My little girls tooth, please help with advice.

[Lizzy 0]

Hey guys

I brush my little girls teeth 2 times a day (she is 5) always have done and will continue to until she is old enough to do it herself.

The thing is i saw a cavity in one of her teeth at the back:( Its not massive but not a small one either, i don't know how i missed it.

I don't know whether to take her to a dentist or not, do these teeth fall out soon?

If i do take her, i fear she will need an injection etc and it would kill me to see her hurting...

Any ideas or advice out there, i am really upset about this and feel like such a bad mommy.

[JenT 0]

Molars (if that's what this one is) will take a while to come out. You might not be seeing a cavity... it could just be some 'pitting' from flouride.... my daughter had some of that. Too much flouride will do it.

The first (and only) time my daughter needed a novacaine injection, she didn't even know she was getting it. They numbed her gum well with a topical ointment and came from the side with the injection. She had no idea what was happening....

Have her seen by a dentist (preferably a pediatric dentist) and then decide. You can request that any discussion about the tooth be done privately so as not to alarm your daughter.

Jen

[Aymerlu 3]

My son has the same thing. Thing is, it NEVER bothers him. I talked to his dentist about it and he said with baby teeth the roots are very tiny unlike adult teeth and a lot of the time do not cause pain if any. They suggusted as long as it isn't bothering him, not to mess with it and it will fall out on it's own. I'm sure all dentist will have a different opinion though.

[heishe 2]

It's okay! It happens!

You should take her to the dentist. That tooth might not fall out for years, and you need to teach her that fear of pain is not a good reason to avoid necessary medical treatment. She'll probably be scared and it might hurt a bit, but you'll be there to comfort her.

[chri'stina 190]

Hey guys

I brush my little girls teeth 2 times a day (she is 5) always have done and will continue to until she is old enough to do it herself.

The thing is i saw a cavity in one of her teeth at the back:( Its not massive but not a small one either, i don't know how i missed it.

I don't know whether to take her to a dentist or not, do these teeth fall out soon?

If i do take her, i fear she will need an injection etc and it would kill me to see her hurting...

Any ideas or advice out there, i am really upset about this and feel like such a bad mommy.

Why do you feel like a bad mommy? You shouldn't. Everyone's teeth are different. Me and my sister growing up had the same dental hygiene routines of brushing, etc. But she ended up getting many cavities when we were kids and I had none as a kid. We did nothing so different from each other, but her teeth I guess were just more susceptible to cavities.

[Ladylethal 12]

She might need other visits to the dentist in the future, good to start early and not make her fear it. It's normal, everybody goes, hurts a bit (depending on what you do and your threshold for pain) and that's it.

[Girona40 0]

Get her to the dentist. My kids started going when they were about 3. The dentist told them how to brush, gave them stickers, toothpaste, etc. , it generally made them comfortable going. It certainly paid off, they don't have a filling between them now and all my kids make sure they go for check ups every 6 months.

You might want to be sure too that whatever it is, be it a cavity, or some kind of staining of the enamel, that it isn't going to be something that can cause further problems. A little girl I knew years ago, had terrible teeth, but because she didn't get the "baby" teeth taken care of, she had problems with her gums and issues when her "adult" teeth came through.

You are certainly NOT a bad mommy. You are a concerned one and that's a good thing!

[MrMrsKnight 0]

Take her to the dentist. I started going to the dentist every six months, when I started losing my baby teeth. I had only one cavity in my whole life (baby teeth) and I didn't feel a thing during the treatment. I do remember being scared and feeling a tiny little sting when she gave me the anesthesia. But here I am.... I made it!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hey guys

I brush my little girls teeth 2 times a day (she is 5) always have done and will continue to until she is old enough to do it herself.

The thing is i saw a cavity in one of her teeth at the back:( Its not massive but not a small one either, i don't know how i missed it.

I don't know whether to take her to a dentist or not, do these teeth fall out soon?

If i do take her, i fear she will need an injection etc and it would kill me to see her hurting...

Any ideas or advice out there, i am really upset about this and feel like such a bad mommy.

From our resident dentist here on VJ (Dr. Jinky Aclan DDM) -

Anatomically, molars have prominent grooves. Where the grooves meet, there's a pit. Normally, any small food particle would get inside that pit even if we brush properly. The bristles of the toothbrush won't reach that pit, so there is a tendency for it to create a cavity.

Advice - you need to take her to a dentist for a tooth filling, otherwise it will progress into an expensive one and it will cause her even greater pain. And that tooth will normally fall out 9 to 12 years old.

When you bring her to the dentist, inquire about pits and fissures sealants because they are the best form of prevention.

(She just dictated to me from the phone)

Edited December 15, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

You'll have to live with the fact that the English don't have the best teeth.

[Buttons 0]

Cavities need to be filled even if it is baby teeth, if not it could cause permanent damage to the underlying permanent teeth and gums.

[Girona40 0]

Oh, fissure sealants are a great idea! I had those put on all my children's molars and I am sure it has helped tremendously.

[Caladan 19]

Hey guys

I brush my little girls teeth 2 times a day (she is 5) always have done and will continue to until she is old enough to do it herself.

The thing is i saw a cavity in one of her teeth at the back:( Its not massive but not a small one either, i don't know how i missed it.

I don't know whether to take her to a dentist or not, do these teeth fall out soon?

If i do take her, i fear she will need an injection etc and it would kill me to see her hurting...

Any ideas or advice out there, i am really upset about this and feel like such a bad mommy.

From our resident dentist here on VJ (Dr. Jinky Aclan DDM) -

Anatomically, molars have prominent grooves. Where the grooves meet, there's a pit. Normally, any small food particle would get inside that pit even if we brush properly. The bristles of the toothbrush won't reach that pit, so there is a tendency for it to create a cavity.

Advice - you need to take her to a dentist for a tooth filling, otherwise it will progress into an expensive one and it will cause her even greater pain. And that tooth will normally fall out 9 to 12 years old.

When you bring her to the dentist, inquire about pits and fissures sealants because they are the best form of prevention.

(She just dictated to me from the phone)

Entirely true about the molars. My dentist remarked (after I finally went it for a checkup & cleaning for three years) that I have practically cavity-proof teeth as I naturally have very shallow grooves.

To the OP, get thee to a dentist. He'll be able to tell what's the best course of treatment, and you are totally not a bad mom. Teeth are annoying little chopf*cks.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Caladan