Hi.
I've read a lot of the dental archives but it's so much information to absorb that I'm feeling kind of lost, so I'm going to ask my questions and hope this isn't a thread like a hundred others.
DS is almost 2 3/4s, and still nursing. He nurses at night -- to sleep, and countless times during the night as well. The frequency of his daytime nursing varies greatly from day to day. We do brush his teeth as best we can twice a day, although DS doesn't always cooperate the way I'd like him to, despite many attempts at distraction.
I saw what I thought was decay on two of his upper teeth, so we just went for his first dental visit. Indeed, he has mirror-image cavities. The dentist said that the decay is in unusual spots and could possibly be the result of insufficient enamel development while DS was in the womb. The hygienist did try to tell me that the breastfeeding was what had caused the decay; I told her that I had read research that led me to believe otherwise, that I didn't think that breastmilk in and of itself caused decay, (I do believe that small particles of food left on teeth before bedtime, with sugary breastmilk washing over it all night, IS a factor,) and she shut up. Good enough for me.
The dentist's suggestion is that DS be sedated with Vistaril and then strapped to a board (in addition to being held by myself and the hygienist) while the cavities are filled. Before we left I allowed flouride treatments directly on the two teeth that have decay, but not elsewhere.
I feel like I wasn't really prepared for what happened. What should I have done differently? Any advice as to what I should do now? DH thinks that it's insane to put DS through the trauma of getting the cavities filled because they are "just baby teeth" and "when he was young he knows he never had any cavities filled in baby teeth." Well, yeah, but when he was young they didn't require carseats or bike helmets, either, LOL!
I'm under the impression that the S. mutans bacteria in DS's mouth now will just continue to eat away at the teeth that are already compromised, as well as possibly causing more decay on other teeth.
Helpful thoughts, anyone?
- MorgnsGrl
I've read a lot of the dental archives but it's so much information to absorb that I'm feeling kind of lost, so I'm going to ask my questions and hope this isn't a thread like a hundred others.
DS is almost 2 3/4s, and still nursing. He nurses at night -- to sleep, and countless times during the night as well. The frequency of his daytime nursing varies greatly from day to day. We do brush his teeth as best we can twice a day, although DS doesn't always cooperate the way I'd like him to, despite many attempts at distraction.
I saw what I thought was decay on two of his upper teeth, so we just went for his first dental visit. Indeed, he has mirror-image cavities. The dentist said that the decay is in unusual spots and could possibly be the result of insufficient enamel development while DS was in the womb. The hygienist did try to tell me that the breastfeeding was what had caused the decay; I told her that I had read research that led me to believe otherwise, that I didn't think that breastmilk in and of itself caused decay, (I do believe that small particles of food left on teeth before bedtime, with sugary breastmilk washing over it all night, IS a factor,) and she shut up. Good enough for me.
The dentist's suggestion is that DS be sedated with Vistaril and then strapped to a board (in addition to being held by myself and the hygienist) while the cavities are filled. Before we left I allowed flouride treatments directly on the two teeth that have decay, but not elsewhere.
I feel like I wasn't really prepared for what happened. What should I have done differently? Any advice as to what I should do now? DH thinks that it's insane to put DS through the trauma of getting the cavities filled because they are "just baby teeth" and "when he was young he knows he never had any cavities filled in baby teeth." Well, yeah, but when he was young they didn't require carseats or bike helmets, either, LOL!
I'm under the impression that the S. mutans bacteria in DS's mouth now will just continue to eat away at the teeth that are already compromised, as well as possibly causing more decay on other teeth.
Helpful thoughts, anyone?
- MorgnsGrl
