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Dental Health (Expert Forum)
"Holes" in Preschooler's front teeth
Answered by
Jerome Bogin, D.D.S. - Dental
Questions in the Dental Health forum are answered by Dr. Jerome Tsang and Dr. Jerome Bogin. Topics covered include bridges, cavities, crowns, and x-rays.
"Holes" in Preschooler's front teeth
by JenV, Apr 22, 2007 12:00AM
My 4-yr-old had two "holes" in the top of her front two teeth about three mo. ago and had them filled. Now it appears that they have returned again. She has had problems with discoloring, too (enamel problems, I was told). They did clean her teeth, but it has since returned, too. My question is are these "holes" because of decay/enamel problems or did the dentist do a poor job filling them the first time? I'm hesitant to take her back to the same dentist. Thanks!
Jen
Jen
Doctor's Answer
by Jerome Bogin, D.D.S. , Apr 23, 2007 12:00AM
, Apr 23, 2007 12:00AM
I can not give you an opinion about the either the quality of the work or if the defects are from decay. I would suggest that your daughter be seen by a pediodontist if she has not been seen already.
I will probably take her back to the same dentist and see what he says. I just hope that this doesn't continue to be a problem after it's fixed, again.
Jen
In my family there is hereditary vitamin D malabsorption and many of us had rickets and in general weak bones and teeth. It only learned too late that I should have given my son vitamin D supplements as a breastfed baby. In combination with the heredetary deficiencies, I believe his teeth are just prone to be brittle and all I can do is damage control. I give him daily vitamin D now. This has probably nothing to do with your daughter`s situation but thought I mention it anyway.
When teeth have discoloration, I have heard of of two instances in children. Either they turn darker/yellowish caused by a certain antibiotic that the mother took during pregnancy or they develop white spots due to fluoriosis after too much fluoride intake, however the latter would not show until way after the preschool years as far as I understand.
Do the new holes in your daughter`s teeth appear right beside the fillings or elsewhere? Are the fillings close to the gum line? If it is just beside the previous fillings, the fillings might have some rough edges that nest more bacteria and cause new decay. And if all of this is close to the gum line, you will be amazed how much plaque can be missed during brushing at that edge...
Finally, it helps not to share eating utensils, cups etc. in families to avoid saliva transmission that may re-infect the child`s mouth with caries causing bacteria. Sorry this got so long. Maybe some of it helps. It seems like your regular dentist does not explain a lot. He may be doing a great job but like others said, a paediatric dentist may be more familiar with the full range of childhood dentistry and even parents` anxieties... All the best.