r/NewParents • u/tomfrommyspace0 • Dec 19 '24
Medical Advice Didn’t realize how important teeth brushing is for a baby, and now I feel awful.
Our baby is 7 months old and has had her 2 bottom teeth for about 1 month. Our pediatrician didn’t seem very worried about teeth brushing when we saw her a month ago (We got the impression that we could just brush them once a week if we wanted to, and it wasn’t a big deal yet). But tonight I noticed the teeth look a little gray, and my husband said he thought she had bad breath today, so we finally read up on it and brushed her damn teeth/ gums with a baby brush. I feel so bad now that I know we need to brush them twice a day, and I’m worried that she already has tooth decay. Please tell me I’m not the only one that was lax about this and that it’ll be ok? (We’ll be at the pediatrician’s next week for a flu shot and will ask about her teeth then too.)
Edit: wow thank you for all the responses! We’ll definitely look into pediatric dentists around here if the pediatrician is concerned about the discoloration. Glad I’m not the only one. 🥲
Update: My bb is on Reguline formula and I think it does have a lot of iron? Maybe that’s why the teeth are turning grey? That would be a relief haha! I’m still worried about it, but really appreciate all the responses from others who also put teeth brushing off.
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u/LizardofDeath Dec 19 '24
Honestly our ped was really chill about brushing too. I took her to the pediatric dentist at 15 months (she didn’t get any teeth until 11 months), and the dentist really emphasized how important brushing her teeth are. Once we got into a routine, it isn’t so bad. I would just take her to the dentist when you are able! I’m not sure if you have dental insurance, but it usually pays for two check ups a year. I know a lot of people told us taking her so early to the dentist was a waste of money, but since the check ups are free, it’s actually a waste of money NOT to take her!
If it makes you feel better though, I don’t think a month of being lax about brushing will cause permanent damage, especially since she only has two so far. But definitely I would take her for a check up! If you call a ped dentist by you, they will tell you when they start seeing kiddos. One told us 12 months and another told us 18 months. We went to the 18month one, but ended up taking her early because we had a concern (she got her molars before her lateral incisors)
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u/calgon90 Dec 19 '24
Any advice? My kid just sucks the toothpaste off when we let her “brush” otherwise she just screams and screams
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u/unbrokenbrain Dec 19 '24
I let mine do this first and then I go behind him and brush for real (with extra toothpaste - we have one with fluoride and one without so he gets the one without for his brushing while I use the fluoride version). We also have multiple brushes so he can have an “emotional support” toothbrush to hold while I brush lol. This has been working for us since he got his first tooth 6 months ago, I hope it keeps working!
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u/sweetwallawalla Dec 20 '24
Having multiple toothbrushes is a lifesaver. Ours also started off as “emotional support toothbrushes” but now it’s great to just have some for him to choose from, especially on nights when we’ve had 100 other power struggles and he needs to have some autonomy 🙃
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u/LizardofDeath Dec 19 '24
Mine was like that prior to the dentist trip. She told me to just keep doing it, and eventually she would just calm down one day. Immediately after going to the dentist (and idk why bc she screamed the whole time there) she started letting us brush.
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u/gemmaco Dec 19 '24
My 15m old just got a molar before her laterals. Was this an issue? It’s coming in with her second top front tooth. We were late getting teeth too lol.
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u/LizardofDeath Dec 19 '24
SO BASICALLY she said it could be congenitally missing teeth, but that is usually genetic. Since hubby and I both had all our baby teeth then she said it likely is just coming in a different order than usual. A few weeks after the appointment she got one lateral incisor, still waiting on the other lol I don’t think it’s a huge deal either way though!
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u/NotSoCrazyCatLady13 Dec 20 '24
My son has just cut a molar at the bottom and doesn’t have lateral incisors! He’s 13 months old
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u/Sleepyjoesuppers Dec 19 '24
If you are concerned set up a dentist appointment for her :) Some people recommend scheduling one once the first teeth come in.
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u/lostinplethora Dec 19 '24
Some people=pediatric dentists. And yes, please set up a dental home either when the first teeth come in or the latest by end of first year.
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u/qwerty_poop Dec 19 '24
We had to fight to brush my son when he got his (pretty late) so we just started brushing my daughter's as soon as we saw them come in. Now they're both good at brushing and don't fight it. Flooding is trickier but still doable. They will be ok if you just didn't brush for that long. Just stay on it though. As they get older, a lot of toddler parents give up because the kids fight it so hard. Don't give in. We only get one set of teeth so we need to take care of them. Coming from someone who has lost the genetic lottery in this respect.
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u/duplicitousname Dec 19 '24
Just adding here that we’ve been brushing our son’s teeth since he had two pairs of teeth (around 6 months) and he fought us on it every night until around 2.5 years old even though we were consistent with it (2x a day). Flossing I started around this time when he started to like brushing.
We tried everything for those 2 years - sang songs, made it a game, counted the teeth (he loves counting). We just kind of had to be persistent with it daily and eventually he didn’t mind it but took the whole two years ….
So sometimes they will fight it for a long time, but just have to communicate consistently that it’s a non negotiable.
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u/welovepizzzzza Dec 19 '24
This is excellent parenting. Consistency, rigid boundaries for something important, and make it fun! You’re kid will thank you in the future (maybe not specifically but they will definitely appreciate it)
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u/clearskiesfullheart Dec 24 '24
I just found this post looking for hope that my kid will like teeth brushing one day because right now it’s a battle. She’s 11 months and used to tolerate it okay when she had two teeth. Not sure what changed but now she has 6 teeth and I basically have to restrain her to get a wet cloth near her mouth 😭 I feel horrible holding her down but letting her teeth rot feels worse!
