Do you brush your DC's teeth in the morning (those in daycare)?

[Anonymous]

We brush morning and night (though not for 2 minutes) and daycare has them brush as well after lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But jeeze, brushing their little teeth really isn't on the top of the difficulty scale.

This made me think that the bitchy poster is the same troll who was stirring the pot on the federal employees leave donation thread in OT. The one who told someone that they aren't donating leave so that the OP could "sit at home and eat bon-bons" during maternity leave (as if caring for a newborn were somehow fun and easy!) The bon-bon quote and this quote above, in my opinion, would never be uttered by someone who has actually raised a child. I'm the PP whose kid loves to brush his teeth, and even I know that if he decided that teeth aren't so fun anymore, it would be WWIII trying to get him to brush his teeth. Anyway, this troll tends to make multiple inflammatory responses and make them all look like they're from different posters. It's starting to get old.

I'm not a troll and I have not been the only person commenting that teeth brushing should be prioritized. I haven't said anything mean to anyone. I think you are the one who is out of line calling another parent a bitch.

I am a mom with two children under the age of 4. I work full time and manage to brush their teeth in the morning. One child has a 40 minute drive to his school every day so we are definitely pressed for time but it is possible. My older child has sensory issues so it was VERY CHALLENGING to brush his teeth. But, time wise not difficult to fit in. Maybe I should have clarified that.

I wondering how you've determined where I post and when?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But jeeze, brushing their little teeth really isn't on the top of the difficulty scale.

This made me think that the bitchy poster is the same troll who was stirring the pot on the federal employees leave donation thread in OT. The one who told someone that they aren't donating leave so that the OP could "sit at home and eat bon-bons" during maternity leave (as if caring for a newborn were somehow fun and easy!) The bon-bon quote and this quote above, in my opinion, would never be uttered by someone who has actually raised a child. I'm the PP whose kid loves to brush his teeth, and even I know that if he decided that teeth aren't so fun anymore, it would be WWIII trying to get him to brush his teeth. Anyway, this troll tends to make multiple inflammatory responses and make them all look like they're from different posters. It's starting to get old.

Thanks Sherlock...did it ever occur to you that maybe more than one person thinks that not brushing teeth is vile? Isn't that a more reasonable explanation than the fantasy world you have dreamed up?

I think if you'd grow a sense of humor and learn to not take everything so seriously and literally, you'd realize that your burning need to call everyone a bitch is silly.

[Anonymous]

Completely new poster here who is surprised that parents aren't brushing their kids' teeth. Now I know why several of the boys in my son's nursery class had multiple cavities. (They were three- and four-years-old.)

[Anonymous]

I spent 5 years working with dental researchers and publishing their findings. Trust me, brush your child's teeth. Just because these are primary teeth that they will eventually lose, does not mean that you are not permanently affecting their oral health. Poor dental care leads to problems far beyond teeth.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I brushed my son's teeth this morning. Can we all stop this now? I was not looking for someone to make me feel better about not brushing, I was just looking to see how many ALMOST two year olds (not 4 or 6) wake up (in my case woken up) in a happy mood, ready to brush teeth? Time is not the challenge, it's the stubborn toddler who HATES it and is half asleep when we try to brush, and on days when my 3 month old wakes up early and starts to scream, I have to tend to the one who's less helpless at the moment. So, yes, I feel guilty for not brushing, but I know that I don't do it because I'm lazy or it's inconvenient to me ... that's why I'm not that bothered by some of the nasty comments.

[Anonymous]

I don't brush my 3.5 yo's teeth in the morning. He does it at lunch at school and I do it at night before bed. He has his first dental appointment in two weeks, so we'll see if his teeth are rotting out then. If the dentist gives me grief, then I'll start doing it in the morning, too.

[Anonymous]

This is a bit off topic, but my dentist informed me that one of the best ways to avoid tooth decay is not to get in the habit of serving juice. And if we do, to use a regular cup and not a sippy cup. He said that liquids get between teeth and can sit, causing decay. Other than milk at meals, he told us that water should be our toddler's primary drink. If we are out and about and cannot brush, have child do "swish and swallow" with water, preferably tap water for fluoride.

