PSA of the day...Brush Those Back Teeth!

[jd11365]

I homemade organic baby food, didn't introduce sugar until her 1st birthday, she does not drink milk or juice (her choice), have limited sugar to occasional treats...

My 2.5 year old has a cavity.

I'm really bothered. Honestly, I never imagined that would happen so young, and I've been really lax about her brushing. I've pretty much let her do it, and it's not been daily (hangs head in shame).

So, we went to the dentist today, all was well in the world...and the bomb dropped. She can't get the filling until March 1st, and they will have to use a "papoose" to hold her down. The dentist is a pediatric dentist and I absolutely love and trust her. She's a young gal, very sweet, and I know she wouldn't do anything to intentionally harm or traumatize her. They don't believe in sedation there, thus the papoose, which I don't know if that's a good thing or not yet, but I'm going with it for now. Something about sedating them young makes them more fearful as adults? I don't know. But I don't know if I'd want her sedated anyway. Seems like a "can't win" situation.

So, yes, at 2.5 you can have a cavity. Brush those teeth well and often. Her last check up was at 2, so she got the cavity in a matter of 6 months. Oh, and they are also going to put sealants on the others...they even do them for baby teeth...I didn't know that.

Hope this PSA prevents someone other little muffin from having a cavity!

[ribbit1019]

Thanks for the PSA Jaime!

I am so sad you and Kaya have to go through this!! :(
Hopefully the sealant will provent it from happening in the future.

Christy
Maddy born 6/09/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png

Little Man due 3/02/06
http://bd.lilypie.com/cKLom4/.png
Co-Owner Ribbit Baby

"I did then what I knew how to do. When you know better, you do better." ~ Maya Angelou

[kelly ann]

Oh gosh...that stinks. We take DS for the first time next month and I really hope he has teeth like cavity-free DH. Do you have any pointers on how to get DS to open his mouth for the dentist?

Thanks for the brushing reminder.

[rrosen]

Booking a cleaning and check-up right now! Thanks for the heads up.

[JacksMommy]

I feel your pain! I just took DS for the first time (he's three and a half). He apparently has "several" cavities on his front teeth. Yikes! I should have known because I am very cavity prone, but we do brush daily. Apparenlty these cavities are because we haven't been flossing.

So, to add to your PSA - if your DC has teeth that touch, start flossing now! Our dentist also recommended ACT fluoride rinse if your DC is able to rinse and spit, or you could just brush the ACT on his/her teeth after brushing.

Laurel
WOHM to Jack, 6/4/02
Baby Madeline 12/14/04

[kaylinsmommy2]

Thanks for the PSA - I'm pretty sure it was directed at me, seeing as how I forgot to brush DD's teeth last night! ;)

I don't really understand what a papoose is, but it sounds scary (as does sedation). (((hugs))).

I have read that some people are just more prone to cavities than others. So it may not be entirely your fault that DD has a cavity. Please don't feel bad.

Caroline
"ma meee" to Kaylin 6/5/04

http://b2.lilypie.com/9KMlm7/.png[/img][/url]

[brittone2]

Jamie, I know that guilt all too well. DS had a cavity diagnosed at 18 months on the back of one of his upper central incisors. We were very good about brushing but there is a little cusp back there that his hard to clean, and that's where his cavity is. Logan just had a 3 month followup and I was so nervous but so far so good (his cavity was small enough that they drilled without novacaine, and the dentist mentioned the papoose but we ended up just holding him and it worked out fine). We sealed the cusp of the upper central incisor on the opposite side.

We've been using xylitol products (spry toothpaste, gum, mints) for all of us. The bacteria that leads to tooth decay is strep mutans and is in 20% of the population. A lot of kids are born with it or acquire it even if their hygeine is great!! So please don't blame yourself :)

I posted a long post about xylitol stuff a few months ago but it is very interesting. There is some new stuff in the dental literature showing that it can remineralize teeth and it really helps to kill off the strep mutans. It is a sugar alcohol that the strep mutans picks up and can't digest, so it causes it to die off. It might be worth adding to your routine. DS LOVES the gum and mints. It is weird to be giving it to a not-quite-2 year old, but he does really well with it and it is so helpful for their teeth.