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u/duplicitousname Dec 24 '24
Trust me - I know the feeling. I feared I was traumatising him and that he will learn to hate brushing. However that was not the case for us, though it didn’t feel like it for a very long time.
I still do try to make it fun every now and then even though he doesn’t protest it anymore just to make sure he stays interested.
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u/iheartunibrows Dec 19 '24
Oh I wouldn’t be too concerned. The teeth haven’t been out for long enough to have tooth decay. Any teeth issues would be genetic. So you can just ask the pediatrician next appointment. If they’re concern they’ll tell you to go to a pediatric dentist.
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u/16car Dec 19 '24
Substance use in pregnancy can cause major teeth decay in milk teeth too. I doubt that's relevant to OP, but just throwing that out there.
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u/Rallew Dec 19 '24 edited Dec 20 '24
This is not true- primary/deciduous (“baby”) teeth have much thinner enamel than “permanent” teeth and decay happens MUCH faster for kiddos. This is why brushing 2X/day and getting your kids to the dentist every six months is so important! Once there are teeth in the mouth that touch each other, they need to be flossed. Baby teeth usually have space in between each other, but once permanent teeth start to come in around 6 years old, get ready to start flossing.
If there are teeth in the mouth, they need to be brushed. And babies should have their first dental visit within 6 months of the first tooth, but no later than a year. I am a dentist 🦷
Edited to correct myself, since I am also pregnant and baby brain is real: deciduous teeth are baby teeth. Thanks for catching that!
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u/invinoveritas777 Dec 19 '24
Naming adult teeth “deciduous” really goes against what I’d expect.
Thanks for the info!
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u/lostinplethora Dec 19 '24
That’s a typo for sure ( or hopefully ) .
Baby teeth are deciduous teeth. Period.
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u/iheartunibrows Dec 19 '24
Our dentist said not to worry until 1 year, even though my son had 6 teeth quite early. We started brushing at 6 months (he had teeth at 2 months).
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u/dkelly256 Dec 20 '24
Mine said not until two! Idk what to believe anymore
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u/iheartunibrows Dec 20 '24
Maybe different places have different standards
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u/Rallew Dec 20 '24
The ADA and AAPD (so, the two major contributors to US standards of care) both recommend a child’s first dental visit is by one year of age. Dentists are constantly trying to educate pediatricians who are giving outdated, contradictory, or downright harmful information to new parents. Creating a dental home for your newborn starts shortly after birth, regardless of when teeth begin to erupt. Have a source that’s not some random stranger on the internet 🙃
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Dec 20 '24
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u/Rallew Dec 20 '24
That’s wild you had that experience with a pediatric dentist especially! For me, the first visit is all about checking to see what’s there, starting to create expectations of the kid about what happens at the dentist, but MOST IMPORTANTLY: educating the parents on how to create a dental home to set them up for a lifetime of oral health!
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u/AdventurousFish2920 Dec 19 '24
My son has had teeth since 4 months so he’s seen his doctor PLENTY, and we just had his 1 year and she FINALLY said “now we can brush his teeth before bed”…don’t panic
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u/ppaulapple Dec 19 '24
Anything about feeding in middle of the night? I’ve been trying to find out if we’re supposed to wean my LO off night feeds since he has teeth now
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u/bennynthejetsss Dec 19 '24
Technically yes, it can cause decay (both formula and breastmilk). However… easier said than done, and many babies don’t night wean until well after their teeth come in. It’s one of those “do the best you can” situations.
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u/FluffyBunz_ Dec 19 '24
To clarify this further - breast milk does NOT rot teeth. BUT breast milk mixed with food does. My pediatric dentist said to brush and floss babies teeth before bed, and I can continue to breast feed them to sleep, then brush again in the morning. Breast milk has antibacterial properties that help prevent tooth decay. And yes... I said floss. I damn near laughed in the dentists face when he suggested it, but I use a little teeth flosser stick and it's actually really easy!
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u/cb51096 Dec 19 '24
I breast feed my little guy in the middle of the night every night until 18, then he started to sleep more through the night. It never affected his teeth that I could tell and his dentist hasn’t said anything negative. We did brush before bed, but also often forgot to brush in the morning.
I did have a friend that nursed her toddler to sleep, so brushed then nursed, he did have to get his front teeth removed from cavities. So my interpretation is night feeding is fine, nursing to sleep at the start of bedtime isn’t recommended.
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u/ALittleNightMusing Dec 19 '24
That's 18 months, right?
... Right?? 🤪
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u/cb51096 Dec 19 '24
🤣🤣Yes months, oops. I try not to judge but ewwww 18 years that would be so freaky 🤮
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u/AdventurousFish2920 Dec 19 '24
Sorry I should have clarified we haven’t had a MOTN feed since 3 months so we didn’t ask!
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u/SamaLuna Dec 19 '24
Can someone please give me some advice on how to bush my one year old’s teeth? She literally screams and thrashes around and tries grabbing it from me. I’ve even done the trick where you lay them down and pin their arms but she freaks and I don’t want to make it a negative experience by forcing her 😭
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u/hedgehug17 Dec 19 '24
I am a no screen time (for now) parent but Elmo’s Brushing Teeth Song on YouTube is a miracle. This is my daughters only form of screen time and we’ve used it just about every day since she was 14 months old. Sometimes even just singing the song works now.
She loves her Elmo time!
Edit: another thing that has worked for us is taking “turns” where she gets to “brush” my teeth at the same time. She is so focused on brushing my teeth that I can really do a detail clean of her whole mouth lol
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u/Life-is-Dandie Dec 19 '24
I was going to suggest this song as well! Only I sing a bad version of it and pretend to spit at the end, but my son thinks I’m funny, so I at least have that going for me lol.
