Dental help! Please!

[Qerratsmom]

My 2 1/2 year old has brown decay and chipping in two of his front teeth. He's had this since he was about 10 months or so. Just last week the brown part of his front tooth chipped off. I'm not sure what to do. Should I take him to a dentist or should I just continue to brush twice a day and avoid sugar and hope his permanent teeth come in fine? I made a dentist appointment but we don't have insurance and I'm not sure if they can really do anything but give advice. I don't know much about the chemicals in sealants or other treatments. Does anyone have any advice? I read the Mothering issue from about a year ago about breastfeeding and caries and thats all the info I know.

[Pookietooth]

I am in the same boat, my 21 month old's front tooth just chipped, and there is a huge brown spot behind one of the other ones. We also don't have dental insurance, but the main issue is that ds hates having his mouth messed with by anyone, even me or dh, and has an intense fear of strangers (the last ped appointment, at 15 months, was horrible, and we haven't been back because of that). I would be interested in what others have to say, and will also be looking at the dental archives.

[giarose]

hi, i'm no expert, but it sounds like they could have baby bottle tooth decay or early childhood caries (same thing) or it could be from ingesting too much flouride, either from water, food, and/or toothpaste. But I think the flouride would only stain the teeth and not cause them to chip or break. I would definitely consult a pediatric dentist because it could affect how their permanent teeth come in and their gums as well. Are there any community health clinics (chc) in your area? they offer services on a sliding scale depending on your income. sometimes the chc's have arrangements with local dentists to provide low cost services to their patients. it would be worth a call, or ask them if they know of any community dental clinics. HTH.

[SUNMAMA]

I'm also dealing with the same issue. My dd is 14 mos and her 4 top front teeth have decay, the front 2 came in looking chipped but just thought they were deformed cause they came in so early(3 mos). Now we are looking for a ped. dentist and trying to brush alot. I guess its baby bottle mouth even though she's never had a bottle. Now we have to try to night wean, I really didn't think or believe that breastmilk could do any harm to any part of my baby. Now I feel like I should have taken her to the dentist as soon as her teeth came in. I could use some advice too. My dentist told me to wean her and that I should have at 12 mos. and that letting her nurse at tnight was the cause; now I feel like a bad mother. I really hope there is no permenant damage! Thanks for listening! I really feel for you!

[giarose]

baby bottle tooth decay is called as such because it usually occurs in infants who suck from a bottle for prolonged periods. But, it is now generally called early childhood caries, because the baby doesn't need to be sucking from a bottle to get it. it usually happens in the two upper front teeth but it can happen to any tooth.
it happens when sugary liquids stay on the teeth for a long time. this happens when the baby sucks on a bottle or breastfeeds for a long time, either when they are awake or asleep.
any liquid that contains sugar (natural or added), be it juice, juice drinks, cow's milk, soda, sweetened tea, formula, or mothers best, can cause decay. everyone has bacteria in their mouths. the sugar in the liquids mix with the bacteria to form plaque which in turn forms acids that attack the teeth and causes tooth decay.
tooth decay can occur as soon as the first baby tooth appears, but it's still important to wipe the gums even before that happens to prevent the buildup of bacteria. just wipe with a clean, damp cloth or gauze after feedings. continue to do this even when the first teeth come in. it's not necessary to use a toothbrush until after several teeth have come in. And you shouldn't use any flouride toothpaste until after the child is two years old or you are sure that they can spit it out and not swallow any. You may want to look into whether flouride is really necessary or not.
i just wanted to provide some information about what causes it, so that maybe you can prevent it from happening to other teeth.

SUNMAMA: the dentist is not a pediatrician and shouldn't really be telling you by when you should wean your baby, IMO. you are not a bad mother. maybe you could just try and night wean her, or is it possible for you to wipe her gums and teeth while she's sleeping? you don't need to rub vigorously or anything like that. I nurse my ds several times a night, when I think of it I try to wipe his gums with my night shirt. he's 9 mos but still no teeth, so only time will tell. but i'm worried about it because I nurse him to sleep at night and for naps.

Qerratsmom: regarding dental sealants, i'm not sure about the chemicals in them. they're pretty much plastic that is painted on the teeth that dries really quickly. but I think they're mainly for the back teeth.

I found these websites with some info. on dental sealants. there seems to be some controversy as to their safety. I'm not sure what other alternatives there are. dental amalgams have some mercury in them. definitely need to do some more research on this...

hormones in dental sealants?

chemicals leached from dental sealants

dental sealant safety reconsidered

i think it is definitely worth going to a dentist for and seeking some kind of treatment or at least look into prevention, because if they lose their baby teeth so young, they can have some serious problems now just with biting and chewing food and also with their adult teeth and gums later on. the baby teeth help form the shape of the face and they save the spaces needed for the adult teeth by guiding them into place. if they lose the baby tooth too early the adult teeth can come in crooked or crowded which may necessitate more treatment and ortho. later on.

[malamamama]

Have you checked out the dental archives here?
DEFINITELY take him to the dentist!
Decay can lead to infection and just more decay throughout the mouth. His bacteria levels are high right now. While flouride is not always necessary, in a situation as his, flouride can slow the decay and remineralize other teeth where decay has not set in so deeply.
Left to rot, they will do just that.....and those back molars will be with him until somewhere around the age 0f 10-12.
I speak from experience, if you want to check out some of my past posts....

[rainsmom]

What is going on?! I have several mom friends, and my own g-dd who has the same thing! Isnt it weird that its so prevalent???

My dd doesnt have this problem and I bf her until she was 3. We also use a nonfloride toothpaste (TOMS). It just creeps me out that so many dc's are getting this. Could it be the floridated water? ANd Ive heard as many solutions to the problem from pulling the teeth, to silver caps.

?

[siddie]

My son had this on his two front teeth and the two right next to them at around age 2+. IT started out as a white line near the gum line and then turned to decay. I wish I had known the white line was the first sign of decay. I know of at least 3 other friends whose children had it, two had it badly enough that the teeth broke off and they now have caps. Knowing what I know now, this is what I would have done:
1. night wean by 1 year - they shouldn't need to nurse all night for nutrition at that age. breast milk is very sweet and can contribute to decay. My dh nursed at least every 3-4 hours until age 3! Aside from the times he was sick and needed it for comfort, it just ended up making me exhausted and him have bad teeth. Offer a drink of water instead.
2. brush 3x a day with a fluoridated toothpaste
3. apply a coating of fluoride mouthwash to the teeth with a q-tip before bed, after brushing (I know the general consensus on this board is anti-fluoride but I have read the studies that show it is effective in preventing decay. I do not consider a limited topical application to be harmful. Just be sure the child doesn't swallow the toothpaste.)
4. go to as many dentists as possible to find a good one you are comfortable with - it took me 3 dentists. Work out a payment plan or find a free cinic. I really think a pediatric dentist is a necessity in this case.
5. do not let them put any amalgam (mercury) in your child's mouth
6. if possible, wait until age 3 and a half to have the work done because the fear of dentists is waning by then. (it was for my ds anyway). Age 2-3 is BIG for fears and no amount of teaching, videos, practice helped in my case.
7. NO juice, limit sweets.

I felt a bit let down by La Leche League and other breast feeding advocates. They all say that breast milk doesn't cause decay but if your child has the bacteria causing decay in their mouth and they nurse all night, the teeth will decay.