trying to heal them with a variety of methods, primarily because we can't find a dentist who will drill and fill. I am wondering what the teeth will look like? Will they be extremely discolored, brown, etc, or is there a chance they will look kind of healthy? I feel sad about my son's little teeth! Over here, early childhood caries is no big deal, because dentists will not drill milk teeth in younger children (Eastern Europe!), and parents often decide to leave it alone in older ones too. But I would like my son top be able to look at childhood pictures of himself without the rotten teeth!

[Xavismom]

Mittens, we are dealing with those same teeth too =(

The main one I was worried about was brown a month ago, and now it is a light greyish color. I'm still very worried about it, but visually it looks better, if that gives you hope and makes you feel any better! I know I feel awful right now for sure about my LOs teeth.

Thats interesting to know they wont drill over there.

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by Xavismom 

Mittens, we are dealing with those same teeth too =(

The main one I was worried about was brown a month ago, and now it is a light greyish color. I'm still very worried about it, but visually it looks better, if that gives you hope and makes you feel any better! I know I feel awful right now for sure about my LOs teeth.

Thats interesting to know they wont drill over there.

That's good to know. The very front teeth (number 1) are currently brown near the gums. A month ago, there was a spongy indentation on both, like a part missing. Now, that has filled back in on one side (enamel recovering?) , though the other side still has part missing. It's no longer spongy though. The teeth next to them (number 2) don't show visible signs of holes, but are brown. These have not changed at all since we started our healing "regime". What are you using to heal your baby's teeth?

I have to say that I was extremely angry when MANY dentists told me that they would not drill and fill such a young child. We're in a second world country, and there are no facilities for general anesthetic at dentists' offices, or even at the dental faculty. I was told over and over to stop breastfeeding, and that the teeth would turn black but "stay strong". I'm worried that the teeth will, in fact, turn black. But in a way I am grateful that no dentist wanted to drill and fill when I was prepared to do so, because the front teeth have, actually, healed a bit.

That's kind of why I posted. Remineralizing is an accepted concept for dentists here, because of their refusal to drill and fill. But I keep hearing that the teeth will turn black. I would be so sad if all my son's baby pictures had rotten, black teeth in them!

Before my son started showing signs of tooth decay, I fully admit to thinking "geez, take your kid to a dentist" every time I saw a small child with caries. My neighbor has a seven year old with totally rotten teeth. Now I know that it's not her fault - the dentists won't do anything.

[babygirlie]

Bacteria is what causes teeth to decay. I live in the US who seem to be behind the times. I think your dentists are correct. I was waiting for an appointment on the phone and they have an automated message that says they now realize teeth can heal and that they will now be doing minimal work on teeth from now on and their goal is more preventative care. I can't tell  you how impressed I am with that. All my wisdom teeth grew in black but no one can see and I very much want them removed but I'm too scared. I now realize it's this bacteria that is causes the situation with my other teeth (I think my wisdom teeth had no hope). Dental work can lead to a lifetime of pain if the nerves are messed up. Right now I'm dealing with severe nerve pain and the dentist made my teeth beautiful (omg he didn't use mercury!! gasp! on molars!) but I still have an earache. I think I have an infection.

A teacher did warn me about my child getting "milk teeth" from drinking milk at night and suggested she get only water at night after she gets her teeth brushed but I wasn't comfortable with that. She wasn't gaining weight at the time and eats poorly. She also won't let people touch her face so it's a struggle. Now that she has a decent pot belly and gained 3 pounds I might be able to work with her on that.

I don't see why their teeth would turn black unless you continued to not brush them and kill the bacteria. Yes, cosmetically it would suck to have brown teeth but drilling sucks worse and the damage is also great. Once you take the tooth out there's no going back. I mean if it's brown to the bone wouldn't they have to remove the tooth and put in caps or dentures? I have yet another filling near the front and you can see the black algaman through the teeth and it's quite ugly. It doesn't matter if they left the shell of the tooth you can still see it. :/

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by babygirlie 

I don't see why their teeth would turn black unless you continued to not brush them and kill the bacteria.

Yes, cosmetically it would suck to have brown teeth but drilling sucks worse and the damage is also great. Once you take the tooth out there's no going back. I mean if it's brown to the bone wouldn't they have to remove the tooth and put in caps or dentures? I have yet another filling near the front and you can see the black algaman through the teeth and it's quite ugly. It doesn't matter if they left the shell of the tooth you can still see it. :/

"Continued not to brush"... we've always brushed teeth. I know S Mutans is behind the tooth decay, but I am not sure how he got it. Among other things, I've started using a "mainstream" tooth paste (no fluoride though) instead of dental clay, which we used before. We're also doing xylitol, no refined sugar, cod liver oil, and vitamin D. I hope it works.

Indeed, poor quality dental work and amalgam fillings messed with my teeth big time. I think healing teeth is the best option, but I also feel strongly about other options being available. Here, parents are sent away with the advice to "stop breastfeeding and brush the teeth". Well, there's a bit more to it than that. I don't think breast milk is cariogenic all in itself but I get that the "teeth need to be covered with saliva only for extended periods of time to remineralize" might be true. Night weaning is a huge struggle. Oh, and they don't do caps here either, they claim it's impossible for milk teeth, even though it apparently is not impossible in the US :).

