Of all my children, the oldest nursed as long as the youngest(almost 5y) and
the oldest has yet to get her first filling-age 16 yrs-due for one but I
can't get the dentist,and her schedules to work!! The youngest, now 8 yo, has
had fillings since 18 months. The dentist felt this first one due to a defect
in formation of the enamel, and I guilted over it so many times, esp since
she had more cavities...just kept at it but was reassured that it didn't
depend on something I was or wasn't doing, just the way her teeth are. A few
of them had white areas(chalky looking) that over the years have turned tan
or yellowish, the funny thing being-the new permanent teeth coming in now are
gorgeous and look very very different from the baby ones. That darn deformed
one still hasn't fallen out--she's been wishing for it, as it is only part of
a tooth now, but loose so not worth fixing-the fillings had a hard time
sticking even when it was all there. My 2 middle kids were cavity free, til
recently 11 & 13, funny thing, the littlest with the worst teeth was always
obsessed with brushing since very tiny. One wierd thing on fluoride-all were
recommended to take it, as we don't have fluoridated water, but my second
one-during pregnancy I was asked to take it to help the baby's teeth while
forming. I never came across anyone who had done this or even heard of it??
The main thing I try to keep in mind is a statement I think from a LLL info
sheet-some children get cavities while nursing, despite breastfeeding, not
because of it!! It reassured me a bit while going thru the bad mother guilt
trips when my tiny little girl had to have fillings!! We have a good
dentist-never wanted to scare the kids, and all have sat on my lap til ready
to sit in the chair alone-she's a gentle person-not a mom herself but
considers the kid's feelings as if she were one.  Our local pediatric
specialty dentists advocate tearing kids out of mom's arms,screaming, if
thet're scared and don't get the work done, they get no "prizes" like a
T-shirt-cavity busters-or the like, forbid you to go in back with them,
mostly do work under drugs and/or anesthesia; and this is the worst- my
friend's son was told stop crying, you better behave or we're going to have
to tell your mom you were really bad for us...never went to that !@#($*%&*&^
dentist(poor excuse for one!!) again!! Sorry, but kids don't need to be
treated like that...
                                        Georgeanne, Scranton,PA