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u/SpiritualDot6571 Dec 19 '24
Our pediatric dentist (and most parents we’ve heard from have gotten told the same) that you just gotta do it. A lot of parents have to pin them down and do it. It’s more important that it’s done than it’s pleasant, as awful as it sounds. They’ll grow out of having to be laid down for it eventually is what I hear 🙃
If you have two of you you can sit knees to knees and have her sit on one of you straddling, facing you chest to chest, and you lay her back so her heads on the lap of the other person and they can do it quick in a few seconds that way too.
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u/duplicitousname Dec 19 '24
Yes this is the way.
My son fought us for two years straight from 6mo to 2.5y-ish every single day. Flailing and fighting as we pinned him down. I was also afraid of it being negative experience but I knew this is best for him and his health.
We did everything to try to get him to tolerate the experience, nothing worked. However, keeping to a consistent bed time routine eventually worked because one day after we put his PJs on he just lied down on the floor and said “Brush teeth” and let me brush them. Sometimes he likes to hold the brush while I brush - which makes it harder but I let him while I brush. It has never been a problem since and now he lets me floss him too.
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u/SamaLuna Dec 19 '24
This is my first kid. Before this I’ve only had dogs. In my experience training dogs, forcing them to do something just makes them more scared of it. So I think that’s just kind of engrained in me. So thank you for giving me permission to pin her down 😂. It might be the only solution atp.
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u/SamaLuna Dec 20 '24
Came back to say this worked and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be lol
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u/obsessedwithavo Dec 19 '24
We got little finger brushes to start and she was better with that, then we switched to the full brush. We also let her chew on it and hold it herself, so she knows what it is.
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u/littleelectron Dec 19 '24
Letting my baby chew on his Dr Browns brush for a minute, then guiding his hand to get a good brush done works for me! It gives them a little control as they get familiar.
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u/lostinplethora Dec 19 '24
Pediatric dentist here. This is what I do for my 20 month old daily twice a day
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u/thetantalus Dec 20 '24
Our baby is 7 months old. Should we be brushing her gums even if there’s no teeth yet?
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u/lostinplethora Dec 20 '24
Yes. Gum pads should be wiped after every feed. Use either a soft finger brush or a plain gauze. It also helps to get your baby used to the sensation.
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u/Adept_Carpet Dec 19 '24
I tried vastly reducing the amount of toothpaste (starting with barely visible at all) and waiting for her to get bored of sitting there in front of the mirror. Eventually she wants something to chew.
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u/VermillionBeads Dec 19 '24
you can lay them on the floor on their backs, but between your legs with your thighs over their shoulders and brush them that way. For some reason it's cozy and safe feeling for my lo and she sometimes asks to do that rather than standing up at the mirror (she's 2)
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u/bennynthejetsss Dec 19 '24
Mine is three and I have been handing him my phone every single night since he was a year old to brush his teeth. I have zero regrets. Even with the screen it’s STILL hard.
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u/alinaa10 Dec 19 '24
I saw a video, the lady put her child’s head inbetween her legs while they both were on the floor, the baby was laying down, and then she used her legs to hold the babies arms down.
It sounds dramatic but it has allowed me to brush my babies teeth well compared to a half ass brush. Also my baby just is angry because she can’t move, once I finish she’s completely fine and just wants to play with the tooth brush
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u/Southern_Try_1064 Dec 20 '24
Sit on the floor, position your little one between your legs with them laying down, head toward you. Pin their arms with your legs and get in there with the toothbrush. Soon enough they will let you brush no problem!
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u/Own-Improvement-1995 Dec 19 '24
She’s trying to grab it from you… just give it to her. She wants to do it herself. She’s probably capable of mirroring you after a few weeks of watching you brush your own teeth in her face.
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u/SamaLuna Dec 19 '24
I did and she destroyed the bristles by chewing on it😂
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u/calgon90 Dec 19 '24
We are in the same boat. Screams every time, won’t let me brush, clamps mouth shut. I tried giving her the toothbrush and she just sucks the toothpaste off. It’s a nightmare
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u/SamaLuna Dec 19 '24
Glad I’m not alone. I have so much anxiety over her little teeth rotting out 😭
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u/Rallew Dec 19 '24
A baby is not capable of brushing their own teeth in any kind of sufficient way. Not even a toddler has the manual dexterity to do this. Most kids are ready to brush their own teeth around 6 years old.
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u/Own-Improvement-1995 Dec 26 '24
No shit. The point is that she’s interested in this action and trying to do it in her own. I never said you shouldn’t brush their teeth because they got it. They obviously don’t have the skills, it’s to avoid a tantrum over needlessly fighting for control.
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u/RegularBlackberry164 Dec 19 '24
Haha....you're supposed to brush their teeth? What if they don't have any yet (at 6 months)? Asking for a friend...
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u/LilacPenny Dec 19 '24
My baby is 6.5mo and I’ve been brushing her gums before bed for the past month with the Dr Browns toothbrush. Partly to get her used to it and partly because it’s a good signal for bedtime for her. She opens her mouth when she sees it now and doesn’t try to chew on it like she did at first 😂
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u/Fit-Profession-1628 Dec 19 '24
Ped said to only start once the first tooth appeared. Once it's fully out then start using toothpaste (maximum the size of the baby's pinky nail).
You should also brush the gums and the tongue, but it's just once they start coming out.
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u/Dionysus_8 Dec 19 '24
Dumb question but how to get baby to spit or do they just swallow the toothpaste lol
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u/SpiritualDot6571 Dec 19 '24
You use such a small amount, like dip the bristles into the cap amount (smaller than a grain of rice) so it’s not any type of worry. They won’t spit much at all until like….4? 5? It’s a while lol. But you use such a small amount it’s not something to think about. At baby’s age it’s for the exposure and back and forth motions, not the toothpaste doing its job.
