[ComaWhite]

One tooth is transparent and has solid white blotches, and the other tooth looks fine but has a yellowish buildup along the gum...
Out tap water is fluroidated, but We drink/cook with reverse osmosis bottled water.
what can I do about fixing it?

 

[malamamama]

The transparency can be normal in little one's teeth. But the build up on the gumline is just that. Gotta get it off!!!!
Are you brushing or wiping? Sometimes, it can be scraped with your nail. It's important to remove it however. Cuz this can definitely lead to decay if left.
What's your routine so far?
I don't have time for now, but there is lots of great info in the sticky at the top of the threads.
Dd is needing my attention......

 

[ComaWhite]

Thx malamamama,

I wasn't doing anything up until now...

:

:

So the transparency is normal? ok.. whew.. it just looks so horrible!

Will this make the build up go away, or do I need to do something more agressive?

 

[malamamama]

No Mama, its not stupid....the information is not out there like it is for medical and nutritional info. The info is here tho!! So it's not too late. In that sticky at the top, my favorite topics are "Remineralization and diet for healthy teeth" and "Caries-Causes and prevention."
I was in the same boat. My dd was (and is), such a healthy girl, I just assumed her teeth were resilient too. Little did I know. Her decay started at about 15 months. And I figured that you really start brushing when she was eating solids full on. She hadn't even had juice when her decay started! The build up was there prior to the decay.
SO, you need to be "really" brushing her teeth! Especially at the gum line. DEFINITELY do a good thorough brushing before night sleep. Studies show that breastmilk on top of food residue will contribute to decay. Also brush in the AM as well. Actually brushing/rubbing after she has eaten anything (including breastmilk) would be good but at least the two other times. Also know that it is recommended that the first dental visit be 6 months after the first tooth erupts or at 1 year old. Whichever comes first.
Also know that the bacteria that causes cavities can be passed thru sharing utensils, food bites, kisses, etc. The bacteria (smutans) is in everyone's mouth, but when it rises in numbers, that's when decay happens. So it's really important to get the buildup off her teeth to prevent the decay from happening. Cuz it happens so FAST!!!!

 

[Song of Joy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by malamamama I was in the same boat. My dd was (and is), such a healthy girl, I just assumed her teeth were resilient too. Little did I know. Her decay started at about 15 months. And I figured that you really start brushing when she was eating solids full on. She hadn't even had juice when her decay started!

Same here. No one told me WHY we were to be brushing her teeth. The books just made it sound like you needed to in order to get them into good dental habits. No one (books or medical personnel) ever mentioned that it was to keep decay at bay. Our dd's decay started right at around a year, and she was eating very little solids (just cheerios and crackers a few times a week). Sadly, after only 2 months of solids and irregular brushing (we only did it when she wanted us to b/c we didn't want to "traumatize" her) we had 3 lines of decalcification at the gumlines. 6 months later (all the while she was under vigorous dental hygine and flouride treatments), we had 5 teeth needing crowns and one needing a filling.

I felt so guilty for not knowing better. I have to remind myself that you work with what you know and do the best with the knowledge that you have. As you learn more, you work with that and make the necessary changes.

I suggest that you check into xylitol. I think the name of the online store where I get my baby tooth gel is The Xylitol Store. THey have customer representatives that you can online chat with. Xylitol seems to be amazing stuff and is supposed to help prevent cavities fairly well. It is a natural product. You just use the Xylitol gel in place of toothpaste.

Glad to see that you are already becoming aware of things that I only learned after the decay had begun in dd! Read in the dental archives, too. They are awesome!

 

[sagira]

Hi:

The information is not as prevalent and out there as some others. I read in The Baby Book that brushing teeth is a must, no matter if baby likes it or not. Ds doesn't have any teeth yet (he's 9 months old) but ped told me to start brushing to develop habits, etc. I sing a toothbrushing song so he knows what's coming and hold him firmly while I brush his gums. Sometimes he relaxes, other times he doesn't. While many other things are negotiable, this isn't. It's for his health.

I think he's starting to realize that no matter what happens his gums will get brushed anyway, so he even opened his mouth twice now for me to stick my finger in.

I think children now inside that you mean well and you're doing something for their own benefit.

Cheers,