Toddler son hates having his teeth brushed...update

sulkisu

Mrs_Imp wrote: »

OP, is your son teething? My son is happy to have his teeth brushed (and suck the toothpaste off the bristles) unless he's teething and his gums are sore. Then we can't get near his mouth and we have to hold him still and force it on him (I know that sounds mean, but it's not adversely affected him).
If your son is teething, then he may find it all a bit too painful at the moment.

He is teething, but he hates it even when he isn't.

notanewuser

Crikey! Our dental practice is really supportive of DD (26 months). They switched DH to my dentist, and put us back on 6 monthly check ups so that DD would get plenty of chance to get used to the idea. She gets to explore the chair and to sit on our laps while the dentist counts and checks our teeth. When I had to go alone he gave her goggles while I was having my teeth polished. She's never sat there and let him check much more than her front teeth (which have been pushed out a bit by her thumb sucking) but she's only just got her last molar through and she hasn't let us close for the past couple of months either!

He was very nice about the thumb sucking, not rushing us to stop her or anything (don't know how I'd even attempt that at this point), but explained about the impact it could have on her adult teeth if she doesn't significantly reduce it by the age of about 5. And she loved getting a sticker.

And no charge for any of that. Mind you, the 35 minute wait in the waiting room was taxing enough!

brook2jack

Lilymay1 Well I'm sure the fact that dental earnings will have fallen each year since 2006 ,this year by 8 to 10% will not affect opening hours, more that people do not want to book or keep appointments between Christmas and New Year. Most dentists will run a toothache or on call service over Christmas. I have been in the practice all day today covering three other practices and have had only two people in.

Sorry if this sounds a bit bitter at Christmas time but the vast majority of dentists do not earn anything like what people and newspapers say and it gets a mite wearing when people talk about your "vast" earnings.

A newly qualified dentist will come out these days with £60,000 debt ,and will earn 28% of the fees they earn in practice. A cheap dental practice costs £130 an hour per room to run.

A private dentist earns, on average , 5% more than a mostly NHS dentist, they will just see fewer patients in a day and use more expensive materials etc.

Sorry about the rant but 70% of dentists are not practice owners so hand over most of their earnings to cover business costs (72% average) and as for practice owners ... few other owners of small businesses, employing many people and facing all the stresses and strains of running a business, eg putting up your own home as collateral, as well as being a clinician, face so much public ire over earnings.

Mrs_Imp

sulkisu wrote: »

He is teething, but he hates it even when he isn't.

Maybe try some teething gel half an hour before brushing? He may be associating teeth brushing with painful gums, even when he's not teething.

I brushed my teeth twice a day every day when I was younger, ate very few sweets, and still ended up with fillings I inherited weak enamel from my Mum. I hate to think how bad my teeth would've been had I not taken care of them.

brook2jack

notanewuser wrote: »

Crikey! Our dental practice is really supportive of DD (26 months). They switched DH to my dentist, and put us back on 6 monthly check ups so that DD would get plenty of chance to get used to the idea. She gets to explore the chair and to sit on our laps while the dentist counts and checks our teeth. When I had to go alone he gave her goggles while I was having my teeth polished. She's never sat there and let him check much more than her front teeth (which have been pushed out a bit by her thumb sucking) but she's only just got her last molar through and she hasn't let us close for the past couple of months either!

He was very nice about the thumb sucking, not rushing us to stop her or anything (don't know how I'd even attempt that at this point), but explained about the impact it could have on her adult teeth if she doesn't significantly reduce it by the age of about 5. And she loved getting a sticker.

And no charge for any of that. Mind you, the 35 minute wait in the waiting room was taxing enough!

Thumb sucking is a very hard habit to break and can have the potential to push adult teeth forward. The problem is so long as children suck their thumbs then braces cannot be used to correct the problem. However if thumb sucking is stopped early enough things will correct themselves.

Many private practices used to see children on the NHS, however after the new contract in 2006 many PCTs refused to let dentists have child only contracts , hence some private practices can only see children privately.

sulkisu

Sorry brook2jack, no offence intended. I wasn't suggesting that my dentist was greedy for charging to see my son - my annoyance stems from the fact that he said it wasn't necessary instead of saying that he could/would see him but it would have to be as a private patient. I just need to find one who is more child friendly I guess.

brook2jack

Mrs_Imp wrote: »

Maybe try some teething gel half an hour before brushing? He may be associating teeth brushing with painful gums, even when he's not teething.

I brushed my teeth twice a day every day when I was younger, ate very few sweets, and still ended up with fillings I inherited weak enamel from my Mum. I hate to think how bad my teeth would've been had I not taken care of them.

Apart from a few rare syndromes there is no such thing as weak enamel. People do not inheirit weak enamel , just the wrong type of diet.

Sweets are very rarely the sole problem, sugar in tea or coffee, eating frequently through the day starchy or sweets foods, sucking mints, eating or drinking just before bedtime, hidden sugars in fruit juices, yoghurts,baked beans, soup, pre prepared food is more the problem. Its amazing how much sugar we eat a day.


If you eat or drink anything with sugar in it more than three to four times a day you will get decay, no matter how many times you brush your teeth. You don't need to cut sugar out as this lady has , just limit the number of times a day it is eaten http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2230967/Would-cope-annual-sugar-fix-I-went-40-bags-year-I-quit-dangerous-addiction.html

brook2jack

sulkisu wrote: »

Sorry brook2jack, no offence intended. I wasn't suggesting that my dentist was greedy for charging to see my son - my annoyance stems from the fact that he said it wasn't necessary instead of saying that he could/would see him but it would have to be as a private patient. I just need to find one who is more child friendly I guess.

Sulkisu it wasn't you. Just someone else suggesting , toungue in cheek, that their dentist didn't need to open over christmas because they earned so much.

lilymay1

brook2jack wrote: »

Sulkisu it wasn't you. Just someone else suggesting , toungue in cheek, that their dentist didn't need to open over christmas because they earned so much.

Yes, it was very tongue in cheek and no offence was intended

Mrs_Imp

brook2jack wrote: »

Apart from a few rare syndromes there is no such thing as weak enamel. People do not inheirit weak enamel , just the wrong type of diet.
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We had no pre-prepared food growing up. I had exactly the same diet as my brothers (better than one, who used to eat loads of sweets). They got away filling-free. I didn't.

I have a better diet than DH (he has a sweet tooth). I see the dentist every 6-12 months. I drag him along every 2-5 years. I look after my teeth as instructed by the dentist and hygienist, he doesn't. I've had to have a new filling recently, DH gets told that his teeth are absolutely fine.

My enamel is weak, as is my mother's. I hope my son's teeth take after his father's.