Toothy Business

Brianna didn't cut teeth until she was almost a year old. I had always heard that the later the teeth are cut, the healthier they tend to be. I have no idea how true that is, but that is the buzz around Mommy circles. 

Not long after B's teeth came through, we noticed that they were developing a dark film on them. We thought maybe we weren't brushing them well enough, so we concentrated on brushing them better. But, the "film" was looking worse. As she was still cutting teeth, I noticed that the new ones we even coming in with the dark stains already on them. 

This stressed me out pretty bad. I was afraid that her teeth were rotting out of her head, and I had no idea why! She doesn't drink hardly any juice, we brush twice a day, and she eats a healthy diet. I didn't get it! 

At her 2 year appointment, we asked her pediatrician about it, and he said that is was mineral deposit build up. He told us that he would recommend taking her to a dentist because they looked pretty bad, although her teeth were healthy. 

So, we scheduled her an appointment with the dentist. I talked to her about it a lot before we went. I told her that she would lay back in a chair, and that they would tickle her teeth. She would sometimes say, "That will really hurt Annie", and I told her "Maybe, but Momma will be right there." I have no idea how she knew that it would hurt.

The dental hygienist took a look at her teeth and said that they were healthy. I was relieved about that! She agreed with Dr. F that what looked to me like decay was actually harmless mineral deposit build-up on her teeth. She said some kids just have a problem with this, and Brianna had an especially bad case. She also explained that no matter how well we brush, it won't brush off. 

Brianna did so great while they cleaned her teeth for 45 minutes. Poor baby!

She never cried. She did say, "We're all done" several times, but she was so brave about it!

She even asked the hygienist to clean her baby's teeth as well, haha.

The dentist also reassured us that her teeth are healthy. I just hate that they look so bad :-(.

Her teeth looked great after they were all done with them, although the film is already beginning to return. I can scrape some of it off at home, but I can't get to it all. However, we'll be having her teeth cleaned several times a year to help combat the problem.

We were so proud of how well she did at the dentist that we let her go to Wally World and pick out a toy. She pretty much never gets to do this, so she was PUMPED! Look how happy she is in this photo:

I'm so glad that her first experience with the dentist was a good one. Oh, and that her teeth are healthy even if they don't look perfect!