Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Fluoride

Now that the girls have teeth I've started thinking about fluoride. Our first pediatrician prescribed a multi-vitamin that contained flouride to use around the time the girls turned 6 months. I never gave it to them because they didn't have teeth so I figured there was no rush. I do know that our water isn't treated where we live, hence the supplement. 

I went to a baby expo around the time we were prescribed the fluoride and there was a pediatric dentist there. She highly recommended using it and said you can tell the difference with children who have had it. She also have us some really cool baby toothbrushes for free that we've recently started using. 
I read a few articles this morning about fluoride use and I think we will likely use it. I have horrible teeth and have had 2 root canals and really need to get a second crown. I don't want my girls to have to get as many fillings as I did as a child, but I'm pretty sure my mom hadus fluoride, so that's not the reason I had so many cavities. It was probably my lack of consistent and good tooth brushing and flossing. I did read though that flouride is linked to neurological damage (although not significant). 

So, I ask you, what's your take on fluoride? Do you give it to your children or is your water already treated? Are you skipping it altogether? 

9 comments:

  1. Our water is not treated, so we were prescribed them as soon as the boys had teeth. We've noticed that the drops don't bother A at all, but H sleeps much better if he doesn't take them at night like we used to do.

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    1. Good to know it could affect sleep. I think if give it in the morning anyway because I'd never remember at night. By that time my brain is typically fried.

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  2. Interesting timing on this post for me because our sons just went to the dentist for the first time yesterday.

    We don't have to give our sons fluoride because the water where we live contains fluoride, and they have been drinking that, either as part of their formula or, later, on its own, since they were 6 months old.

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  3. Hm... they did a flouride rub on Stella's teeth once, and my insurance didn't cover it and I was pissed and we've never done it again. My MIL works at the dentist office - I'll have to ask her what she thinks about this. i have no idea what we will do! How would flouride on baby teeth affect the adult teeth?

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    1. I have no idea how it affects adult teeth. I know cavities in baby teeth can affect adult teeth.

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  4. I hadn't thought of this. Another thing I need to research! I think our water is treated with flouride, but we never give them straight tap water, we always filter it so I don't know if the flouride is filtered out or not. Our pediatrician hasn't mentioned it, but I think I will ask at their next appointment. I remember getting flouride treatments as a kid at the dentists office. They would put this gel in a mouth guard and I would sit there for a bit with it in my mouth. I'm sure it was only 5 minutes but it felt like an eternity. I always thought that's why I didn't get that many cavities.

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    1. It's endless the amount of research we could do as parents. I still don't know what I'm going to do after reading about it. I just wish our water was treated and then I didn't have to worry about it.

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  5. I've never even thought about this! Thanks for bringing it up. It's a good question to ask our pediatrician next time we see her.

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  6. I plan on taking Cooper when he turns 2 to his first dental appointment. I will find out some information then, but these are good things to read up on.

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