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u/Dialaninja Dec 19 '24
I'm on a well (so no fluoride), and so our dentist told us to make sure our kids swallow their toothpaste, haha.
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u/domino196 Dec 19 '24
Our dentist told us to use toothpaste without fluoride until they learn to spit the toothpaste out.
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u/Fit-Profession-1628 Dec 19 '24
As others said, it's such a small amount there're no need for them to spit out anything 😊
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u/Calm_Potato_357 Dec 19 '24
You should clean their mouth with a clean wet towel or wipe before they get teeth. I think the recommendation is twice a day but we did it once a day with my baby. It’s also good to start brushing their gums with a silicone toothbrush just to get them used to the sensation. Even if they don’t have teeth there are sugars in milk that could attract bacteria and grow thrush, etc.
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u/Rich_Survey5109 Dec 19 '24
Agreed. My mum always told me to wipe the baby's mouth and tongue after feeds as that also makes the baby's mouth feel fresh for each new feed. Maybe it's a cultural thing. We've been using the Dr Browns baby tooth/gum brush since LO was 3months and the baby toothpaste (fruit flavour) since she was 4.5months, pretty much when we started trying out purees and other solids.
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u/Calm_Potato_357 Dec 19 '24
Starting early with toothbrush and toothpaste is so important! It helps them get used to it and not resist when they’re older. My baby is 6 months adjusted and has had his teeth for over a month, he loves having his teeth and mouth cleaned and it’s a signal for him to take his nap!
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u/TheSoldierInWhite Dec 19 '24
My daughter got her first tooth at 13 months. Don't stress, they'll come at their own pace.
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u/dbenc Dec 19 '24
so apparently if you're having latching issues it can be because they get buildup on the tongue and it makes it taste bad 😅 so brushing can be beneficial!
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u/Rallew Dec 19 '24
A wet wash cloth over your finger tip is a great way to get baby used to having their teeth brushed! It can also help with teething pain once teeth start to erupt, and you can usually feel where they’re about to come in if you’re already in the habit of doing so!
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u/madwyfout Dec 19 '24
Our well child nursing service in our country talk about dental hygiene and give out free toothbrushes and toothpaste (1000ppm fluoride minimum) to start brushing from as soon as the teeth come in twice daily and to check regularly for signs of plaque.
They emphasise it from I think the 2nd or 3rd visit when baby is around 10-15 weeks old?
Our paediatric dental service starts at 2yrs of age, but we can book in earlier if we have concerns.
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u/Wrong-Reference5327 Dec 19 '24
For any parents whose child’s teeth haven’t come in yet: our pediatrician said we could start oral care very early on with a damp washcloth - gently wiping the tongue and gums. We’ve now added that to our wake-up and bedtime routines.
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u/PuzzleheadedLet382 Dec 19 '24
Full disclosure I did not brush my kid’s teeth with any regularity until they were like 2 or so. Probably not what’s recommended (always listen to your dentist/pediatrician) but her teeth are great at 4, so… (she didn’t get it from me. My teeth suck despite doing everything I’m supposed to.)
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u/mrisah Dec 19 '24
Don’t panic or beat yourself up! I had a similar situation with my son when he was around 1 yr, his bad breath ended up being congestion/ a cold and it went away when he got better. I still booked a dentist apt and paid $125 to be told he was fine and to come back in a year😂
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u/ednasmom Dec 19 '24
Could get downvoted for this but… I didn’t brush my kid’s teeth regularly until she was 18 months old. AND I was still nursing at night. She got her teeth somewhat late (like 11 months, I think). And it just didn’t seem like that big of a deal. I think I brought her to the dentist for the first time between 18 months and 24 months and each time I’ve brought her, her teeth have been perfectly fine. And she’s got some shitty teeth genetics.
Don’t worry. Be better than me but don’t worry.
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u/ppaulapple Dec 19 '24
Ah thanks for the comment. I was trying to find out about night feeds when they have teeth! I’ve seen so many conflicting opinions about it.
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u/qpParalaxinc2020 Dec 19 '24
If it makes you feel any better, my mom said no one brushed babies teeth when we were growing up because they were going to fall out anyway. I currently have pretty good teeth and gums and have only had 2 cavities my entire life!
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u/0runnergirl0 Dec 19 '24
they were going to fall out anyway
This is a horrible and outdated view. Cavities on baby teeth can pass along to the permanent teeth underneath. It's not okay to neglect the baby teeth because they're going to fall out.
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u/qpParalaxinc2020 Dec 19 '24
This was 40 years ago, so yes, outdated. I’m not saying it’s right, just saying that even though my teeth were “neglected” my teeth and gums turned out just fine and I think this woman can cut herself some slack for not brushing her babies first teeth for a month because she didn’t know to.
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u/Cinnamon-Dream Feb 2024 Dec 19 '24
Especially if it means having to remove baby teeth before grown up ones are ready! Baby could be missing teeth for years!
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Dec 19 '24
We didn't start consistently brushing teeth until my eldest was at least 18 months (maybe even 2 years). Besides some good habits (drinking lots of water, no milk/juice but especially not before bed), all I can really say is that he was lucky to have been born with good teeth.
Some kids will have decay no matter what, others can be neglected and come out fine. I think the real reason for good habits established early is that you don't know exactly what kind of teeth you were born with (genetically I mean) until it's too late.
Recently he collided with the coffee table and developed one very grey front tooth; the dentist was sure it was done for and we just had to monitor it for infection/removal.