Our dentist never brought it up but after I asked him about it, he was all for it. I am not sure why they don't mention it more proactively. I was just talking to a sister of a friend over the holidays (she's almost finished with dental school) and she knew all about xylitol and thought it was cool we were using it with DS :)

Please don't beat yourself up. Some kids get cavities despite a great diet and perfect hygeine, and some never get a cavity despite drinking soda, juice, and eating sugar all day. Some of it is genetics, some of it is whether they acquired strep mutans by sheer bad luck.

I will be thinking of you guys and I hope that the filling goes as smoothly as possible.

[pixiepoo]

My older son had his first cavity at 2.5. His pediatric dentist gave him a drink that was supposed to sedate him. They had him papoosed, strapped to a table and he was out of it. Well he woke up midprocedure and was absolutely scared to death. Of course they had to finish his filling at that point. I was in tears, was pregnant with my second child and got so upset I started having labor pains. It was horrible. he has been to a different pediatric dentist twice since that expereince and has done great. He has had another filling with no sedation with no problems. He has very deep grooves in his teeth & they are very close together so we have to floss, floss, floss.
Heather

[jd11365]

We talked about how the dentist was going to want her to open her mouth and count her teeth, and we practiced.

One tip they gave me for when we go back is not to say anything the night before, as the kids can actually stress out about it and have a rough night sleep. She also said not to say, "Don't worry it won't hurt." because all they hear is the *hurt* part. If you are going to discuss it, do it the morning of the appointment.

They used something to keep her mouth open. For the check-up, it was ok, Kayla let her count the teeth and do the exam. She did not like the hygienist doing the cleaning and I had to hold her arms down. :( She was fine when it was all over and she was playing with her new prizes from the dentist. ;)

Oh, and they recommend spin brushes since they are fun and you are more likely to get the kids to use them. Plus, since they don't *brush* as well, the spinning does a lot of it for them as long as they can cover the teeth.

[jd11365]

Sorry. Double post.

[Lynnie]

Where do you get the xylitol stuff ??

thanks.

[jd11365]

Yes, that was one of the reasons why they are against sedation. It's all such a blur since I was so upset about the cavity. The papoose doesn't sound wonderful, but they say it's to keep them from flailing and hurting themselves and/or the doctor/assistant.

[TraciG]

Do they have a special kind of spin tooth brush for a 2 year old ??

[kijip]

>Please don't beat yourself up. Some kids get cavities despite
>a great diet and perfect hygeine, and some never get a cavity
>despite drinking soda, juice, and eating sugar all day. Some
>of it is genetics

Can not agree here more. J has perfect teeth (looks like he must have had braces but his teeth are just naturally that straight, and his teeth stay white), no cavities ever and while he brushes his teeth and flosses semi regularly his hygeine routine is no where as intense as mine. I am plagued with cativies even though I brush, floss, use a flouride rinse and use listerine. I have all composite fillings (thank goodness or else I would look really silver-y!) but to look at my dental xrays it would seem that my back teeth are all fillings! I am almost positive that I have another small one as well and this will be confirmed at the dentist next week. I started with a crowded mouth and teeth that should have been sealed and it went from there...

I am of course hoping that while Toby looks like me he takes after his daddy on the tooth front! Where can I get this xylitol stuff?

[brittone2]

I order online from www.xylitolstore.com.

The mints have a slightly weird taste to them IMO but the gum tastes like any other normal gum. The Spry fruit gum tastes like Juicy Fruit and the mint gum tastes like regular mint gum. I don't know how DS figured it out but he's been able to chew it (doesn't swallow it) for several months now and when he's done he tells me and then spits it out and takes it to the trash :) Spry makes an infant gel (which is clear and tastes slightly fruity...very mild and non offensive) and a regular toothpaste, which is mint flavored. We started w/ the infant gel but DS doesn't mind the mint now so we all use that. Frequent exposure is helpful...I've read 5-7 times a day (between gum, toothpaste, mints, etc.).

