Teeth

[sardippy]

Dentists have one of the highest suicide rates...

I wonder why that is?

Are you serious??? If you were bending over all day long looking into the mouths of people who don't care much for personal hygiene/have revolting personalities/complain constantly about how expensive dentistry is and how much they 'hate going to the dentist' (every day of the week)/whilst treating grown men who carry on like little school girls because they have the pain threshold of a squirrel, you'd wanna kill yourself too
Just pay the big bucks and be greatful that you chose a different profession

[sardippy]

Didn't mean to sound harsh Slinky, thought a few years maternity leave would make me love my job more but obviously I'm not ready to go back to work full-time EVER. Which is why my husband is going to be the one working while we're in Singapore

[sardippy]

By the way, while we're on the subject, information is power so let me give some of that to the parents out there. Decay is totally preventable. Contrary to popular belief it isn't genetic, and just because every other family member has a gob full of fillings, it doesn't mean your kid has to end up that way. Sadly, it is the habits of the family that are responsible for the habits of the children which in turn produce dental problems.
The reason kids as young as 4 have to have major dental treatment under GA is because;
1) Their parents DON'T brush their kids teeth daily with a fluoride toothpaste, even though they will swear black and blue they do. If they're not lying, then they're just REALLY crap at making the toothbrush contact the toothpaste, which also fails to contact some or all of their children's teeth. A 3year old child is NOT old enough to brush his/her own teeth yet, the parents should be at the very least supervising brushing, til the kid is 8 or 9yrs old.
2) They get fed too much sugar. And yes, dried apricots, cordial, and if you're really stupid, coke, all have sugar in them. Putting coke into the bottle of an 18month old child WILL give them decay. You may laugh but sadly it's more common amongst the less smart in society than you could imagine. When you see an 18month old baby put under GA to have all her teeth extracted (all 10 of them as they hadn't even all come through yet) because they are floating in pus from the decay being so extensive, you'd get mad at parents too!
The sad thing is it's never the child's fault but unfortunately they end up paying for dental treatment for the rest of their lives because of the damage done in early childhood. I know because I'm one of those kids (not a GA, coke swilling, bogan one - just one whose parents entrusted brushing to at a young age and shouldn't have).

[Aliya]

OMG I feel ill! Poor little kids.

MsA1's receding jaw isnt bad, just a bad back bite more than anything, exactly the same thing that I had as a kid that braces - pretty much - corrected.

PS Sardippy I would never go back to work if I had qualified as a dentist You go girl.

[sardippy]

[quote="Aliya"]She didn't get her first teeth until about 13 months - front four - then others came slowly and now just waiting on eye teeth so maybe she is slow teether. Her paed isn't concerned but said if not through by 2.5 years to go to paed dentist.[quote]
If she didn't get the first til 13mths then I wouldn't worry at all, she'll be fine. Just take her for a check up at your regular dentist when you go for your next check up. That way she'll get exposed to the experience and hopefully the dentist will be nice enough to let her have a ride in the chair and a quick sqizz at her teeth without charging you. The beauty of baby teeth is they are so white that you'll be able to see with your own eyes if they have any obvious decay. Until a child is at a co-operative age (4ish onwards) no dentist will look for more than the really obvious because they're very difficult to treat in the chair, and you're not going to put a child under GA for a tiny filling to be done.
I'm gunna shut up now or I'll be sent to the rant and rave room

[Scrummy Mummy]

I wonder why that is?

Are you serious??? If you were bending over all day long looking into the mouths of people who don't care much for personal hygiene/have revolting personalities/complain constantly about how expensive dentistry is and how much they 'hate going to the dentist' (every day of the week)/whilst treating grown men who carry on like little school girls because they have the pain threshold of a squirrel, you'd wanna kill yourself too
Just pay the big bucks and be greatful that you chose a different profession

That'll be me, then.......

[BoD]

I wonder why that is?

Are you serious??? If you were bending over all day long looking into the mouths of people who don't care much for personal hygiene/have revolting personalities/complain constantly about how expensive dentistry is and how much they 'hate going to the dentist' (every day of the week)/whilst treating grown men who carry on like little school girls because they have the pain threshold of a squirrel, you'd wanna kill yourself too
Just pay the big bucks and be greatful that you chose a different profession

I feel a lot better having had my dentist tell me that I had a high pain threshold last week.