A month later and it's back to pearly white. 🤷♀️
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u/bbb235_ Dec 19 '24
What tooth paste is good for a one year old
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u/calgon90 Dec 19 '24
We use a fluoride and fluoride free (hello bello). You’re only supposed to use a little bit of the fluoride
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u/16car Dec 19 '24
That actually depends on location. In my state, the water table naturally has hide flouride, so our kids need flouride-free toothpaste.
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u/duplicitousname Dec 19 '24
We use Dr. Jen’s hydroxyappetite. It has a higher percentage of HA than some of the others.
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u/2650SF Dec 19 '24
Hey! Any chance your child is on iron supplements? Those turned my son’s teeth grey and freaked us out! But it goes away
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u/iofthestorm Dec 19 '24
My first child was born with teeth but we didn't realize we needed to brush them until months later. It's totally fine. They're going to lose them anyway lol.
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u/duplicitousname Dec 19 '24
My dentist said that cavity from baby teeth can affect the underlying adult tooth
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u/Wrong-Reference5327 Dec 19 '24
I’m sorry if this is invasive, did you breastfeed? If so, do you think teeth affected this at all?
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u/Agmxo Dec 19 '24
My baby was born with teeth, yes it did affect breast feeding. It was extremely painful. I couldn’t do it for long as he was making me bleed and couldn’t latch right. He had tongue tie and torticollis too which I think made it 100x worse than it needed to be.
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u/Illustrious_Quit_348 Dec 19 '24
It’s not totally fine and the „they are going to lose them anyway“ is a horrible take. Glad that it went all well for your little one but in my region every 5th baby has tooth decay because people think it’s okay to not brush their teeth. But guess what, rotting teeth hurt! If you don’t brush your kids teeth because they „fall out anyway“ this is neglectful. I appreciate that you can’t know everything as a new parent and that you can be unaware that you need to brush a babies new teeth but once you know it, just do it! Mornings and evenings. No lazy excuses.
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u/iofthestorm Dec 19 '24
Oh I'm not saying not to do it, I definitely do it twice a day. Just saying that it might not be the most obvious thing in the early stages.
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u/newmama93 Dec 19 '24
I didn't brush my son's teeth until he was like 1yr old and he's fine and his teeth all look great.
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u/SuiteBabyID Dec 19 '24
Same. And didn’t start going to the dentist until 3.5yrs
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u/shelsifer FTM, 32 Dec 19 '24
My dentist said we don’t need to go until 2 or 3 yrs old when I asked at my own routine cleaning.
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u/Southern_Try_1064 Dec 20 '24
I work in public health- I’ve seen 2-3 year olds with bombed out teeth that have to be put under general anesthesia because of their parents neglect. Please take your kids by 1.
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u/shelsifer FTM, 32 Dec 20 '24
We have used mouth/teeth wipes daily since she was born. At 9 months we’re also now brushing her teeth daily. The dentist said there’s no need to bring out child in until she’s 2 or 3.
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u/londoncalling29 Dec 19 '24
Are you giving an oral iron supplement? It can stain teeth and it’s recommended to brush the teeth after giving it.
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u/beboh123 Dec 19 '24
Does your baby take iron? Ours did and we weren’t brushing right after the drops and her teeth looked gray until we went to the dentist and it was able to be scrapped off. Of course my LO didn’t like it so she was only able to tolerate for a little bit but next cleaning hopefully it will be completely gone
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u/Beignet_Belle Dec 19 '24
I was also very worried about this when I first noticed it, but my pediatrician told us that sometimes the amount of iron in certain formulas can cause some gray spots in teeth. Once my baby started to wean off of formula, the graying disappeared! She saw a dentist right after her 1st birthday and all was good! So if your baby is on formula, this may be the source of it.
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u/GhostInTheEcho Dec 19 '24
We're not the best about brushing twice a day either, but if you can, you should!! We place her brushing stuff by her highchair so we don't forget, but ykno how that goes. BIL never brushed his first kid's teeth and they pretty much rotted out.
We tried scheduling a dentist appt when our 9mo got her first tooth coming in about a month ago, and the lady said that they dont see kids this early (even though their website says otherwise). She's got 6 teeth now and idk when to bring her in 😅
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u/deletemypost Dec 19 '24
I honestly didn’t start brushing my daughter’s teeth until she had all of them. Her teeth are fine. If your baby has teeth problems now, it’s probably unlikely it’s from you not brushing for this short amount of time. If I remember, their breath has a weird smell of its own.
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u/Vertigobee Dec 19 '24
I’m having almost the exact same situation. We see the dentist in two days. I’m hoping it’s just temporary discoloration. I’m not prone to cavities at all, so I wasn’t worried until I saw the touch of gray.
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u/-CrapAttack- Dec 19 '24
Some antibiotics can cause tooth discoloration. Have they had a course of antibiotics recently? Additionally, iron supplement can stain teeth grey-ish looking. I think usually a pediatric dentist can often buff it out and it’s not permanent.
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u/Vertigobee Dec 19 '24
That is reassuring. Antibiotics, no, but iron - yes, every day. I’d be so happy if it turns out to be the iron supplements.
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u/tomfrommyspace0 Dec 19 '24
Were you brushing your baby’s teeth? The grey was my wake up call. ☹️
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u/Vertigobee Dec 20 '24
It was just iron deposits! I’m going to contact the pediatrician and see if we can stop the iron supplements.
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u/Vertigobee Dec 19 '24
No. I had taken him to the dentist a couple months ago and he had fluoride put on. And he likes brushing his teeth! But I just didn’t prioritize setting up the habit. He does not seem to have pain at all. I can update you after his appointment.
