Problem with ds's teeth xposted OT

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I am x-posting this here since I am not getting any responces in health and healing.

My ds is 13 months old and has 8 teeth 4top 4bottom. I noticed about a month ago that a top front tooth appeared chipped. Then about 2 weeks later I noticed that a top side tooth also looked chipped. Now all 4 of his top teeth r a very ugly color and they all look as tho the enamal is weird almost like it is chipped away. I am gonna make a appt. to take him to the dentist but I thought I would post here first and see if anyone could give me a idea what the problem might be? TIA

[sapphire_chan]

"Abnormal tooth enamel (enamel is the hard outer surface of teeth) may be due to a diet containing insufficient vitamin D" - From http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec08/ch114/ch114a.html

Maybe your baby needs more sun? Or you need more sun and he needs more nursing?

[LeosMama]

Were either of you exposed to Tetracyclene during pregnancy or after? Think about any antibiotics either of you have been exposed to during pregnancy or after. It's a long shot, but it may be from this. It's more likely from inadequate vit D.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I never took it while pg and ds has not taken it. Only amoxicillan one time. I did take antibiotics a few times when pg because of sinus infections but not that one. Ds dosnt get much sun at all He still nurses on demand about every 2-4 hours. I never had any problem with my dd not getting enough vitiman D from my milk. But maybe I am run down a bit or something. It breaks my heart to think that maybe it is my fault his teeth look so icky. What can I do to get more vit. D into him from me? should I start taking extra calcium? My dairy intake is pretty high I drink milk almost every day in one form or anouther.

The damage that is already done cant be undone can it? . I guess I should have listened to the dr and put him on poly vi sal vit. when he was a month old

[MommyMine]

Hey update us will you after you see the dentist?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I sure will. Thank u all for your responces.

[p1gg1e]

I'm Sorry!

I'm so sorry. Don't blame yourself you cant know that you have a D deficiency. Hope your appointment goes well. Also they are baby teeth and wont be in there forever.

[Mama Coltrane]

Melissa,
My son has the same thing- chipped teeth on all the top four. I never got a reason for it from the dentist. They want to call it decay, but it doesn't look like decay. This is the first time I heard about Vit D deficiency. I didn't put him on supplements. Hmmm....
Anyway, we are going to the dentist regularly, but I am not doing surgery. His teeth look awful, but I just don't feel comfortable putting him under GA for aesthetic reasons. He is 2.5 years old. the teeth started chipping away at around a year old. they haven't gotten worse it seems, so we are holding steady with it.

- Kerri

[LeosMama]

Melissa, please don't be so upset with yourself. Your son probably didn't need vit D at one month of age. I agree with you for not giving supplements at that time. It's hard to think of giving a newborn vit supplements.

But unfortunately, vit D is one of those things that isn't passed well in breastmilk. Can you get him sunshine a few times a week? Also, did he get a lot of sunshine during the summer? Our bodies can store vit D from the sun for long periods of time (months) for use in the winter. So if you exposed him to a lot during the summer, he should still have enough now. But maybe he didn't get enough when he was making his teeth.

Please please don't beat yourself up about it. Make sure he gets enough vit D now (either supplements or sunlight) and he'll be fine.

[Janice in Canada]

I own a list called Very Young Kids Teeth - you might want to check it out.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/veryyoungkidsteeth

RE; vit D deficiency - it could have happened in utero - ie your vitamin D stores were low.

You'll find lots of company - people who have also had these kinds of problems, on the list above.

Janice

[SomedayMom]

There are a few different things it could be. Could be decay, could be an enamel defect (there are different types), only a dentist who can look at him would be able to tell you.

I can assure you that this

I guess I should have listened to the dr and put him on poly vi sal vit. when he was a month old

has NOTHING to do with it. The enamel of these teeth was formed before he was born and ingested fluoride has NO effect on enamel that has already formed. This is also a reason why I would not suspect a vitamin D deficiency in him right now. A deficiency now would effect his permanent teeth (rather than his primary teeth) as those are the teeth that are beginning to form now. Same goes for antibiotics, etc.

Some defects in enamel in primary teeth can be due to things during pregnancy. Some are genetic.

I'm sorry, I'm a dentist, but this is the best I can do over the internet. I wish I could help more.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

update

Well took ds to the dentist yesterday. He said that he would have to go to a ped. dentist because the enamal on his teeth is supper thin and he thought that they may want to just pull them since his is broken so bad that he is prolly in pain I think sometimes they do hurt when he bites down. I wont know for sure what is gonna happen until we go to the other dentist but I am afraid he may have to have them removed. It will be under general anesthesia if he does and I cant describe how that terrifies me. Unless ds gets in pain I dont think I will have them removed under GA.

It turnes out that my older brother had the same thing happen at the same age his top 4 teeth were very brittle and ended up breaking off to the gums with infection running out at 2yo he had to have them removed under GA, the dr still didnt want to take them out but my mom insisted since he couldnt eat with all that gunk coming out of them. I cant help but wounder if this could be a genetic thing or just a coincidence? Oh well I will know more when I take him to the ped. dentist.

