Tooth abscesses

Savvy_Sue

black-saturn wrote:

I never had problems with my teeth until my first pregnancy. Then I had loads go wrong all at once. I'm sure it must do something to your teeth :rolleyes:

I thought that your teeth or gums did become more 'delicate' during pregnancy - and that's why we get free NHS treatment (whatever that's worth!) - when pregnant and for the first year of baby's life?

Teerah

Savvy_Sue wrote:

I thought that your teeth or gums did become more 'delicate' during pregnancy - and that's why we get free NHS treatment (whatever that's worth!) - when pregnant and for the first year of baby's life?

Pregnant women are certainly more suseptible to gum problems, (eg gum swellings called a pregnancy epulis) due to hormonal changes but good oral hygiene will usually prevent this. Teeth shouldnt be affected unless, as toothsmith says, there has been a lot of sugarry/acidic snacks consumed.

larmy16

Toothsmith

Are good/bad teeth in anyway hereditary or is it always down to good/bad oral hygiene and consumption of too much sugary stuff?

Toothsmith

Genetic factors do seem to have a role somewhere.

Severe gum problems can certainly run in families. There is an established gentetic link here. Good oral hygiene and regular monitoring is essential if you have a history of relatives loosing teeth to gum disease. (Used to be called Pyhorrea)

As to decay and 'weak teeth', not as easy to show. It could be that some families just have a more healthy way of eating than others. It is possible that some genetic difference can affect the saliva's ability to neutralise acid attacks, and so make decay less likely.

The bottom line though is that even the 'weakest' teeth would never rot if they were never exposed to sugar.

Sometimes you hear people say 'All his/her teeth came through rotten'. This is impossible. There is no mechanism that rots teeth below the gum. What has happened is the teeth have rotted as soon as they've come through due to a very sugary/acidic environment waiting to greet them there - such as feeder bottles full of Ribeana to suck on at all times, or such disasters as honey dipped dummies to 'sooth' teething problems!

larmy16

I had a friend who did just such a thing with her son. A passionate vegetarian and gung ho for all things healthy, she put honey in his bottle of soya milk and ruined all his first teeth!

Teerah

There are also differences in the bacteria present in peoples mouth and some bacteria are more involved in tooth decay or gum problems than other types.
In addition, childhood illnesses and the use of some types of medication can affect the formation of the enamel of the adult teeth and therefore these teeth can errupt in a form that is softer and more prone to decay than normal. These teeth are usually mottled in appearance and may be mishaped. This is of course not a genetic cause but there are genetic conditions such as Amelogenesis imperfecta which result in soft, easily damaged teeth. The incidence of this is estimated at between 1:4000 to 1:14000 live births.

j-baby-scotland

Thought I'd do a quick update......... went to dental appointment & had first tooth given RCT, the infection was not severe so completion in the one visit.
Saw the before & after x-rays & quite awestruck & think my dentist is a definate artist!

Just got to go through it all again on the other side, which is the side affected by TJM in another week or so. Hopefully it'll be as successful.

On the subject of teeth coming through 'rotten'..... my just turned two year old had intravenous antibiotics given following his birth while on the NICU, which has resulted in one of his teeth having a 'pock mark' looking blemish, for want of a better description, not discoloured but on the front surface of the tooth. Having spoke to my dentist I realise that it could have been much worse as the intravenous antibiotics could have led to pretty severe problems like discolouration, mottling & mishapenness.

j-baby-scotland

Toothsmith wrote:

Genetic factors do seem to have a role somewhere.

Severe gum problems can certainly run in families. There is an established gentetic link here. Good oral hygiene and regular monitoring is essential if you have a history of relatives loosing teeth to gum disease. (Used to be called Pyhorrea)

My mother had all her teeth out at 18 from Pyhorrea (early '50's), in contrast her grandson, my elder son, had no fillings in his head at 18... needed a talk from the dentist around 14/15 when he was rising at 6 every day to do his paper round & neglecting his teeth, despite my verbal input, frequently,... 'Have u done your teeth?'.

My teeth aren't that great, still all mine though, remember biting a dentist's thumb when very young... (maybe in revenge ?) she asked permission off my mother to put a coating on my teeth for whatever reason, 'course my mother agreed.... coating was black :eek:

My mother was horrified... I was too young to really remember. Can just imagine the horror on folks faces when I smiled though.


Endured years of orthodontic treatment when a child, small lower jaw, overbite. No wonder jaw problems!
Phew.... thankfully I found a great dentist eventually, & bar a few years when I lived abroad I've seen him continually.

That dentist smell still gets me... seems to have diminished a bit though.

Toothsmith

Glad it went well J Baby! Hope Lola Rose gets to see your dentist!