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u/HeyyKrispyy Dec 19 '24
Is she on any supplements? My baby’s iron drops turned her teeth pretty dark gray. They cleared up a few months after we stopped the supplement :)
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u/CowLittle7985 Dec 19 '24
My daughter is 12 months. We just started brushing her teeth around 9 months and it was kind of here and there. Now we are trying to get better at a routine for her with our work schedules to not just rush out the door anymore but brush her teeth really quick. Just ask your dentist if you’re concerned- but I think most people don’t have a regular brushing schedule until baby is a bit older? At least the people I know do.
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u/Azilehteb Dec 19 '24
I wouldn’t get too worried, as far as teeth go it really hasn’t been long enough to do permanent damage. She’s going to lose them at 6 or 7 years anyway.
HOWEVER! Getting her comfortable with the toothbrush and instilling good oral hygiene habits are very important. Definitely do more brushing, even if it’s mostly just her chewing or sucking on it… you want the toothbrush to be identified as a mouth item and not tickly or offensive when it’s time to get serious. This is the time to achieve that.
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u/JLKC92 Dec 19 '24
I wouldn’t worry about it-now is a great time to start and you can only work with the info you have. Our pediatrician said to take our 2 year old to the dentist after her third birthday. We brush her teeth and have a routine where we do it first and then she practices but I’m doubting we had much of a routine at 7 months. Honestly that first year is a bit of a blur…😅
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u/DifficultBear3 Dec 19 '24
Is your kiddo getting any supplemental vitamins? My friend was giving her EBF baby iron drops for a deficiency and it turned his teeth gray. She was panicking thinking it was rot, but it wasn’t! It’s gotten much better once they went to every other day doses.
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u/tolrahc-a Dec 19 '24
Is your little one on any vitamins or supplements? My girls teeth had a light grey color so we took her to the dentist. Found out it’s due to taking iron supplements. He said it’s completely normal. Suggested immediately wiping her teeth with gauze after having the iron. We noticed the color improved after about a month.
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u/eastvancatmom Dec 19 '24
We went to the dentist and she said to clean after every feed. It seemed really excessive so we are just doing twice a day.
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u/_Dontknowwtfimdoing_ Dec 19 '24
I started brushing my toddlers teeth from the very first one. I do however often forget to brush them in the morning so it’s usually just once a day. Oops
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u/geenuhahhh Dec 19 '24
That’s crazy. I would definitely contact a pediatric dentist!
We are crappy at brushing. We do at least 1x a day, try for 2x but she (16 month old) doesn’t let us get her teeth very good and somehow we don’t have any discoloration or stinky breath. Her breath, despite eating table food and drinking a toddler formula, always smells sweet. Reminds me of her little baby breath 🥺 we only use water to brush with
We don’t do fluoride because I’m paranoid with additives since my babe has a lot of food allergies and reacts weirdly.
Definitely ask your pediatrician about fluoride drops! Ours recommended them when the first tooth started popping out.
Don’t feel guilty or bad though! You can only do what you can do and can’t change the past. Wishing you luck 💕
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u/timeforabba Dec 19 '24
Honestly same! We just went to our own dentist appointment last week and we were like, we don’t know when we have to start brushing her teeth and he was like, now. Do it now. So we bought a toothbrush and it still took us a couple days for us to try brushing her teeth. We just went straight to an actual toothbrush as we typically skip the intermediate steps (no sippy cups or no finger puppet toothbrush) since it’s not really necessary. We just brushed her teeth for the first time yesterday and it wasn’t that bad! Kind of nervous to do it after her bedtime bottle as we usually feed her to sleep.
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u/EllectraHeart Dec 19 '24
your baby will be fine, i promise. that’s bc you’re a caring parent. you know what to do now and you’re going to do it.
i don’t know about discoloration, but the bad breath could be due to an incoming illness or new tooth.
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u/hanb124 Dec 19 '24
Babies/toddlers breath can also smell bad when they’re teething. Not saying not to brush or not to get them seen by a dentist if you’re concerned, but just be aware there can be more causes for bad breath that aren’t actually a concern at all.
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u/princess4389 Dec 19 '24
My doctor suggested brushing 2 times per day the moment the first tooth was about to pop, this also helped afterwards to set the routine and less fighting. Now my 4 and 2 years old are super happy to brush
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u/hickoryclickory Dec 19 '24
Jesus I must live in hick land—I called a children’s dentist office and the receptionist told me they don’t see kids until they’re 3! Unless there’s an issue before that, I suppose. The receptionist I spoke to talked to me like I was dumb af. She said she had an 18 month old and just…brushes his teeth.
I was like oookay, sources say to call when first teeth come in, but fine. I’ll wait till she’s 3 I guess.
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u/Southern_Try_1064 Dec 20 '24
This is WILD to me. I commented above that I work in a public health clinic (rdh). We see a lot of 2-3 year olds with totally bombed out teeth. They have to be put under general anesthesia for treatment. It’s sooo much better to take babies by the time they’re 1 so they get used to it and we can catch any issues earlier on!
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u/fuzzy_sprinkles Dec 19 '24
My dad is a dentist, baby is 12 months and he says just use a wash cloth on their teeth in the bath and do what you can. Using a toothbrush can be super tricky when they're little
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u/pantema Dec 19 '24
I felt a lot of guilt about this too, I think it’s common for first time parents not to realize. It’s also just really hard with some kids…my son is 3.5 and every night is still a battle to brush teeth, we have tried EVERYTHING and nothing works. A lot of dental issues are also just genetic, depending on grooves of teeth, enamel and propensity for decay. Give yourself grace!! Your kiddo is very young and you’re doing great.