[slinky]

Didn't mean to sound harsh Slinky, thought a few years maternity leave would make me love my job more but obviously I'm not ready to go back to work full-time EVER. Which is why my husband is going to be the one working while we're in Singapore

No worries, I guess I was just coming at it from the angle of the average dentist must make decent money, so what's the problem? However, you've summed up the problem(s) quite clearly

Thanks for the tips on avoiding tooth decay - makes me feel like we're doing something right. We've been the primary brushers from the beginning and now that they are 6 we still brush for them at least once a day (well, most days) and supervise the other brushing. I started taking them to the dentist at about age 3 -- they actually like going at this point

[Kooky]

II guess I started orthodontics work when I was 8 or 9 now that I think of it.

Whereas my adult teeth were coming through in 1970s Britain, where the dentist's answer to the chronic overcrowding was just to remove a stack of molars and leave the rest to fight it out in any direction they could grow. There's one British stereotype that's entirely deserved!

I had that done in the 60s. 8 teeth out at the age of 8, bled from Tuesday to the weekend, but my teeth are lovely and straight (although I do have an overbite). Totally crap, and now mostly crowned, but straight.

[slinky]

My bottom teeth would probably still be straight if I hadn't waited until I was 18 to have my wisdom teeth out Should have done it when they said to at around 16 before they had come through.....

[Satellite]

I'm a bit obsessed with baby sate's teeth as I noticed that quite a lot of toddlers around our neighbourhood has very bad teeth. So i started brushing it (wiht the baby toothbrush) once he got his 4 teeth. He has got 8 now but not sure when to start using toothpaste. When I mentioned it to Mr Sate , he said not to worry it is only milk teeth.. well hello, he is going to need it for some 6 years or more! Some Brits!

[BoD]

II guess I started orthodontics work when I was 8 or 9 now that I think of it.

Whereas my adult teeth were coming through in 1970s Britain, where the dentist's answer to the chronic overcrowding was just to remove a stack of molars and leave the rest to fight it out in any direction they could grow. There's one British stereotype that's entirely deserved!

Which also goes some way to explain the mouth full of wires I have now!

[Lili Von Shtupp]

Thanks, Sardippy, I am very worried about Wolfie's teeth, because we have so many problems. That's very good to know that his genetic makeup doesn't necessarily have to determine his future dental outcome.

Aliya, we see Dr Ong at SmileFocus at Camden. She specializes in Children's dentistry and we really, really like her.

Sate - at the playground I have seen toddlers with brown teeth, a young primary school aged child whose teeth were half eaten away by decay, and I just feel repulsed by the neglect.

BoD, I thought those wires were to keep you from eating people's livers with fava beans...

[baloo]

We use Dr Ong at SmileFocus as well. She's great to the point she managed to keep BBII calm, compliant and accepting of her poking things into his mouth without him snapping away.

That's not an easy feat.

[Aliya]

Hmmm time to take her to the dentist I think. One thing that has always intrigued me, mainly in HK though, is the level of decay you can actually see on peoples teeth, you can actually see the growths on their teeth from not brushing. Why is this? Not to say anything about the bad breath.... one guy was so bad I had to say to him is there someone else I can talk to, I thought I was going to be sick and I am pretty tolerant of most things.

Sardippy, could it be that her eye teeth are too big for the gaps and that is why they are not coming through? woke up last night in a hot sweat with that idea in my head.

[Lili Von Shtupp]

Aliya, go see Dr Ong. Just be warned it takes about a month to get an appointment because she's very popular. One of the first things she checked in terms of Wolfie's teeth was their placement and spacing, how they were all coming in. I really think you'll need a checkup to have an answer.

If you're waking up in hot sweats, just take the girls in and see how?

[slinky]

Pretty sure it was Dr. Ong at SmileFocus we saw last time too. I used to take them to Smile Inc. (I think) in the Forum but switched to SmileFocus at Camden mainly because so many people I know take their kids there and like it. Plus, I think Mr. S has been there too. They x-rayed Little Boy Slink's teeth because he has permanent molars that have come through and some bottom front teeth as well and they gave me the head's up on crowding issues for him (Not that I couldn't already see it). Slinkette didn't have any permanent teeth through yet, so they didn't x-ray her. Next time though - should be interesting.

[sardippy]

Hmmm time to take her to the dentist I think. One thing that has always intrigued me, mainly in HK though, is the level of decay you can actually see on peoples teeth, you can actually see the growths on their teeth from not brushing. Why is this? Not to say anything about the bad breath.... one guy was so bad I had to say to him is there someone else I can talk to, I thought I was going to be sick and I am pretty tolerant of most things.

