4 rotting teeth and a lip tie - Glass ionomer fillings?

[Calliope84]

So DD 22 months has a lip tie and possibly posterior tongue tie. Her top four teeth are decaying away. The back sides are all brown and the fronts are rough and the bottoms of the two front teeth are chipping away.

She is still nursing at night and has always had a pretty poor latch... I think milk and food have been sitting on her top four teeth because of the lip tie and poor latch.

The dentist will use a laser to get rid of lip tie and tongue tie and then wants to fill in the cavities on the top four teeth with glass ionomer, which from my brief research may leach flouride (does, actually), aluminum, lead, arsenic, and formaldehyde! This kid doesn't even have a rubber duck because I don't allow PVC toys in our house. 

He can do it with the Cloral Hydrate and Versed or without it. (Conscious sedation). I have to decide if we're going to do the sedation or not. I think the dentist will be able to do a better job if we sedate and he seems to have all the equipment and qualifications to sedate safely.

Once the teeth are so brown like that... is it too late to save them without fillings? I don't want her to lose her top teeth! He gave us MI paste to put on them for now and showed us how to brush them better.

I could use any advice you mamas have! This is making me so sad. ;(

[dot1]

Subbing as we're dealing with early decay and upper lip tie also in my 11.5 month old.  I'm considering travelling 8 hours for laser revision (since anyone closer would only do it under general anaesthesia).  Sorry you're dealing with this! 

My dd2 (now 5.5) had early decay on her top teeth (and upper lip tie...but tongue seems okay...I unfortunately had no idea she had a lip tie at the time - just heard of them recently!).  Anyway, we managed to halt the decay with fluoride varnish on a monthly basis (along with brushing with fluoride toothpaste, and using MI paste before bedtime).  I think the fluoride varnish (from the public health unit) was most effective, since it actually stayed on the teeth a while!  I confess I have not taken her to a dentist yet for fear of them wanting to put fillings in - I'm with you on avoiding the chemicals in the fillings!  I'm totally okay with the tiny amount of fluoride swallowed, since it's well documented that topical fluoride is safe and effective.  I'm just hoping the decayed teeth fall out soon (it was just her top 2 middle teeth and a tiny bit on the tooth next to it).  

Oh - I start with a rinse before brushing.  Then I brush with a smear of fluoride toothpaste...and I leave it to sit on the teeth.  Apparently it's the topical application that works...and the longer it sits on the teeth the better.

I nightweaned her sometime around 14-16 months and that seemed to help the decay-I think her mouth was falling open while sleeping, so any tiny amount of milk just ate right through the enamel.  Basically just brought her to bed and snuggled and said we'll nurse when the sun comes up.  She was pretty upset the first couple of nights but I just kept explaining that my boobies have gone night night and they'll work again in the morning (whether she got that or not I'll never know!!)  She was pretty verbal from a young age, so I'm sure that helped.  Offered sippy of water in case she was thirsty.  Within a few nights she just came in for cuddles and then fell asleep again.  Totally surprised me that she adapted that well.   She continued to nurse until age 3.5 (just at bedtime for the last year).  22 months seems an okay age to wean off the middle of night feedings only...have you considered it?

What does your dentist say about a watch, wait and see approach?  Are there any options other than fillings?  E.g laser treatments of the decay?

Also - take lots and lots of photos so you can document changes/improvements.  It can be useful in showing dental professionals what does and doesn't work.  Memory alone doesn't work so well in my experience!

[Calliope84]

I started night weaning her a few days ago. She is doing pretty good. Last night I snuck some MI Paste in her mouth after she nursed to sleep and then didn't nurse her until around... 6:30 am.. So she went for maybe almost 7 hours without nursing. Her definition of sun coming up isn't mine lol.