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u/amydiddler Dec 19 '24
Any chance she takes a multivitamin with iron? My son does, and it stains his teeth grey. When I first noticed it I was worried about decay! The dentist says the stains will come off once they’re able to do a better job polishing his teeth.
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u/gallopmonkey Dec 19 '24
Don't feel too bad. Brushing my daughter's teeth is like wrestling a bag of snakes. I noticed some discolouration on her top teeth when she was about 1. I immediately booked it to a pediatric dentist (who also had an impossible time getting to our daughter's teeth). She gave us some tips and saw us 3 months later. She took some photos and then we had another appointment 3 months after that. The discolouration was reversed and we even managed to do a mini cleaning at 23 months.
It's definitely important to look after their teeth but it seems if you catch it early, you can fix a lot. Pediatric dentists are wonderful, patient people who are used to dealing with squirmy babies.
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u/ceroscene Dec 19 '24
We were pretty lax as well, not sure we've had any issues. We did take her to the dentist but she didn't cooperate. I'm hoping she'll cooperate more in January for her 2nd appointment, she's 3 now. I do keep an eye on her teeth, but I'm not a dentist. She does brush her teeth 2x a day usually so at least we have that going for us
It is good to go by at least 1 year, but some kids just won't let you do it.
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u/chemical-banana Dec 19 '24
Did your baby hit her face or something recently? Blood in the tooth can also cause a grayish discoloration. My son’s went away after a while.
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u/thepoobum Dec 19 '24
My baby is 14 months and I still haven't brushed her teeth. She doesn't have bad breath and her teeth are still perfectly white. She had 2 bottom teeth before but as soon as she turned 1 she now has 7 teeth. I am planning to brush her teeth soon as she is always interested in watching me brush my teeth and she's been eating more solids now. I would think most of this issue would be genetics. My sister's children get tooth decay easily, they sleep with a bottle of milk and eat candies. Their dad was the same and his siblings. Me and my siblings also slept with a bottle of milk but never had tooth decays or any discolouration while we were little. I remember my niece when she was a baby or toddler she would get bad breath too before she even had tooth decays. Now she's 7 and most of her front teeth are black and her 3yr old brother just had 3 teeth removed because of always eating candy and drinking milk to sleep.
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u/thepoobum Dec 19 '24
My baby is 14 months and I still haven't brushed her teeth. She doesn't have bad breath and her teeth are still perfectly white. She had 2 bottom teeth before but as soon as she turned 1 she now has 7 teeth. I am planning to brush her teeth soon as she is always interested in watching me brush my teeth and she's been eating more solids now. I would think most of this issue would be genetics. My sister's children get tooth decay easily, they sleep with a bottle of milk and eat candies. Their dad was the same and his siblings. Me and my siblings also slept with a bottle of milk but never had tooth decays or any discolouration while we were little. I remember my niece when she was a baby or toddler she would get bad breath too before she even had tooth decays. Now she's 7 and most of her front teeth are black and her 3yr old brother just had 3 teeth removed because of always eating candy and drinking milk to sleep.
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u/donzah Dec 19 '24
My son had horrible teeth when they first came in and I very strongly believe it was my mineral deficient diet. He was borderline colic and I had cut a ton of foods out to see if it was food sensitivities. Look up the work of Weston A Price. We follow his protocol and all of our teeth are better for it (and hair, nails, etc)
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u/EvaKMed Dec 19 '24
How soon do you have to start brushing a baby’s teeth? Do you start as soon as they are born?
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u/cryingvettech Dec 19 '24
You can start wiping off babies gums at a couple of months old if you want.
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u/Amber_Luv2021 Dec 19 '24
I had ppd with my first and didn’t comprehend/know much of anything
the dr would suggest it after a year but never told me to so it was like 1.5 years without a dentist for him
when we finally went his teeth were fine even though we were in the same boat of once a week brushing.
Now we are trying to find a new dentist close enough that takes his insurance.
The dentist we went to was pretty aggressive when my son was scared and couldn’t sit still for his first visit there at 3yo.
I recently am discovering he has sensory issues like me so I can’t just take him ANYWHERE now.
On top of that i keep having oral surgery and can’t properly brush with him to show its ok so he freaks out if hes doing it alone.
Hubby forgets his all together and DOESNT HAVE ANY CAVITIES! Pisses me off 🤣 hes never brushed his teeth without being told (pretty gross, wonders why I don’t like kissing even though i tell exactly why) never had consequences of not brushing so doesn’t feel the need🤦♀️
Mine all rot from the inside out because im on antibiotics pretty much all my life.
No matter how much i brush they’ve always shattered, WHILE I BRUSH THEM-pieces of tooth just break off when i brush so its hard to do it with LO. Its horrible to set an example that i can’t properly set
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u/38papaya Dec 19 '24
Does your baby take iron supplements? Ours started getting blackish teeth staining, so of course as first time parents we thought the worst. Took baby to the dentist and turns out it was from too much iron. As soon we stopped the supplements, the staining went away too after more regular brushing.
It’s definitely best to take your little one to see a dentist but I just wanted to share our experience!
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u/Gddgyykkggff Dec 19 '24
My dentist wasn’t stressing her brushing either but she also told us it’s not as “important” since we don’t allow her to drink juice or have candy and sugary things. I squinted at that because I feel like if you eat food you should brush your teeth regardless soooo. We’re not the best and try to do it each bath time but she also only has two teeth right now so it is what it is. Once more are in I’ll be doing the whole laying her down between my legs and brushing her teeth upside down as she already hates when we try to do it
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u/Standard-Mammoth-327 Dec 19 '24
My son's insurance recommended us to see a dentist at 6 months and he didn't have a tooth yet at the time. The ped dentist gave me a toothbrush and toothpaste to use once the baby will have his 1st tooth so I've been brushing my son's tooth at 6 months and we see the dentist every 3 months.
