I took my kid to the dentist and she had a cavity.
(Not my child’s mouth, but wow, hey?)
I felt like such a bad parent, like the dentist and hygienist mentally tossed me into the Slacker Mom category and there was no escape.
Thankfully the cavity was small and caught early so they were able to fill it without even needing to use any anesthetic. It was a positive experience overall, but it still makes me feel like a bit of a failure.
Are you really diligent in caring for your kids’ teeth? Do some of them still seem to get cavities regardless of how often they brush?
Just came from the dentist myself…..how do they manage to make you feel completely incompetent when it comes to your own hygiene!!!! My kids go next week, I think I will send them with their father!!!
damn that mouth is NASTY. ugh.
I have awful teeth. All my molars are filled so I have been diligent about my kids brushing from the beginning. We’re even pretty good flossers.
Cam had his first cavity at 4. I was devastated.
Last year he had that same tooth pulled due to an infection. Chalked it up to a weak tooth (that’s what I tell myself)
Eva had dental surgery down at Sick Kids to have 2 silver crowns put on. That was a little humiliating but they assured me it was due to the the intense med protocol she was on as an infant. The rest of her teeth were fine and in good health.
Cuyler has no cavities. Go figure. My kid who wouldn’t put a toothbrush in his mouth for the first 3 years of his life has the best teeth.
That mouth is grotesque! *shudder*
My 9 year old has none and my 12 year old has had 2 (I think). We are good about brushing, could be better about flossing.
I think these days they fill them sooner than they used to to prevent the cavity becoming too severe.
As my mom used to say, “these things happen.”
I can’t believe I’m posting this…..I have you all beat, and am NOT proud of it! Both our girls have tight teeth….we floss with heads in the laps about 3x per week, do parent assisted brushing STILL with the 6 year old and they eat clean….really clean, or so I thought. The kids main food choice is veggies, then fruit, cheese, then meat and carbs. nevaeh brings one treat to school per day, and they usually consist of a frozen yogurt tube or homemade muffin ( okay, packaged mix homemade, but who’s keeping score). she even knows to eat her daily included piece of cheese after carbs ( cavity inducing crackers…who knew)? and she has SEVEN fillings, one of which needed a baby root canal, which we just found out last week didn’t “take” so she is having a tooth pulled…yes, all this in my girl who looks as though she has a perfect set of pearly whites and who says “no” to sugar more often than anyone I’ve met. It SUCKS! So, don’t feel bad about their little fillings…and if you need great advice and tips on how to brush and more importantly floss their teeth properly…see the hygenist GUY at the health unit.. he’s great. ps- all her fillings were between the teeth….they also made little spaces ( gaps) between the teeth which were close to make it easier to floss in there). I felt sooooooo dirty and judged! sniff.
Ben has had a cavity, but it’s because he’s a lazy brusher. Do I need to watch my almost ten year ld brush his teeth every night?! Possibly. But, I don’t want to. And I know Olivia has a cavity because I can see it. Not looking forward to taking her in. UGH! I HATE that our bodies and teeth wear down.
I’ve always taken really good care of my teeth, but no matter what I do, my genetic make up has given me a more acidic mouth than average, so my enamel gets worn down more quickly by my own body. Nothing I can do to change that, just have to be 3 million percent up on preventative care…and I still feel like a failure almost every appointment I have.
They did say my teeth were awesome otherwise 🙂
Aw, man. My dentist said this kind of thing was genetic too… sometimes no matter how well we try to care for them, they can still get cavities. Oliver has had one filled… I know that failure feeling too. Le sigh.
We are pretty diligent about the teeth and Abby still has gotten 2 cavities. We brush twice a day, take calcium & vit d supplements, the kid hates juice and so on. My dentist said that we are doing everything right … sometimes it’s just genetics. Her teeth are so full of pits and grooves that they are nearly impossible to keep clean. My teeth are the same way. I have a ton of cavities.
I felt the same way as you initially … like I failed in the basic care of my kids.