Son Having Cavity Issues

Okay, I am by no means an expert, but my boyfriend is a dentist, and according to him it's highly unusual to have a 6 year old with multiple crowns. You should get a second opinion, and if his teeth are really that bad, then his dental hygiene routine needs to be much more thorough, brushing at least twice a day, flossing, and mouthwash - Act is great for kids!

Sometimes bad teeth are inherited. Sounds like this may be the case.

S., sometimes no matter how vigilant we are teeth are one of those things that are kind of hereditary so sometimes we just get stuck with bad teeth...I had to see more than my share of the dentists office when I still had baby teeth...just curious and I didn't read the other posts so I am sorry if I am repeating, but have you asked about a sealant? I know they did this with my oldest son when he was quite young and it helped a lot...also there is a special kind of tooth paste that we got from our dentist that is supposed to protect the teeth from acidity that is found in juice or even in fruit that is h*** o* teeth...you can have him drink from a straw, that keeps sugars and acid away from his teeth. I was also told by our dentist to avoid things like fruit snacks ( here I thought that was a healthy alternative to some candy!) he said unless they brush after eating its just about the worst thing a young child can eat.
Lots of luck, I am sorry for your little guy...no fun

B.

that is tough for a little guy his age. Do you or his father have bad teeth? Sometimes bad teeth are genetic. Wonder if there is enough flouride in the water. Fouride helps the teeth when they are developing. My oldest was born in California, the water didn't have enough flouride in it so the doctors prescribed flouride drops to put in his formula bottles. Well he has never had a cavity and is 17 years old. He was also the kid that didn't brush his teeth everyday. Other 2 kids didn't have the flouride drops added because the tap water around here is supposed to have enough, I also bf them longer than the 1st one and guess what they have the cavities and they also brush their teeth better and more often. Wonder if there was something to the flouride being added directly to his formula. We also didn't let them have juice in their bottles and were off the bottle at 14 months, 12 months, and 11 months.

Is he getting enough calcium? Hopefully his permananent teeth won't be proned to cavities too. You might ask your dentist to put that coating on his teeth that prevents cavities. I know the elementary schools in our area have dentist that come and offer this service for free and only takes a few minutes and don't know what it is called but you can ask your dentist about it.

How are your teeth? I ask this because I think it is just a genetic thing. I have my mom's teeth, which are terrible. I could floss and brush ten times a day, and it wouldn't make a difference. I have lots of cavities and have had lots of dental work. I wouldn't look at anything you've done, but chalk it up to genetics. I think it is great that you take him to the dentist every six months. It could be worse if you didn't, so pat yourself on the back for that. Take care.

I'm not sure if he's too young to do rinses, but check out this page:
http://www.zellies.com/store.asp?pid=14406
It involves one rinse before brushing and two after, the last being fluoride (the most important I would think). The dentist that runs the site thinks the system works so well you don't even have to floss (what dentist will tell you that).. the other part of the plan is using xylitol gum or mints (you don't have to use their brand...you should be able to find them at health food stores). You can also get granular xylitol to use in place of sugar in baked goods. There is a "dose" of xylitol that you should aim for in a day, and she says it can remineralize your teeth and even eliminate early cavities.
You can also ask her questions and she will answer them.
http://askdrellie.blogspot.com/
that's the archive of questions.
Good luck. C.

My son is five and has 2 crowns. So we've had some issues - but not as bad as this! Do you let him brush his own teeth? Because maybe he isn't doing a good enough job and you should go in there and really get it done right.

Also, brush in the morning (after breakfast) and do a fluoride rinse every night before bed. We tried to do this - slacked on the morning brushing, of course - but we have kept up with the nightly fluoride rinse and since then, NO cavities! My kids love the Listerine SmartRinse because it dyes the food particles and you can see them in the sink after you spit. It's disgusting, but it shows them how effective the rinse is and they get a kick out of it.

You might also want to ask the dentist about fluoride supplements. Second opinions are never a bad idea either. When I was first told my kid needed crowns, I couldn't believe it. I took him to two other dentists before we acted. We ended up with Dr. Micheal Berry in Parkville. He has super high-tech equipment and a very nice office. Great staff. They only do kids and they are very good at it!

I don't know anyone in your area I could recommend, and you may think this an odd suggestion, but I would take him to a very, very good chiropractor or naturopathic doctor. I would specifically ask them to check his pH balance. If the pH tests very low, then his saliva would be quite acidic, which is what eats away at the teeth and causes the body to leach calcium from bone tissue.

I would find some sort of good nutritionist that could properly diagnose the cause before permanent teeth are at stake. Too much dental work and bad dental conditions can cause many other problems in the entire body. I would look for more answers than dentists are trained to provide.

S., i have read your responses. and you have done everything right. I have a daughter that has several crowns in her mouth. Yes it can be genetic. Yes its just dumb luck. All of Jules 6yr molars(SP) came in with cavity. She brushes flosses I brush still problem after problem. My son had a few. and my daughter has none. My mouth is full of fillings and crowns. my husband chews and doesnt have anything. WHAT> so dont you worry you are doing everything you can. I have talked to 3 dentist about jule. she was on a lot of antibiotics when she was a baby cuz of ear infections. They said that was the cause of most of jules problems. When have 4 appts to get her fillings in the 6yr molars and I am scared she wont sit there. tomorrow is the first one and I am just beside myself. So good luck you are doing everything right. and this is so normal for some people and so not normal for others. if you need to talk more just email me.

I have a son who is not bad on the cavities but he has a genetic enamel problem, which means he has to go to the dentist every three months... Weird thing is, that no one in the immediate family has this problem, or even back two generations. It just happens, and if we did not take him in to have them cleaned and fluoride treated every three months he would probably have the exact same problem. So do what you have to, to get him in and maybe ask for advice from your dentist on a place that caters to kids only, their offices are much more kid friendly as well as the staff too. I know that Dr. Michael Berry off of 45 & 9 in Parkville is kids only.

Remember a smile with good teeth can help boost self esteem, Good luck!!

Some kids are simply more prone to them than others; some kids teeth have deeper grooves and this also makes it more challenging to brush completely. Have your dentist apply sealants (at least to the permanent teeth); they have helped our son quite a bit! Good luck!
K.