[Koalamom]

My dd had several small cavities. Two looked like they sealed over and look white and nice, but the other one sealed over and now has a brown stain. That one is actually the most healthy seal/enamel, strange.

[Xavismom]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens 

That's good to know. The very front teeth (number 1) are currently brown near the gums. A month ago, there was a spongy indentation on both, like a part missing. Now, that has filled back in on one side (enamel recovering?) , though the other side still has part missing. It's no longer spongy though. The teeth next to them (number 2) don't show visible signs of holes, but are brown. These have not changed at all since we started our healing "regime". What are you using to heal your baby's teeth?

Mittens, we are doing:

Brush 2xs daily with pascalite clay

Xylitol tooth wipe after snacks, and right before nursing to sleep at bedtime

Vit D

I make a small ball of pascalite clay and pack it directly onto his cavity during his naptime

Watching diet more closely, ie less cooked grains, sugar, etc

Starting Cell Salts today (yay!)

Good luck Mama =)

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens 

My two year old has cavities on his four front teeth. We are trying to heal them with a variety of methods, primarily because we can't find a dentist who will drill and fill. I am wondering what the teeth will look like? Will they be extremely discolored, brown, etc, or is there a chance they will look kind of healthy? I feel sad about my son's little teeth! Over here, early childhood caries is no big deal, because dentists will not drill milk teeth in younger children (Eastern Europe!), and parents often decide to leave it alone in older ones too. But I would like my son top be able to look at childhood pictures of himself without the rotten teeth!

I haven't seen the discoloration go away completely, but it's drastically minimized with time as it seals over.

[Koalamom]

I just got a camera and I will post a pic of my dd's tooth later today of the other thread asking for pics...

[Panserbjorne]

I'm excited about that acquisition for a variety of reasons!  lol!

I will try to post a photo as well-but no promises.  dh is not a fan of having pics of his kids on the net.

[Koalamom]

What was I thinking??!! Dd is acting like a goof about this pic of her teeth and it keeps coming out blurry or she is making crazy poses. Lol!!

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by Panserbjorne 

I'm excited about that acquisition for a variety of reasons!  lol!

I will try to post a photo as well-but no promises.  dh is not a fan of having pics of his kids on the net.

I'd love to see photos. I'll also try and upload some - if I can figure out how to on MDC! You could cut the picture down to just the teeth to avoid recognition. :)

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens 

I'd love to see photos. I'll also try and upload some - if I can figure out how to on MDC! You could cut the picture down to just the teeth to avoid recognition. :)

I know that, and you know that....but my dh is fairly neurotic about this one particular subject and has to be okay with it for me to do it.  partnership and all. 

I submitted my kids faces to a closed group of licensed professionals for a project in a class we were all taking.  It took a long time for him to stop being pissed about that and it was NOT a public forum by any stretch!

[CowsRock]

Originally Posted by Panserbjorne 

I know that, and you know that....but my dh is fairly neurotic about this one particular subject and has to be okay with it for me to do it.  partnership and all. 

When did you marry my husband?    Glad to know I'm not the only one with a partner so adamant on the subject.
 

[Panserbjorne]

lol-oh no.  not by a long shot.  he is fiercely protective of his children in all ways.  even those that seem silly to me.  he's cute though, so I'll keep him.

[CowsRock]

I usually feel the same way about my hubby. 

[TheHousewife]

Have you had any luck healing his teeth?  I've been trying to save my daughter's teeth since they popped through. She just turned 4 and most of her teeth have cavities. She eats well, doesn't have candy or sweets, I fill her with cod liver oil, vit D, vitamin rich butter, xylitol toothpaste 2x a day and I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Is anyone actually having any luck healing their kids cavities???  I'm afraid to take her back to the dentist because they said they want to sedate her and drill....

[amia]

Maybe you can find a dentist who does ART?

http://www.aapd.org/media/Policies_Guidelines/P_ART.pdf

http://www.mercuryexposure.info/context/news/item/634-atraumatic-restorative-treatment-an-inexpensive-safe-effective-alternative-to-amalgam

[Wugmama]

Housewife, there is another thread somewhere here from koalamom, I think, about her child's cavities healing.  Or maybe it was someone else.  She was doing pascalite clay, xylitol wipes and cell salts.  My dd, age 3.75, had dark brown spots in her two back molars (supposed to get 2 baby root canals and two crowns) and I had xylitol and clay on the way, but got the cell salts first.  After just 2 weeks, the teeth look visibly better, they look light gray, not brown.  At least I'm assuming that means they are getting better?

I'm giving her 2 pills each, three times per say, of bioplasma, calc. Fluor 6X (#1), Calc. Phos 6X (#2) and Silicea 6X (#12).

My biggest fear is if this doesn't work, and she needs the dental work done, she will be past the age where they are willing to have her under general anathesia, which is what they want to do know.  I can't image her being awake for root canals at age 4.  :(

Does the color change from brown to gray mean they are healing??????  Have pascalite clay and xylitol now, am going to try to pack them at bedtime...

~Tracy

[Koalamom]

Yup, my dd's teeth healed. We did pascalite clay, and cell salts, but no xylitol. I am not 100% sure on it, so we just never used it. My dd's teeth are beautiful now.
Still I am no expert as I have crappy teeth and am allergic to both cell salts (lactose and sucrose based). All the k2 in the world didn't help our teeth. I do have good news that my gums are never better after years of terrible receding they are looking great now after switching to the primal diet.