5yo with 3rd cavity in 3mos!

[rainsmom]

I Dont know what to do. And of course, dd wasnt added to our dental plan this year bc she has had no problems whatsoever until now.

We brush twice a day.....and floss every night. We use Toms of maine without fluoride, but now Im considering using a fluoride version as dd has just started being able to spit out the toothpaste.

Or course our dentist is all about fluoride......so I cant get any alternative info from him. So I thought Id come here and see what you mamas have to say.

Dd does drink juice (we squeeze our own OJ with organic oranges) Dd is a vegetarian (her choice)eats only organic produce and eats lots of veggies, organic dairy.... and except for this past Easter, Halloween....she doesnt eat candy. During these holidays Im insane about brushing right after! She does drink organic bottled juice and I had just stopped diluting it 50/50.....could that be the culprit?

I was using Cod Liver Oil for her eczema, but havent lately bc it cleared up considerably.

What else should I be doing or not doing?

thanks!

[PumpkinSeeds]

My almost 5yo has a cavity. So no advice for you. I just want to say how surprised I am about how fast that thing grew. In a matter of two weeks it went from a black spot to a hole. we go this week to the dentist.

He also is very good about brushing and flossing (believe it or not he likes flossing).

[Fisher-price Momma]

How often is she drinking juice? Even though it is freshly made it still contains alot of natural sugars. Actually it contains more sugar then an equal amount of pop.
Has her dentist looked into the possiblity that she may have a medical condition that could be weaking her enamel, making her more prone to cavities?
Fluoride might not be a bad idea now, actually you can by mouthwash with fluoride to help with any weak areas that may be prone to cavities because they are decalcified. I know this stuff works wonders, I'm an Orthodontic assistant and with braces lots of kids find it harder to brush and sometimes get decalcifaction and we get them to use it to prevent cavities, and as long as they use it like we say to and really work on there brushing it usually works.
Also you might want to consider getting her a sonic care tooth brush, it is a little pricey, but is much better then the Crest spinbrush, and will help clean her teeth better. You could get a couple of heads for it, one for each member of the family to make it seem more worth your money, but I have seen the difference in childrens dental health once they start using it.
Ask your dentist for some disclosing tablets, you might remember them from elementry school when they got you to brush your teeth then chew on this tablet and it dyed all the leftover plaque pink. Its super helpful then once its dyed pink you have no chose but to brush it off.
Good Luck and I hope things work out for you guys, nobody likes a cavity
Monique

[Justhere]

hmmm i dont know. I think genetics have a LOT to do with teeth more than anything. ds (12) has ate candy and junk for years and years and years and never has had a cavity. He doesnt even floss(i beg, but still) so i dunno.

[Fisher-price Momma]

Some kids can get away with eating tonnes of candy, but others need to take extra good care of there teeth

[rainsmom]

I looked in to floride rinses......most of them are labeled poisonous to children bc of their high alcohol content. THey are also LOADED with artifical colors and flavorings...even saccarine. Ive got a daughter with allergy issues, so these products will not work for us.

I know TOMS makes a mouthwash with fluoride, but dd hates the taste of mint, so dont know how that will go down. I did buy some TOMS toothpaste with fluoride...so thats a start.

If anyone has suggestions for other more natural brands of toothpaste or rinses, Id be interested. I wanted to boycott Toms bc of their recent buy out by Colgate.....but they seem to be the only one on the market with a kids, natural toothpaste that has fluoride.....

[MSings]

I just wanted to warn you that if your child has the genetic predisposition to cavities and the bacteria that cause cavities then flouride toothpaste may not be enough to prevent cavities. My ds is 5 and had 2 cavities 6 months ago and 5 more this visit. No root canals yet but I am very sad. We have been using flouride toothpaste twice a day since he was 2. I am now considering daily flouride.

[rainsmom]

My dentist wouldnt recommend daily fluoride for dd. He told me to try a fluoride rinse, preferably one from a health food store. I know TOMS makes one.

[WuWei]

I was just reading on the Vaccine forum about the detriments of flouride. We use a Tom's of Maine Non-flouride tooth paste with Xylitol. You might try that. I believe that they also make a Xylitol mouth rinse.

There is a Tooth Soap. I don't know more than that. But, apparently it is optimal??

