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Fluoride

post #1 of 143
11/20/01 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 
I brush my 15mo ds teeth with Toms of Maine toothpaste for kids but he can't spit it out yet.I only use very little,but I am not sure how much is safe. If it's not safe than what is a good alternative to floride? He has 12 teeth(4 molars) so I feel it is important to brush,but I don't want to make him sick. Thanx,Kathy

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post #2 of 143
11/20/01 at 3:54pm

SmileMomma re: fluoride

I had asked you about fluoride before the boards went down, and I wanted to let you know what I've heard since. I told our "new" dentist we were on well water and he was happy we weren't considering a supplement. Also showed us the small amount of ingested toothpaste it would take to kill a 2 y.o.

Then, last week our naturopathic dr. also commented on how lucky we are to have well water.

Nice to know you're not alone, eh?!?
post #3 of 143
11/20/01 at 9:33pm

swallowing toothpaste

Hi, Our dentist told us it's dangerous if it has fluoride in it.

He told us to just use a tiny dab of baking soda on our ds' brush. He said the purpose of toothpaste is to make it taste good.

And, really, our 9 mos. old doesn't mind the baking soda!
post #4 of 143
11/21/01 at 2:52am
Thread Starter 
Thank you for the reply! I had always heard to use just a pea sized ammount but if it's not safe to swallow alot, do I really want to be giving ANY to him? I don't think so! I will try the baking soda and see how that goes.Thanx again. Kathy
post #5 of 143
11/22/01 at 6:48pm
post #6 of 143
11/22/01 at 7:14pm
post #7 of 143
11/29/01 at 10:28pm
Smilemomma, do you know of a natural source of floride available? By natural, I mean in a mineral form, not chemically processed etc.

Thanks.

Also, what are your thoughts on chewable vitamin C and teeth? My son just loves them, and has had a minor cold for a month, therefore has been eating them for a month. Any thoughts?
post #8 of 143
11/30/01 at 6:23pm
post #9 of 143
12/1/01 at 3:41am
My almost 6yo son was given a flouride gel to use after brushing which he spits out, but does not rinse. They also told me to use a pea-sized dab on the toothbrush. He uses a non-flouride swallowable toothpaste, and according to the dentist, we have no flouride in our water as we use reverse-osmosis water from the store. He has never had flouride supplements, and breastfed until about 10 months ago. Now he has 4 cavities.

So,it sounds from the info. above that a little flouride might be beneficial, but is this gel too much using the pea sized dab, or is that OK being that he spits and doesn't take in any other flouride?


Any advice would be appreciated.
post #10 of 143
12/2/01 at 6:33pm
post #11 of 143
12/2/01 at 10:05pm
Actually Smilemomma, all the cavities are between the teeth, they were all found by x-ray. I can barely see them on the x-ray and can't see them in his mouth at all.

I already went for a 2nd opinion on the necessity of filling them and am now trying to find a dentist who will do the composite fillings without giving us too much grief. The dentist who found them is kind of set on doing the silver. They also want to fill them on 2 separate visits, which if possible I'd like to avoid because this initial visit was quite hard for him. I was actually hoping we could get a few cleanings in before we had to do the fillings, no such luck.

I never thought I'd have so many dental concerns...especially since my older son (9yo) has had no cavities so far. Probably 'cause he didn't eat sugar for about the 1st 4 years of his life. Hard to maintain that record with #2 and #3.

Anyway, thanks for your help, Smilemomma.
post #12 of 143
12/3/01 at 12:31pm
Smilemomma,
what about a no-fluoride toothpaste for adults? I am not using one right now, but am seriously considering to switch.
post #13 of 143
12/5/01 at 12:45am
post #14 of 143
12/5/01 at 12:53am
post #15 of 143
12/5/01 at 1:55am
Thanks so much, Smilemomma. I guess I can't be your hero...we can probably count the times my 6yo has flossed on the fingers of 1 hand! I do have some of that flavored floss though ( my older son likes it) and maybe we'll try to do that and switch to a flouride toothpaste from Tom's instead of that gel. He can't stand the taste,and if flossing is more important, I'd rather focus on that.

That said, the dentist who found these cavities will not do the white fillings, and gave me all kinds of reasons why not, so I have decided to go to another dentist who seems much more agreeable, and who is supportive of some more natural approaches to dental care. She is even supportive of extended breastfeeding! The problem is, I can't even get in until Jan. 9. Of course we'll have to do an exam before we can schedule fillings...will this be too long to wait? On the X-ray, the cavities look quite tiny, will scrupulous cleaning keep them at bay for the next month, in your opinion? The time between will also give me a chance to talk to him some more and hopefully assuage some of his fear, but I don't want them to get out of hand.

Imagine silver fillings illegal in some countries for children! Someone should tell that dentist who wants to put 4-5 little globs of that stuff in my little ones mouth!
post #16 of 143
12/5/01 at 3:49pm

Fluoride drops still necessary?

A few months ago I was able to teach my daughter how to rinse and spit while brushing her teeth, so she swallows minimal amounts of toothpaste. She uses Tom's of Maine Silly Strawberry, which is a fluoride toothpaste, twice a day. So does she still need vitamins that contain fluoride, or is this now unnecessary? They are prescribed vitamins because of the fluoride and I've been wonderign if I could start her on OTC vitamins instead - there are ones in the health food store I've thought of trying.
post #17 of 143
12/6/01 at 12:27am
post #18 of 143
12/6/01 at 11:15am
Actually, the water in our area is not fluoridated, and she eats very little canned food (do those actually have fluoride?) and she drinks very little juice - her idea of juice is a sippy cup with maybe a half inch of juice and the rest, eight ounces or so, filled with water. Thanks in advance for your advice, Smilemomma, I guess you're really kept busy on this board!
post #19 of 143
12/10/01 at 10:43pm

Toddler with fluoride-pitted front teeth?

My just-over-2 year old has little pits on the two front teeth that sit next to the 2 middle ones. From an earlier issue of Mothering I got the idea she may have gotten those from the doctor-prescribed fluoride drops that she took between 8 months and 2 years of age (I've tossed them since). We brush twice a day, but didn't start doing that consistently till she was 1 and a half.

There's about 3 pits on each of the teeth in question, kinda right in the middle (front side). They're the color of her teeth, not brown or anything. We can only really see them in sunlight. They don't look like cavities, and she says they don't hurt. Can you tell me more about what they may be??

Even though dh and I both have bad, weak teeth, I'd like to delay a dentist visit a bit. This is a child who screams murder just for having her height measured. She hardly lets us look at the teeth in question.

She bf's a lot, day and nite. Falls asleep while or immediately after being latched on.

Thanks.
post #20 of 143
12/10/01 at 11:43pm
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