Questions on Cavities

Did you get her to a ped. dentist? I feel so bad for you. If she brushes 1 time a da, make sure it is at nighttime so nothing is left in there overnight. Try to get her to brush, maybe along side of you or hubby, in the morning also. My heart goes out to you. My husbaands' niece nd nephew had terriable teeth. They drank bottles during the night and hated brushing and the mom just left them. Needless to say, their baby teeth turned black and finally fell out as the grown-up set came in. It was horrible! Good luck mommy.

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I am curious how the cavities were diagnosed. Did the dentist use a pick on her teeth, X-ray? I had a dentist who diagnosed two cavities in my (then) 2-year-old daughter simply by looking at her teeth. I took her for a second opinion to a dentist who used a pick to check her teeth and said there were no cavities. If your dentist didn't use a pick or an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis, get a second opinion. You don't want someone drilling into her teeth unless you are absolutely sure it is necessary.

Many kids are getting cavities from not drinking enough tap water. Bottled water doesn't have flouride.

I can so relate to you!!!! I had horrible teeth as a child and I have 4 children. My oldest son is 18 and has had 1 cavity in his whole life. My daughter (age 11) has had so many problems I can't even count them all. But I had the same problems with my teeth as a child. So I really believe it has a lot to do with hereditary. Keep up the brushing and flossing with your daughter, you may need to oversee her brushing habits for longer than you would an average child. Good luck.

Hi C.,

I've just been to the dentist myself to have two cavities filled, so this is a fresh subject for me!

I have a great dentist who is able to explain things to me in a palatable way, and she told me about the "inherited" thing. It's not only the shape & size of your teeth that you inherit (and that is genetic), but the kind of bacteria in your mouth can be passed from generation to generation.

We know that plaque, which can lead to cavities, is caused by bacteria. But there are other bacterias, which are less plaque-y, that also live in your mouth. So, as a baby, if the good bacteria takes hold first, your child will have fewer cavities. But, if the plaque-y bacteria gets a foothold first, then your child will be more prone to cavities. And if you as a mom had lots of cavities, then your daughter will likely receive that bacteria from you (especially since you have hung out a lot).

My husband is a great example of this - he brushes religiously, but always has a longer time in the dentist's chair when we go in for cleanings (and we go every six months!). I am a less vigilant brusher, and I rarely floss, but my cleanings are always a breeze. Of course, I did just have two cavities filled... :)

Anyhow, I hope that this helps - you aren't a terrible mother by any means, and there is only so much you can do on the eating end - just make certain that you go to the dentist as often as possible - and of course be up in her business when she is brushing & flossing. But know that you are doing a great job as a mama! Good luck!

Warmly,

~L.

Hi. I am a mother to a 9yr old boy, a 5 yr old boy and 18mo. old girl. Our habits have been the same for all kids and my 9 yr old never had and still has no cavities. My 5 yr old at age 4 had a consultation w/a pediadontist and long story short the recommendation was $10,000 for 3 cavities and "carries" on almost all of his teeth. I went back to the dentist who referred me to this pediadontist and told him to please tell me how I am supposed to justify $10,000 on baby teeth. He basically swore me to secrecy that it is not necessary except to fix the 3 cavities that may get deep and painful before they fall out. It is my understanding that the inherited part of it is basically a breakdown of bacteria in the child's mouth that makes them more prone to cavities. He said because they are baby teeth and will fall out to just maintain the 'healthy' habits and add more teeth brushings-after every meal and/or snack. In addition, we use the children's mouthwash and he gets his cleanings and visits every 3 months instead of every 6 months. So, I know how you feel, but if you are doing everything you're supposed to there's nothing more you can do. I guess you're lucky it's not worse. My son had his 3 fillings and we are drill sargeants with tooth brushing to keep the carries as carries and not cavities. He will be prone to it the rest of his life and I hope that we are and continue to instill the importance of "keeping the sugar monsters off his teeth". He does not like going to the dentist so this is his motivation for not fighting us on the issue. Hope this helps.

Hi C.,

First of all, just because your daughter has cavities does not mean you haven't been a great Mother who is clearly being pro-active about her daughters dental health. I'm a dental hygienist and my husband is a dentist...we see this scenario a lot! You have to look at the whole picture, genetics, is your water fluoridated??, are you putting your daughter to bed with a sippy cup of milk or juice? Are you giving her "gummy" vitamins daily? A lot of parents were quick to buy these yummy candy like vitamins only to realize that the sticky substance was getting stuck in the pits of their childrens teeth...it could be a number of things, I could go on and on (but I've got my 9 week old little guy on my lap and he's about had it with the tummy time!).