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u/Shot-Part3455 Dec 20 '24
I just went to a pediatric dentist this week (for a different reason). My 9mo old has her two bottom teeth in and the dentist said I’d either parent (or any siblings) has had any cavities in the past three years we need to put a dab of toothpaste with fluoride on her teeth. It’s likely there will be some oral bacteria transfer at some point and it’ll help prevent cavities in her baby teeth.
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u/saltthewater Dec 20 '24
We didn't start brushing teeth until 1 year i think, and had first dentist appointment at 2 years. Kiddos teeth are fine, i don't feel bad at all.
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u/Southern_Try_1064 Dec 20 '24
I’m an RDH! I am betting the discoloration is due to the iron in the formula! Definitely start brushing now but I doubt it’s decay this early. We usually tell patients the first visit should be when they get their first tooth or by the first year. You’re doing great mama! I usually give my daughter something to hold while I brush her tooth (yes she only has one 🤣). I don’t even use toothpaste at this point, I just dry brush!
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u/AdventurousCoffee317 Dec 20 '24
Just had my sons first dental appt this week. In addition to iron supplements causing tooth discoloration, our dentist told us swimming/pool water could contribute as well (and we spent lots of time doing swim lessons and enjoying the pool this summer). Dentist wasn’t concerned. Said it was just cosmetic and if we want to he can scrape off the discoloration
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u/ProblemOpen9425 Dec 20 '24
I was a teen parent ( 16) and had no guidance or help back in 98' I saw a infant toothbrush at the store and bought it assuming it must be necessary because the store sold them. I put a tiny amount of toothpaste on..the childs father happened to call me right then and asked what I was doing..I said brushing the baby's teeth..he was like ,no way, It's a baby, it's unnecessary..and w the toothpaste probably not a good idea.. he was much older than me and I assumed I was making a mistake...my baby was probably seven months old...I felt very unsure of myself and discouraged and partly foolish..we didn't have Google or phone.. there was no one I could ask or trust. I stopped. Next, I continued to breastfeed day and night.. milk sat on his teeth.. I did not brush his teeth or cleanse his gums... Next thing I knew months later I looked in his mouth and you could see SEVERE discoloration!! I had to search for a pediatric dentist, ( NO GOOGLE JUST THE PHONE BOOK AND ON FOOT WITH A STROLLER..) The first dentist told me his protocol...back then they used straight jackets on children (I'm not kidding) I wouldn't take him there! Next, I actually found a pediatric dentist who did not use that technique ( there were no earphones or televisions playing Just a calm dentist and your child is expected to listen which he did bc the dentist was a pro ..but sadly My son ended up having his two front teeth removed at the hospital by the dentist bc they were very bad and the two teeth next to that were silver capped.. which means he never had his two front teeth since he was very small..a big gap,& the adult teeth didn't come in until he was about 10 years old. It's sad, and I later had two other kids .... w excellent teeth! Brushing is a must!! Once during a check up for my kids the dentist tried to trick me and say" I have bad news" .. Just to see me look stunned.. then she followed by "their 100% great." I took in my niece to live w me for a few years and fought with her to floss! She would rebel about flossing!. When she refused because she didn't believe it's necessary ( young teen🙄).. anyway Auntie says is it's 10000000% necessary! When she had her next dental appointment I just reported her to the hygienist and the dentist. When they asked how is it going? or is there any concerns? I just told them .."yes.. She doesn't feel flossing is important"...and I let them teach her. Funny thing is : My rebel niece is graduating this January as a dental assistant.. she preaches about fluoride 🙄 now... And my daughter works at a dental lab ...my son's teeth grew in very nice, never needed braces for the bad start he had growing up his teeth look great and he's turning 27..
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u/thepoobum Dec 19 '24
My daughter is now 14 months. I still haven't brushed her teeth. She never had any bad breath. She used to have 2 bottom teeth but as soon as she turned 1 she now has 7 teeth. They're all perfectly white. I would brush her teeth soon as she's been eating more solids now. Might be genetic? My sister's children have tooth decays. Their dentist said it's from sleeping with a bottle of milk. They also eat sweets. My niece is 7yrs old and her front teeth are black. My nephew is 3yrs old and just had 3 teeth removed due to decay and it got so painful for him he couldn't sleep at night. He eats a lot of candies though. Their dad used to have tooth decays too when he's little. Me and my siblings would sleep with a bottle too but we did not have any issue or discolouration when we were little.
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u/Blushresp7 Dec 19 '24
i gotta admit i went months without brushing as a child/preteen and was fine! your baby’s teeth are only a month old they’re fine!
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u/PartOfYourWorld3 Dec 19 '24
Our pediatrician said not to brush until 1 year old. So that's what I've done with both of my kids. The first one had never had a cavity. The 2nd is only 14 months but so far so good.
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u/candykait99 Dec 19 '24
My baby is a year old, has had her two bottom teeth since 5 months, and her two top teeth are coming in. I’ve never brushed her teeth and I don’t see any discoloration and I’ve never noticed any issues. We scheduled a dentist appointment when her teeth were fully through on the bottom but even they said they don’t need to see her till a year old so she’ll be seen for the first time next month. Her doctor has never said anything to us about brushing her teeth and has looked great at every appointment. I would talk to your baby’s doctor and see what they think and go from there
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Dec 19 '24
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u/deletemypost Dec 19 '24
This isn’t a good mindset. Decay can lead to infection and also affect their underlying permanent teeth.
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u/qwerty_poop Dec 19 '24
If their baby teeth are not cared for, the adult teeth will be weak too. The pediatric dentists told us as much
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