Dentist Question-

[HouseofPeace]

I just took my 6 1/2 year old and 4 1/2 year old to their first dental visit.  Everything was great- took less than 25 minutes and their teeth were clean, well-spaced, and cavity free.

My question is, for you TF mommies, how often do you go to the dentist?  They did apply fluoride (my husband cringed) b/c that's what they do.  But if my kids are growing well, have clean and disease free teeth, a visit every six months seems like way too much work and oversight of what i'm overseeing, as well as a battle I'm not willing to start fighting just yet.  But how often do you see a dentist if your kids are healthy?  Do you request fluoride free treatments?  Do you advertise raw milk/traditional foods diets and attribute your children's health to those?  (My pedi has been around us since firstborn son was 2 months old, he's in)-

Thanks!

[1love4ever]

Mine arent old enough for the dentist yet, but as a kid I only went in once a year, and I dont plan to take my kids in any more often then that unless I have a concern.  We don't do well child checks at the Dr, so I dont see why the dentist would be any different- only go in if there is a concern, I think our policy will be :)

I would definitely ask for a flouride free treatment however, if I allowed any treatment at all!  If it had any artificial color, flavor or sweetener, which I'm guessing they all have at least 1 of  those if not all, then I'm out! 

[HouseofPeace]

THANKS!  

last time i went to the dentist i was clear for myself about fluoride free, gluten-free, sweetener free, and all that good stuff. the hygienist told me she would use 'dental pumice' and promptly cleaned my teeth w/ baking soda.  (she didn't see me watch her pour the arm & hammer from the box into her little cup)

I will definitely be more vocal next time and address ingredients and fluoride.  I just was kinda taking it slow and feeling it out the first time and didn't want to make a scene with a new medical professional.  i hadn't taken them yet b/c their teeth were perfect.  especially my 6 1/2 year old.  my 4 1/2 year old has missing baby teeth (born with them) so i figured getting a relationship established w/ a professional would be good for any future dental needs....

thanks again!

[1love4ever]

Oh I was also going to say that I dont ever tell medical professionals that we do raw milk and TF foods, etc, because they just think I'm insane.  I really don't share that info with a lot of people.  Maybe you are more bold than I, but personally I do not.  I also worry about someone alerting the authorities because I am doing unsafe/unhealthy by todays standards, things with my kids.  Not vaxxing is bad enough and I already worry that I will be bothered about that, but then on top of that giving them raw milk?  I would probably be sent to classes or jail LOL!  Just kidding, but yeah I do worry about it.  I would LIKE to say "look at my kids teeth, there is proof that the WAPF stuff works and is valid!"   But, I don't....

[HouseofPeace]

LOL!!!  I totally understand.  I didn't tell my pedi about raw milk.  At all. When my 3rd child went in for her 2 year appt, I mentioned most of her diet was still milk, though she ate everything else, she consumed a lot of milk.  He looked me directly in the eye (i stopped vaxxing on my 2nd child after my first had a few mild unpleasant reactions) and said "You feed them raw milk, don't you?"  I cringed and blushed and said "Yes." and he got excited and said "I tried it this summer up in Maine and it was amazing!  Where do you get it?" 

but i will stick w/ this pedi b/c when i stopped vaxxing my son, he and I talked about it a lot.  and he was very direct but supportive.  when i came in asking questions about the tetanus vaccine (before there was an article reflecting our exact dialog in Nourishing Traditions) he was actually very honest and had the same conclusion as Dr. Tom Cowan.  I don't advertise to anyone else.  my allergist also is a co-sleeping, natural guy and was very direct and understanding as well.

[1love4ever]

wow you are so lucky to have an ally in the medical world!!!  I have had no such luck, even my friends are like Wow, I cant believe you do that, you could kill them!!!  Lol, ridiculous, just shows how UNinformed people are, and they don't bother to do any research for themselves!!  I did vaccinate my first baby before i knew better, out of ignorance, I stopped before she was 1 when I learned all this!!!  So all of the pediatricians in my small town know that I USED to take my child in for well child checks, USED to vax, USED to take their stupid advice, etc, and they havent seen me since and have tried calling to get me in for appointments and such and I say no thanks, so, they know.  I've even gotten phone calls from their office about how my child is not up to date so is at risk for getting deadly diseases and such so I need to get in ASAP, I politely decline and say thank you and end the conversation.  Everyone who works in pediatrics honestly knows me and I really wonder what has been said, because being a small town, you run into people everywhere, and I've run in to several of the nurses at the store and such and they do give me horrible looks and make it very obvious that they are AVOIDING me...

It really doesnt help either that I was a nursing student so at one time i was in with all these people, then told some mutual friends about how bad vaxxing and stuff was when I was first learning about it (before I knew how opposed everyone is to that view!), and it got around.  Then I had a home birth which was in the paper so everyone saw that lol, yeah I live in a very small town that is NOT open to different viewpoints AT ALL!  Other moms even think your strange for breastfeeding past 6 months old here!  And if its past 1 year they call u gross! 

[momma,mia]

Ilove4ever,   we may possibly live in the same town, lol.  Small town, no thinking outside of the box.

[HouseofPeace]

i have been blessed- and am now trying to find a new pedi in a new town.

crossing my fingers that it won't be terrible!  

[Catholic Mama]

Wow ilove4ever, your home birth was in the newspaper!? That must be a very small town for that to make a commotion. I'm sorry the people around you have treated you that way, and I hope you find that the way you are raising your children is worth it.

Unfortunately the way I've fed my children hasn't been strictly TF for the past seven years, just mainly plenty of raw organic fruits and some vegetables, so my oldest had a few cavities, and we allowed the dentist to apply fluoride. However, we use fluoride free toothpaste for all of our children, and do not buy any fluoridated water. I stay up to date with fluoride by receiving Fluoride Action Network's free emails:

http://www.fluoridealert.org