Talk to your dentist and feel free to ask questions. If your not sure about the diagnosis, get a second opinion. Good luck and again, you're already on the right track for getting your 3 year old into the dentist! A lot of times children are not seen until they are 5 or 6 years old and by then the problem has gotten so out of control!

Keep smiling!

R.

Without really good nutrition, teeth get cavities also. We are all led to believe it's sugar, however, we have a fluid inside out teeth that keeps them healthy.

I was fanatical about my kids brushing and they had the same issue. I started them on Shaklee vitamins and after that, they have not had another cavity.

I became a believer that it all starts from the inside then out. Watch a wound, it heals from the inside then the outside. Don't beat yourself up, just get to the bottom of the cause.

This will make you feel better: my DH and I are both dentists, my son is also 3 and has 2 cavities! Don't feel bad at all.

When we were just at our dentist, he told us a lot of the cavities are from the lack of flouride from drinking so much bottle water and not tap water. Bottle water lacks the flouride in it. Only one water has flouride added in it and it is for kids and it is pretty expensive. We live in Plainfield and the water has a horrible taste. So we bought a brita fliter and now use that. It really gets rid of the funky taste and leaves the flouride. We also started using a flouride rinse for our girls. Even my mother-in-law who has never had a cavitiy just went and had three! Hope that puts your mind at ease a little.

Aparently bad teeth are an inhereted trait. The only thing I can say to make you feel better is that those teeth are her baby teeth, so she will loose those eventually. Just keep doing what you're doing. Maybe try ACT mouth wash with her (if she's old enough). The ACT is for kids and they have a special Floride type that helps strengthen teeth. I know how you feel. Oh, soda is no good for teeth.

get a elmo oral b electric brush it has a very small round head the crest spin brushes the head is to big
when you brush her teeth at night dip it in ACT fluoride rinsed and brush it on the teeth really well, remember in the back those teeth have 3 sides cheek, biting, toungue. use your finger to move the cheek out of the way so you can see really well.
hygienist J.

That sounds like me as a child! I also am a dentist, and I agree with many of the suggestions others have offered. I would recommend getting a second opinion on the cavities...sometimes smaller 'surface pit' lesions can be managed with care. The could include fluoride varnish application by a dentist, and home care with brushing and then using a toothbrush or q-tip to apply ACT rinse to the teeth. If you are able to brush your daughter's teeth only once a day, make sure it's at bed time...at night is when the bacteria are more apt to get going, so a clean mouth then is key. If your daughter is able to chew gum, I would recommend having her chew a gum containing xylitol a couple times a day. Some good brands are Orbit and CareFree Koolers. It's easy and fun, and the xylitol has been shown to reduce the numbers of decay-causing bacteria in the mouth.

As a dentist and a mom, I think the most important thing is to do the fillings that absolutely need treatment and then try to manage the small surface lesions with consciencious home care and fluoride. Having fillings when you are really young can make future dental care more challenging so to speak.. (I've been there as a little person), so I would recommend seeking another opinion, at least to confirm the treatment needs and possible identifying other management options.

My aunt's daughter had to have her front 4 teeth pulled out before she was even 2 yrs old. So a few cavities ~ you are still doing good, now u just know you have to make your daughter brush 2 X a day :-)

Something similar happened with us. Our five year old had a number of cavatities at his first dentist visit. He had pretty good dental habits before the cavities and I was really surprised. I rarely had cavities growing up so I was really surprised. Then I learned that my husband had a number of cavities when he was a kid. Now the dentist says that our son has soft teeth (or something like that) and that he is more prone to cavities. Now we are extra vigilant about brushing teeth and using a floride rinse.

Anyway, all that to say that you are not a bad mom. Your daughter may simply be more prone to cavities than other kids.

It's totally inherited and nothing you did. I didn't get a cavity until I was 18 and my 3 children ages 10, 11, and 13 haven't had any yet either. Knock on wood.... I remember the first time we went to the dentist I figured all the kids would have rotten teeth due to me not being the best reminder to them back in those blurry toddler years. So there it's all in the genes and nothing you did. My dentist, dr. udelson in Forest Park put something on the top of 2 of my children's teeth since they have deep grooves in them. Maybe that helps too.