Somedaymom: Could you tell me if there could be a genetic link and give me some examples of what it could be so that I can do a bit of research on the possibilities?

[MommyMine]

I am sure it is genetic and look, I knocked out my two front teeth when I was two and lived to be happy, healthy adult without any sign of my toothless childhood. I know this hurts and is scary but think of this-if this has to be you child's lot in life this is not a bad problem- adult teeth will come! Keep us updated again please!

[LeosMama]

Oh mama!

This sounds really tough. I think you're right, to wait until you think it's a pain issue. He may never be in pain or get an infection and then his adult teeth will come in and be fine. Since it's not urgent, maybe you're right to just wait and see if it becomes more than cosmetic. whatever you decide to do.

[Kathryn]

My dd had the same issues you're talking about. We're getting all front four teeth (and possible many more) pulpotomied and crowned. I wouldn't pull them if at all possible. Teeth are the best space savers.

Also, her dentist is waiting until she's 2 (she's 18 months now) to do anything about it if she's not in pain now. He said they're crowns now and they'll be crowns then and he would rather have her more understanding about the whole thing. See if you can find a dentist that has an on site anethesiologist so you can be there while they're putting him under. I'm driving 8 hours to go to the only one I could find, but leaving her with someone to be given and IV and that kind of stuff wan't an option for me.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

See if you can find a dentist that has an on site anethesiologist so you can be there while they're putting him under. I'm driving 8 hours to go to the only one I could find, but leaving her with someone to be given and IV and that kind of stuff wan't an option for me.

That is exactly how I feel no way will I leave him alone for that. I want to be in the room during the whole thing I just have heard to many stories to be comfortable leaving a child alone at the mercey of a dr or dentist. Honestly the only way I would be comfortable leaving either of my children would be for a surgery in the hospital were I am positive them being abused or molested is not gonna happen it is really a sad thing to know your child might not be safe under the care of a professional.

When my dd was about 2 she started to cut a extra tooth and I had to take her to the dentist to make sure it wouldnt be a problem. While we were there anouther woman brought in her little girl, she was prolly about 7-8 they had to sedate her for the work being done and the mother came back out into the waiting room crying and left her little girl back there alone in a room with a door with the dentist. I couldnt beleive she did that. Maybe she couldnt handle it I dont know, maybe it was the dr policy, but I said to myself there was no way in this world I would leave my child alone like that with a dr. or dentist. I would hate to offend a dr or dentist but I would hate a heck of a lot more my child being hurt

He goes to the ped. dentist thursday the 15th so I will know what I am up against for sure after that.

Thank you all for your support.

[SomedayMom]

Hi there...I just saw your update and thought I should chime in again. Good luck tommorrow! I hope you get some good feedback from the pediatric dentist.

The most likely thing I'd think you are looking at is early childhood caries. Some people call it baby bottle decay, but that's not really an acurate term...and at this age I would imagine a very strong probability that there is a genetic predisposition to faster decay patterns.

A few links
http://www.ada.org/public/topics/decay_childhood.asp
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/002061.htm (love this, actually recognizes how great breastmilk is)



I've seen kids with defects from a prenatal illness or medication. They are generally fairly obvious because they would only cause the defect in the teeth that were developing at the time.

I'd think that is a good enough start for now because other things are so much less common that it would not make sense to scour the internet for them unless your dentist indicates that there might be something else involved.

I'm going to say this though...
I see kids, although not often younger than 2. I have always had a policy that the parents were allowed in the room. Now...we did have an anesthetist that came to the office, and with all the equipment etc. there just was NOT room. We could set up a folding chair outside the room, but most parents chose to kind of do the rest in the waiting room and periodically come and check method. Personally, if the procedure is done in office, I would make sure that even if they don't want you there the whole time, that you are welcome to check on your child at any time. While I know many great trustworthy dentists who for whatever reason adopt the closed door policy and most dentists will be trustworthy, if it were my child, I'd HAVE to have that option.

I also have priveleges to do GA in a surgery center which is obviously a different set up. Having done both, that would be the method I would choose for my child.

I really hope you have a great pediatric dentist. That makes all the difference in the world, it really does.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I took some pictures of them they r not that good but I am gonna put them up any way. Trying to get pictures of a 1yo teeth is not exactly easy May help someone later when I get a diagnosis.

teeth pic 1

teeth pic 2

[Kathryn]

That's about what my dd's teeth look like too. The only reason we're not doing it in a hospital is because they wouldn't let us come back. The dentist had no problem with it, but the hotpital refused. All of the ones in my area did and I live in Austin so it's not like it's a small town.

[mymaybaby05]

I feel for you. My dd has the same thing. At first our dentist said it was a tooth defect that started in utero. (probably because of lack of vit. d) Anyhow, I thought it could be from the all night nursing and not brushing her teeth as often as we should of. Well we went through the option of having fake teeth put(like a cap) put over her bad teeth. The procedure was pretty rough on both of us. Well, she's 8 now. She lost those teeth a while ago, but you know what? as soon as her one front tooth grew in, it grew in with a spot on it. Strange!!! Since it's a permanant tooth, there isn't much we can do right now, unless we try to polish it or bleach it.