Pat

[elvina]

Hi

My son developed 2 holes and a number of other teeth which were marked when he was about 2. I was horrified, had always brushed his teeth twice a day, taken him to the dentist from getting his first tooth, no juice and a good diet. My first dentist was useless and did nothing apart from telling me to watch his diet and what he drinks which I was already doing!!!!! I changed dentists and she was horrified that the 1st dentist had done nothing, she gave me a very good explanation for his teeth - asthma inhaller! He has asthma and had been using inhaller, the brown preventer, from under a year and apparently if you dont very carefully wash the mouth out with water after using inhaller it is believed that the medicine reduces the mouth ph which encourages decay! He has had both teeth filled with a soft filling and is under constant review but since washing his mouth out after using the inhaller no other holes have appeared.

Although I have an older daughter also with asthma no one had ever stressed the importance of washing out their mouths with water and if you look on the net some people say yes and others dont link it to tooth decay although the drug companies admit that not washing out the mouth can lead to oral thrush.

Your post doesnt say if an asthma inhaller is being used but you do mention eczema so I guess that asthma may be a possible.

Hope this helps.

Elvina

[girligirlmom]

Calc Phos 6x in 4 oz. water

Lots of ideas here as I started thinking about it.
1) Calc Phos 6x in water.
2) Contact a classical homeopath - Eczema is considered a chronic condition in classical homeopathy.
3) Vitamin D
4) Raw milk instead of organic pasteurized milk if she drinks milk.

1) My classical homeopath just recommended Calc Phos 6x in 4 oz spring water to me. 1 pellet of Calc Phos 6x in a spring water bottle - I use 8 oz. bottles for my homeopathy so I just measured out 4 oz. for something else and used the 4 oz. for the Calc. Phos. She studied under Dr. Luc De Schepper and actually continues to take classes from him. Here is link to Dr. Luc's site where I found the next paragraph:

http://www.drluc.com/dentist.html

Homeopathy can help strengthen teeth to prevent decay: the tissue salt Calc. phos. 6x will strengthen teeth just as it can strengthen bones weakened by osteoporosis (put 1 pellet in 4 oz water, take one teaspoon three times a day)...

I have had several cavities since the fall when I had just switched dentists to a holistic one and had switched to Tom's of Maine fluoride free. I did switch back to a fluoride toothpaste before hearing about Calc Phos. I personally believe that if there is a benefit to using fluoride, it is topical only and not from consuming it.

By the way, someone close to me works for Colgate and that person met Tom of Tom's of Maine week before last. I think there are actually two Tom's. That person was happy to tell me that Colgate does not plan to incorporate Tom's into their production or anything, the long term plan is to let Tom's do what they do best. It is just like Tom outlined in his letter here: http://www.tomsofmaine.com/about/Colgate.asp
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2) Have you considered contacting a classical homeopath? I would find one that uses remedies in water (succussed when necessary), a single remedy at a time, minimal dose. I am taking a class with Sheri Nakken, a classical homeopath. You do not need to take a class to utilize the services of a homeopath but I want to understand it myself. Eczema is considered a chronic condition in classical homeopathy. Eczema can stem from supressing other symptoms with OTC and prescribed drugs, creams, etc. Homeopathy, can help your body heal the root cause.
http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm
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3) Another thought is that Cod Liver Oil contains Vitamin D - the right kind, D3 - so this may have helped her too. I believe you do not want to continue to supplement with Cod Liver Oil in the summer (assuming you live in the US) because if your dd gets decent sun exposure she would get enough Vitamin D from that. You should have her levels tested to be sure she does not get too much Vitamin D. It can be toxic.

http://www.mercola.com/2002/feb/23/vitamin_d.htm
What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D, calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is found in food, but also can be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Vitamin D exists in several forms, each with a different activity. Some forms are relatively inactive in the body, and have limited ability to function as a vitamin. The liver and kidney help convert vitamin D to its active hormone form.

The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones.

Without vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, soft, or misshapen. Vitamin D prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, which are skeletal diseases that result in defects that weaken bones.
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4) One more thing is to replace her organic milk which is still pastuerized with raw milk. Huge difference.
Despite the debate over how organic milk is produced, the fact remains: Organic milk is still pasteurized, a destructive process that actually changes the physical structure (denatures) of the fragile proteins in the milk and converts them into foreign proteins that can actually harm your body. Additionally, the pasteurization process virtually eliminates the good bacteria normally present in the milk and radically reduces the micronutrient and vitamin content of this healthy food.
http://www.mercola.com/2005/mar/23/organic_milk.htm
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jan/31/food_warnings.htm

HTHs
Christina

[soph the loph]

PLEASE READ NOURISHING TRADITIONS!!! or visit the Weston A. Price Foundation website...all about diet and nutrition...really amazing! changed our lives!!!