Actually, the strength of your child's teech are inherited from their parents - just as mouth size comes from one parent, and tooth size comes from the other parent.

Try brushing teeth following sugar snacks and especially prior to bed. Avoid all sugar snacks & drinks - milk, juices, etc. - following your "good brushing" and opt for only water if she gets thirsty during the night.

Limit sugar & especially sodas. If it's strong enough to clean your car battery cables - you don't want it in your mouth....especially if your teeth are prone to cavities.

Most important - check with your dentist! Ask him/her how her "adult teeth" will be effected by her developing cavities as such a young age - and - what necessary steps you need to take in order to protect them.

Good luck!

Hi C.,

Please don't feel like a terrible mother. If you only have the chance to brush her teeth once a day, make sure that you absolutely do it before she goes to bed so that plaque doesn't sit on her teeth all night. Limit the amount of sugary liquids (juice, milk) that you let her have in sippy cups since sipping randomly all day can bathe her teeth in the sugars that cause plaque to form. Also, if she does drink something after she brushes her teeth at night make sure it is only water. Take it from me, I'm a dentist!

Samr thing happened with my son at that age..felt same except for this, both my hubby and I had a couple of cavities as little kids, and you know what my husband is thirty and still has no cavities in his adult teeth, and I never had one until I was twenty nine, (two years after having my son). I now have three at 32, but that's to be expected after two kids. I really wouldn't worry about it too much. I know our dentist(also specializes in working with kids)reccomended that we just watch and see what happened with his teeth (they were her back two molars, go figure)that he didn't want to fill them unless they became worse, and definately not before age five if at all possible. Well they did end up needing to be filled when he was almost five, and he did great, no novacaine or anything. They were done in fifteen minutes, and the doctor said he did so well that he only charged us for product used which was $16. Anyhow, no further problems at this point. Hope this helps.

Hey C. - sometimes those baby teeth are just prone to cavaties and when the permanent teeth come in, they are completely fine - my son is 8 and a lot of his baby teeth had small cavaties - in between the teeth and the good news, once their molars come in - your dentist should be able to apply sealants to them to protect those from decay. My daughter has asthma and has had all her teeth sealed (permanents) because asthma meds tend to create sticky film that attract the kind of bacteria that cause cavities. Since she had hers sealed (age 5 and so on) she has had 0 cavities. So, don't beat yourself up over it - esp if you know you are doing the best job you can to make sure her teeth are taken care of - there are alot of things you cannot help - like inherited or otherwise!

Oh boy, I am totally dreading our first dentist appt, and my boys are 3 years old also. I suspect they might have some cavities, I had TONS when I was little. I think almost all of my baby teeth had cavities at some point. It is definitely an inherited thing. All you can do is do your best when you've got such lovely dental genes!!

Don't feel like a bad mom. My daughter has had her share of cavities, the dentist recommended she have her teeth "sealed" to help prevent further cavities, so we had that done a few years ago and it has helped. I didn't know that some people are just more prone to cavities, so despite your best efforts, your children can still get them.

I would say it isinherited. Make sure she brushed her teeth before she goes to bed each night. Don't blame yourself because it sounds like you're doing the right thing. Why not check with a dentist to arrest your fears. GOOD LUCK

Not to worry, it happens. My youngest daughter had crowns before she was five. I never gave her candy and made sure we brushed her teeth all of the time. Her dad, who has the most perfect set of teeth to look at, has bad teeth. It can be genetic. Besides, she's losing those anyway, it's the more permanent teeth you want to worry about. Hey, we're mothers we can't prevent all the "bad". Sometimes it's just life. Enjoy! Smile, let's see those pearly whites. Take it easy on yourself.

T

Do you (and your child) drink bottled water? Children who don't drink tap (ie. fluorinated) water, but bottled water instead, are getting more cavities. It's a new phenomenon. It sounds like you're doing a good job on the "tooth front", and bad teeth ARE hereditary. (Trust me, I'm crossing my fingers for my own kids!) :) Try not to worry- worse things can happen!

your teeth can absolutely be inherited! the only way to fight the genes is to try that much harder to fight the cavities. my SIL is a dental hygenist, so you know she knows how to take care of her teeth...right? well, even she just had a root canal done! my denstist had a root canal done recently too. so even the pro's can have these signs of failure to take care of their teeth.