[Anonymous]

I seldom brush my just turned three-year-old's teeth in the morning--only when she asks because she sees me brushing mine--though we always always brush at night. My not very rational reason is that when I was a very little kid, I didn't brush my teeth in the morning either. I think I started doing that more at school age. And my mom was a dental assistant when I was a little kid. And I have never had a cavity. My daughter just had her first dental appointment and her teeth are great. Honestly, I hadn't given it a lot of thought one way or the other, but the hysteria about brushing twice versus once a day is surprising and a little silly to me. (I also have never flossed her teeth, though I know the official recommendation is to do so. Is that horrifying too?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I seldom brush my just turned three-year-old's teeth in the morning--only when she asks because she sees me brushing mine--though we always always brush at night. My not very rational reason is that when I was a very little kid, I didn't brush my teeth in the morning either. I think I started doing that more at school age. And my mom was a dental assistant when I was a little kid. And I have never had a cavity. My daughter just had her first dental appointment and her teeth are great. Honestly, I hadn't given it a lot of thought one way or the other, but the hysteria about brushing twice versus once a day is surprising and a little silly to me. (I also have never flossed her teeth, though I know the official recommendation is to do so. Is that horrifying too?)[/quote]

No, not horrifying...

I did want to mention that CVS has children's flossers and my 3 year old can use them himself. I will offer them to him a few times a week and he'll usually oblige.

I still have to brush his teeth though because he's not good at that at all and sometimes it involves drama but flossing is apparently fun.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Sherlock...did it ever occur to you that maybe more than one person thinks that not brushing teeth is vile? Isn't that a more reasonable explanation than the fantasy world you have dreamed up?

I think if you'd grow a sense of humor and learn to not take everything so seriously and literally, you'd realize that your burning need to call everyone a bitch is silly.

Sherlock at your service. You're telling ME to grow a sense of humor?!? You who are having total sh*tfit over a mom who just can't face the thought of World War III over brushing teeth in the morning? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks Sherlock...did it ever occur to you that maybe more than one person thinks that not brushing teeth is vile? Isn't that a more reasonable explanation than the fantasy world you have dreamed up?

I think if you'd grow a sense of humor and learn to not take everything so seriously and literally, you'd realize that your burning need to call everyone a bitch is silly.

Sherlock at your service. You're telling ME to grow a sense of humor?!? You who are having total sh*tfit over a mom who just can't face the thought of World War III over brushing teeth in the morning? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Come here Sherlock....I think you need a big hug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks Sherlock...did it ever occur to you that maybe more than one person thinks that not brushing teeth is vile? Isn't that a more reasonable explanation than the fantasy world you have dreamed up?

I think if you'd grow a sense of humor and learn to not take everything so seriously and literally, you'd realize that your burning need to call everyone a bitch is silly.

Sherlock at your service. You're telling ME to grow a sense of humor?!? You who are having total sh*tfit over a mom who just can't face the thought of World War III over brushing teeth in the morning? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!

You're pretty dramatic, no one is having a shitfit and I'm pretty sure a world war never broke out over someone brushing a toddler's teeth.

But, little kids running around with rot mouth is pretty gross and pretty sad too. I also think it's gross to repeatedly curse and call people bitch but, if that's all stuff you find funny and acceptable more power to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks Sherlock...did it ever occur to you that maybe more than one person thinks that not brushing teeth is vile? Isn't that a more reasonable explanation than the fantasy world you have dreamed up?

I think if you'd grow a sense of humor and learn to not take everything so seriously and literally, you'd realize that your burning need to call everyone a bitch is silly.

Sherlock at your service. You're telling ME to grow a sense of humor?!? You who are having total sh*tfit over a mom who just can't face the thought of World War III over brushing teeth in the morning? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Wow.

I think you're the only person going nuts here.

[Anonymous]

I stumbled upon this discussion while doing a search for Early Childhood Caries.

I'm researching it because my 3 year old has it and has to have her 4 front teeth extracted.

Brushing teeth is no joke and nothing to be flippant about. It can be devastating to get this disease.

It can show no symptoms until your child's teeth literally start breaking off and crumbling.

My child's dentist thinks it's because she had a bad stomach virus when she was 16 months that lasted a few months, and that the vomiting left her teeth vulnerable.

Her pediatrician put her on soy milk because she wasn't eating much at that time and he thought milk was making her throw up.

She drank it out of a bottle and sippy cup.

The sugar from the soy milk, alone - she never had juice and rarely ate candy - in combination with the S mutans bacteria was all it took to completely rot her front teeth, from the inside out.

If I'd have known this was happening, I would have brushed her teeth 5 times a day, but it's too late now.

I'd advise you all to take the morning teeth brushing seriously, lest this happen to you. And see a pediatric dentist as soon as your baby's first tooth erupts.

Apart from anything else, the guilt you feel as a mother for letting this happen is PROFOUND.