Sardippy, could it be that her eye teeth are too big for the gaps and that is why they are not coming through? woke up last night in a hot sweat with that idea in my head.

Definately not because the teeth are too big. Regardless of the spacing available, the teeth usually find a way through, which is why some people have such awful overcrowding. Again, nothing you can do at age 2 so not much point in having xrays taken(plus a kid that age would not stay still for an xray, a decent one anyway). A check up will always put your mind at ease and get the child into good habits/familiarity of the dentist, so not a total waste. But I can guarantee you they'll tell you the same thing, except when they see your concern they may shorten the time between check-ups so they can 'keep an eye on things'. Again, if you're happy to spend the money, and it will allow you to sleep at night, then do it.
As far as the bad breath/rotting teeth, same thing applies to the grown ups that I talked about with the kids. It's a simple equation....plaque + sugar = decay. The only difference that applies to the older person is that gum disease (this actually does have a genetic element to it) can become really bad (causing periodontal disease) and your teeth can become loose and fall out. This causes bad breath and is totally different to decay, wherby you can have a mouth full of PERFECT untouched teeth, but they can all fall out because essentially your gums rot around them. Unfortunately, people of Asian races are more prone to this disease.

[Lili Von Shtupp]

I'd like to add Sardippy's equation about plaque+sugar= decay. According to my dentist this includes sugar from fruit as well. We give Wolfie fresh fruit for snacks all the time, which he loves, and we give him watered-down sugar-free 100% juice apple juice, which I was always under the impression these kinds of things are better for him than cookies, sweets and sugary drinks. But in terms of tooth decay it's also bad in that eating fruit creates an acid environment in your mouth that will eat at tooth enamel. Who knew? So my dentist suggested I try to balance his fruit snacks with cheese, a cup of whole milk or something to counter it. I still haven't been able to get him drinking water instead of apple juice.

[Morrolan]

we've been brushing Little M's teeth with baby suitable toothpaste ever since he had teeth. i understand that the fluoride level in adult toothpaste is too high for babies and toddlers, hence the need to use special toothpaste. anyway, at 3 going on 4 he now brushes his teeth twice a day (in the morning often by himself, in the evening i do it) and he always insists on flossing (which he thinks is great fun).

Satelite: apparently decay in milk teeth will affect adult teeth as well, so it is important to prevent it.

[sardippy]

Oh, and before those of Asian decent freak out, periodontal disease is treatable, though very expensive once it has gone too far. The key is always prevention, so even if you are gentetically susceptible, you don't give the disease a chance to take off. Get an electric toothbrush, floss as often as you can (a couple of times a week better than not at all), and eat sugar, but do it in infrequent bursts ie. if you're going to eat a block of chocolate, better to eat the whole block in 20mins than to eat 2 pieces at a time over the course of a day. It's the FREQUENCY of sugar intake that's the killer. I like that fact because I am a sugar holic but just eat it in burts and clean my teeth well so never have any dental consequence. It's not about being perfect, again, just informed.

[sardippy]

Thanks for the profile pic! Have an idea of who put it up there, however I have no idea how to change it, so I guess that's me now...Smaller central incisors would have been prettier for a chick though don't you think?

[MM Admin]

Thanks for the profile pic!

You're most welcome.

[Lili Von Shtupp]

Thanks for the profile pic! Have an idea of who put it up there, however I have no idea how to change it, so I guess that's me now...Smaller central incisors would have been prettier for a chick though don't you think?

Oh you poor thing.

[sardippy]

Very good Lili Von Shtupp, kids don't need fruit juice so best not to introduce them to it or they get very fussy. Whole fruit at least has fibre and balancing it with cheese or milk is perfect so the saliva doesn't stay acidic from the sugars. Remember, the germs in your mouth are microscopic so they only need a small amount of sugar to contribute to the decay process. That's why diluted juice has the same effect on the teeth over time as full strength juice. IF you do give juice, make them drink it in one sitting and have it with food. Again, it's the frequent sipping over the course of a day that will do irreversible damage. Don't even get me started on acid erosion!
And yes, some dentists say use a junior fluoride toothpaste after the age of 1, but I would use it as soon as a few teeth appear. I'm talking the amount of a pin head, because you can overdose them on it (not kill them, just cause mottling to their developing permanent teeth). Just a smear of toothpaste for kids and don't rinse after brushing. Around age of 5 or 6 they can use adult paste, but again a small amount. If they're frothing at the mouth then you're wasting your money..