you're not a terrible mom... the fact that you feel like a bad mom, makes you a good one! :) make sense?

i am planning to bring my son to the dentist at 2, even though they recommended 3... i want his teeth sealed right away!

do you let your child have alot of juice? This i know in very young causes cavaties. if so water it down

I have great news, a UCLA scientist JUST, in the last month, started selling a lollipop that he developed. It is anti-germ lollipop that can help fight cavities. I saw it on Good Morning America. They are made with licorice root and are called John's Lollipops. It takes two lollipops a day for 10 days, 4 times a year. I's $10 for 20 pops. The site: http://drjohns.com/herbal/index.html

I am planning on having my girls teeth sealed when they are old enough to help prevent cavities as I have very suseptible teeth to cavities as well. This will help on the chewing surfaces and could help prevent future occurrences.

We just found out my son has 4 cavities! I was in tears at the dentist office. How could I let this happen? I should have don more....you sound like you know how it goes. It is a hereditary thing and my son got it from me also. I do make sure that he flosses and brushes now immediately after having juice or candy. We moms are really good at beating ourselves up. Hope you feel better about it :)

C., both my children had the same issues as your child. In fact, their teeth grew in with cavaties! And my grandchildren started having the same problems and my son and daughter-in-law took definitive action that worked.

The pediatric dentist that I had for them when they were 5 and 7 told me that there were a couple of factors.
1. Inherited.
2. Action: brush teeth every time after a meal, every time have something sweet to eat.
3. Cut back on sweets in diet to almost nothing.
4. Brush teeth before go to bed and if get up to eat in middle of night, brush teeth then.

M.
www.toy-train-table-plans-store.com

I know exactly how you are feeling. When my daughter was five she had five cavaties. Two cavaities were deep, and she needed crowns on them. Our dentist told us that some kids are prone to caveties, no matter what you do. I also felt like the worst mom!! My daughter's dentist put a selant on her teeth, and she has not had any cavaties in two years! Try not to be to hard on yourself, it is not your fault. Most importantly, you are bringing her to the dentist and getting her teeth fixed.

Hi C.,

I had a similar situation but at 18 mos. My daughter was sipping juice in her cup and got 4 cavities on the back of her fron teeth.
What makes this worse is that I work in the dental field! I got her to a dentist asap and took care of the cavities.
I dont know if your chaild has seen a dentist yet. The new recommendation now is as early as 1yr 1/2. As long as you have teeth, you can get decay. Also certain conditions are definatly inherited such as gum disease and yes, tooth decay. I suggest you get to dentist right away who may suggest an at home fluoride if your daughters teeth are at risk for decay. You also have to brush more often: after every meal, even snacks. This may sound crazy but if you are on the go and cant brush , have your child chew sugarless gum. This will wash away debris at least till you can brush or at least rinse your mouth. I can suggest a dentist if you want. Just let me know .

Good luck,

G.

C.--Our daughter was 5 at her first check-up and had 2 cavities--I too was mortified. (didn't think to take her sooner--my mom told me take her when she's in kindergarten--our son went at 3--no cavities-yet!) I'm 39 and have never had a cavity--so I had a hard time understanding. Our doctor said all the same things as you--watch the candy, juice boxes, even milk. He also suggested not drinking as much bottled water, unless it's flouridated. Tap water is better because there's flouride in it. When we were kids we didn't have as many options to drink bottles water as our kids do. Also--most of it is genetic--so no matter what we do it may not help! Good Luck--right there with you! T.

We had a dentist that started filling "Cavities" that were very small to make sure they were not going to get too big and bad. "Sort of a safety measure." I started to have a bad feeling about this dentist and left his practice. I think he was a scammer or just using the insurance payoffs. My kids have never had another cavity since!

A good practice for children who may be prone to cavities is to brush after every meal. You should brush with them. And if her teeth are close together get some floss picks and get between her teeth. Or even use a water pick. She is kind of young for a water pick but you never know.

Try using a battery powered toothbrush, they clean the gums and in between teeth better. They have kids sizes. Lastly I know it would be hard to get a 3 year old to use Acts fluoride rinse on her own. So here is a trick. After she is done brushing and rinsing put a little of the rinse in the top and dip her brush in it and go over her teeth with the fluoride rinse.

Adults can do the same with Listerine to get rid of plaque on their teeth.

Sealing the teeth is a good idea when she is old enough but it is not the answer to no cavities. They can still get them.

Keep Smiling,