You can also buy powdered xylitol at Whole Foods. I use it in tea, etc. now because I have PCOS and it has a low glycemic index. It tastes totally normal to me for the most part (not a fan of it in coffee as much) and I'm sooo not into artificial sweeteners. Xylitol occurs naturally in a lot of fruits and veggies. Huge amounts of it may be bad long term but in our case, I'm fine with DS using it. We usually have tea after dinner and DS loves getting his own cup of watered down tea...I put a sprinkle of powdered xylitol in there for him :)

It is dangerous to dogs (weird but they can't process it like we can) so if you have a doggie definitely keep it out of their reach. It takes a bit to make them ill but you don't want to chance it. If you as a human eat a ton of it, it can cause diarrhea. FWIW there is some research saying it may be helpful in preventing ear/sinus infections and other upper respiratory infections too.

ETA: Updated about doggies and xylitol and GI side effects, also:

Carren (chlobo) knows we use xylitol and the thoughtful gal that she is sent me this link:
http://www.fatwallet.com/t/18/567511/
This store is selling xylitol products pretty inexpensively but I haven't had experience w/ them. I just ordered recently (again) from xylitolstore.

[trentsmom]

I bought DS some Tom's of Maine toothpaste that has xylitol in it. It's the cinnamint flavor (fluoride-free). Doesn't say it's specifically for kids since they don't make a cinnamon toothpaste for kids (DS likes cinnamon.)

I'm going to ask DH what he knows about xylitol.

[Lynnie]

thanks !

I still need to take my two DSs to the dentist. Somehow the 3.5 year old "knows" to be afraid ! My dad is a dentist (in another state), and we never say anything bad about going, but he does not want to go. Guess I'll look for a good pediatric dentist. I have TONS of cavities, and I fear the boys will take after me. I know I am a bit tardy about going too (Dr told me sometime this year...so I guess that's my excuse!)

[jd11365]

Yes, the dentist said Kayla's back teeth were very close together. Not on top of each other, just very close and would need flossing...which we hadn't done. I bought some flossers on the way home. ;)

[ribbit1019]

Anyone know?? I am not one to even take tylenol while I am pregnant, but I am curious.
I think DH and DD could benefit from this product.

Christy
Maddy born 6/09/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png

Little Man due 3/02/06
http://bd.lilypie.com/cKLom4/.png
Co-Owner Ribbit Baby

"I did then what I knew how to do. When you know better, you do better." ~ Maya Angelou

[jerseygirl07067]

Thanks for sharing. I recently took Sammy to a pediatric dentist since she already has her first 20 teeth! She hates every minute of brushing, and every night is a huge battle. She even screamed the whole time at the dentist, which I expected :)

I never thought cavities were a big deal until I realized they keep their secondary molars until the age of 12 I think. That's a big deal to make us keep brushing, in addition to what you have to go through to get a cavity filled.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but we'll see...

Hugs to Kayla, hopefully it won't be too painful.

Marcy

P.S. Just curious, which pediatric dentist? We took Sammy to Dr. Troy King in Oveido, based on some good recs we got from friends and our PCP. I still LOVE the referral you gave for a family dentist, Lucien Johnson. He is AWESOME!! I'm trying to get DH to go.

[Marisa6826]

We got the spin brush for Sophie about a month ago. I don't know who loves it more - me or Sophie!

I have to admit that I much more readily brush her teeth now that we have it.

Now if we could only succeed in practicing *spitting* water instead of drinking it!

Hope the Bean does OK.

Give her a hug and kiss from us

-m

[amp]

Yikes! We let Jake brush too and it doesn't happen everyday. You've got me worried now!

[deborah_r]

Oh my goodness, I don't want to have to figure out how to floss a 2 year old's teeth. :(

[heidiann]

yikes, sorry this happened to you. one of my really good girl friends is a pediatric dentist, I worked with her years back when she was getting her practice up and running. We always used sedation, I would think that using a papose would really scare a child that little, then everytimethey have to go back to the dentist just for a check up or cleaning they would be scared. My DD who is 14 now hade a cavity a 3 and hade hers filled but we definately used sedation, I would never let them papose her. Not that I liked the sedation either but noe that I think about it would not have done it without it.

