Dentist- child needs 2 fillings!!!!

[crockpot]

Took my sons to the dentist today, though he mat have something to say about 7 1/2 year old thumb suucking and affecting his teeth.

But no, worse than that, told he has placque on his back teeth and needs to brush harder, also he needs 2 fillings.

We live up north an have an NHS dentist, but every time we go, it`s someone else, the chap today was nice, young and Polish? He did wear gloves but not an overall- just doing check up.

Can you still buy those disclosing? tablets, I remember my dentist giving me some, you brush your teeth,chew tab, and teeth go pink where placque still is.

Also for son manual or battery tooth brush?

Thanks

[mattsue]

i bought my son an electric tooth brush and it really helped him. they are allways on offer in boots or superdrug. you can usually ask for the disclosing tablets at the dentists - the hygeinist used to give my son a pack after a check up. just remember to use some vaselene on his lips before chewing them - or he will look like he is wearing nice pink lipstick!
sue

[princess pixiedust]

What are these tablets? my son age 7 had 2 fillings in jan as he hadnt been doing his teeth properly enough, what do they do?

Kyle

[TomsMom]

What are these tablets? my son age 7 had 2 fillings in jan as he hadnt been doing his teeth properly enough, what do they do?

Kyle

Basically they stain the plaque left on the teeth, showing where they haven't been cleaned thoroughly. Could give the user quite a shock when you see how much muck is still on your teeth when you think you've cleaned them properly!

Certainly a good way to show children how well (or otherwise) they've cleaned their teeth and to open up a discussion on how important it is to clean properly.

[princess pixiedust]

Thanks for that, will have to ask next time kids have checkup:D

[melancholly]

I used to have them as a kid, but would be interested in finding out about them now as well..... just to double check that I'm doing it properly! If you find out any info on getting them, please post it on here!

[TomsMom]

Melancholly, you might be able to get them at your local chemist if you've no dentist appointment in the near future.

[flower 72]

I have got some, bought some from Boots. They are Boots own brand - it says Advanced + on the little box - and color every bit of plaque in blue.
I was quite surprised when I first used them to see where I obviously didn't brush properly.

[Toothsmith]

Just to point out that it's not good/bad brushing that causes cavities, but frequency of sugar intakes.

Brushing teeth is important for the prevention of gum problems, fresh breath, and it does introduce fluoride which can help to prevent cavities.

BUT

Sugar is digested by the bacteria that live in the mouth and their waste product is an acid. This acid dissolves away the surface layer of the tooth.

Given a few hours, the calcium & phosphate ions found in the saliva can repair this damage, but if another sugar attack comes along in this time, then it never gets repaired properly, and the damage just accumulates.

If you're the size of a bacteria, then a quater of a polo mint is just as much a feast as a whole box of Mars Bars - so it's not the AMOUNT of sugar that is the problem - just the frequency of intakes.

The rule is basically to feed your child whatever they want to eat at mealtimes - if they have been given sweets then let them have them right at the end of the meal.

In between meals - when the teeth will be repairing - then that's when it must be kept sugar free. That's both in what they drink, and what they eat.

The only safe between-meal drinks are milk & water. Foods are also very tricky, but read lables.

Sugar, sucrose, glucose, fructose, syrup, honey, organic sugar, natural sweeteners, cane sugar, cane syrup, mapel syrup, glucose syrup and many other variations are all things that will cause decay, and should be avoided between meals.

Eating any of those things at mealtimes would be OK.