Heidi
Mom to Jillian 10/20/05

[kozachka]

Your post made me look into the xylitol products even though DS teeth are OK so far. I hope takes after DH as far as dental health is concerned. DH never ever flosses, brushes only when he needs to (as in before work or when I really bug him) and does not know what the mouthwash looks like. Even so he's gets a clean bill of health at every dental check-up, which he does about every 18-24 months. According to his dentist, he brushes in an old-fashioned way, brushing mostly the gums and not so much his teeth and probably has some sort of healthy bacteria in his mouth. At the same time I brush, floss and swoosh at least twice daily and still spends hundreds and hundreds of dollars for dental work every year. It does not help that I saw floss for the first time in my life when I was 21.5 and ignored my dental health as a student but still it's not fair. So I need to get xytol gum and toothpaste for myself and, just in case, DS.

After reading the discussion in the FatWallet forum I want to quote one of the members, in case you are also trying to decide which product to buy: "Trident's formula not only is loaded with chemicals it also contains enough dairy to cause problems to those that are sensitive. Epic contains titanium dioxide which is an unecessary contaminant. Spry has the most healthful formulation." So I will be buying Spry products rather than Epic although a 50% discount sounds tempting.

ETA # 1: Our pediatric dentist said it is enought to brush DS teeth just once daily before sleep and saliva will take of the rest during the day. His two front teeth are touching and we have to floss there. Admittedly, I don't do it often enough since DS bites me when I do. Need to get better about it, maybe get some of those floss sticks. DS does not mind flossing at all, he's actually curios about it and tries to do it himself. We had to work with DS on daily brushing for couple months, he was biting on the brush really badly and crying at the sight of the brush, but now it is a non-issue, just part of his going to bed routine. I had to explain it to DS that we are getting food from between his teeth that is now 'ka-ka' and if we don't than he'll have a hole there. Having a fruit flavored toothpaste helps too in our experience. And DS loves to brush on his own with me in the morning.

ETA # 2: VitaminShoppe.com seems to have better prices that xylitolshoppe.com . E.g. Spry toothpaste is $2.69 instead of $3.95, Spry Oral Rinse is $3.15 instead of $4.75 and Spry Gum in blister packs (200 pieces) is $11.88 instead of $14.95. Best shipping for of all orders under $50 is just $4.99, and free if you spend $50+.

Please let me know if you have a coupon/code for either of the places. I love saving a buck or two :).

[Dee150]

Thanks for all the great info.
And btw, Trident has a chewing gum variation with xylitol in it. With all my cavities, its a staple around here. I have always been good about brushing, flossing etc. and have all these cavities, and my sister has None- and she isn't, shall I say, as particular?!

[brittone2]

I don't think I bumped into any info saying it wasn't safe in pg'cy. You might want to investigate it on your own just to be sure though.

Strep mutans can be passed by sharing utensils, cups, kissing, etc. so having the whole family use it is really beneficial (since we're all likely to still do these things no matter what).

Geeze, I sound like a total commercial ;)

ETA: I belong to a yahoo group on kids' teeth (veryyoungkidsteeth) if anyone is interested. Anyway, I thought I had read on there that it can be beneficial to treat the mom while she's pg. Here's a link that mentions a study done on this:
http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/trident_advantage_gum.htm#f%20Mom%20Chews%20Gum

There are some people that think babies born via c-section may be at a higher risk of dental caries because they don't pick up the beneficial bacteria orally by passing through the birth canal (weird, but apparently this is one way our bodies get populated by "good" bacteria). The "good" bacteria help to keep the "bad" bacteria in check.

[brittone2]

Good general article: http://www.drgreene.com/21_837.html

Articles on use to prevent cavities:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16352880&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16275942&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16251799&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15964535&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15916109&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15914983&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSum

***Use in preventing acute otitis media (ear infection)***

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11163479&query_hl=14&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9755259&query_hl=14&itool=pubmed_DocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8916749&query_hl=14&itool=pubmed_DocSum

This is O/T but a lot of it comes down to the lack of beneficial microflora/bacteria that many people have...another reason to love probiotics ;)

Here's a study where they are using xylitol to treat certain forms of atopic dermatitis (eczema)...the xylitol brings the bacteria back into check:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15927814&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSum

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15927813&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_DocSum