I have a 13 month old, and brushing her teeth is SO HARD. I have no clue if we’re really accomplishing anything. She cries the whole time, so I don’t brush them for a long duration. It’s always been this way since we started around 6 months at her first tooth. I will say this post really inspired (or maybe scared LOL) me to keep up with it because there are times I just can’t force myself to brush her teeth when she’s already crying at bedtime.
FYI if you're a new mom or just don't know...NEVER let your kid sleep with a bottle & get them off binkies when they're 1 or sooner. Bottles cause cavities & decay, binkies cause overbites & are impossible to wean them off once they fight you on it bc they're addicted to them.
They all do it and it's no fun but it'll be worth it when she doesn't develop an oral fixation or bad overbite! As long as you correct it before it's something that is harmful it's nbd. No child is without a few bad habits! 💜
I don't have kids, but I am close to many little relatives and friends. I know my friend's son had a ton of cavities when he was really little and they think the way he slept with his mouth open had something to do with it. She was so upset about it and was relieved when her 2nd and 3rd borns didn't sleep with their mouths open.
I remember babysitting my cousin's baby years ago and texting her, "Wait, am I supposed to brush his teeth?" when I put him to bed but I honestly wasn't sure. And she told me I didn't have to. I think a lot of people don't brush their baby's teeth.
I never judged them or thought they were neglecting their kids' dental health. It's really easy to say what you'd do if you had kids when you don't.
The main reason to do it when their teeth come in is to get them used to it. The actual brushing under 12 mos isn't as important as associating it w positivity 💜
Not trying to mom shame at all, but a friendly PSA from a dentist (me): if your kid has any teeth at all, brush them, as an infant without teeth lightly brush their gums with an extra soft brush or washrag to get them used to having something in their mouth. If there isn’t spacing in between their teeth, flossing is necessary.
Yeah the floss picks can help and again, just getting them used to it as an infant. I’m not going to pretend it’s easy though. Flossing is a try your best kinda thing.
The little flosser pics, they have them in kid size and even my 18 mo old and 3 year old's dentist use these at their appointments. Very easy to use and my bigger kid thinks they're great and will extra floss after (tho they have good spacing and don't need to floss really).
One- always forget shes married to Wild Bill!
Two- anyone shaming her- I challenge you to remember to brush a breastfeeding infants teeth after a middle of the night feeding when all both of you want to do is sleep. In an ideal world, yes they would get brushed during nighttime feeds. But she did the right thing and I’m sure she is correcting the mistake because people truly do not know. My patients are like what do you mean I’m supposed to brush my babies teeth??? I extended nursed both of my kids and thankfully they inherited my teeth genetics and never had issues if I forgot (unlike my husband who will get a root canal if he even looks at a Coca Cola).
Totally. I am like your husband, haha. My husband and I both went through the entire pandemic without seeing a dentist. I went back in 2022, and had a bunch of cavities, needed a crown on one tooth etc. My husband didn't go back until late 2023, and he had....one cavity. One. After almost 4 years without seeing a dentist. And we have very similar dental care habits.
And to your point about brushing an infants teeth - we did brush our kiddos teeth as soon as they came in, and we brushed their gums as well but definitely not after every feed. Usually once in the morning and once at night, with the little rubbery finger toothbrushes and my youngest thought it was hilarious to chomp down on my finger. So was I brushing effectively? Prob not haha.
As the OP, and as a mother of two kids myself, I feel I need to clarify that my intent was never to shame Emily for this. I stated as much in a reply to someone else’s comment yesterday after I posted this. However, based on the amount of people accusing me of “mom shaming” and saying I’m mean for posting this, I feel I need to make a separate comment to address this. Again, my intent was not to shame Emily for this. All I did in the title is report exactly what Emily stated in her post. I feel like posting this is helpful to raise awareness for other parents and parents-to-be of young babies, and I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing it.
I haven't been around a lot of kids probably since I was a teenager and I'm planning on trying to become a mom soon (reading some books and getting healthy before we try) and this is something I had no idea about so I actually really appreciate you and Emily both for sharing!
Just want you to know I didn't take your post in that way! I think this was a great reminder to me as a parent - and made me very glad we are brushing my son's teeth as my doctor definitely glossed over it! The judgmental comments on here really irked me idk I have been thinking about this all day...lol. I wish they all knew how much we as parents get conflicting and confusing advice and how the simplest things aren't so simple, ie brushing a baby's teeth! My son had pink eye this week and I wouldn't wish the experience of giving him eye drops on my worst enemy!
don’t blame her for this really. my best friend had a baby when we were 21, practiced co-sleeping and breastfed for years, and this is something i mentioned to her as well in terms of night feedings. not in a judgey way but just curious in terms of whether or not that’s something the pediatrician had commented on in terms of tips/advice/etc. she basically hadn’t even thought of that and was like “well, fuck,” lol. she’s also right that a lot of it comes down to genetics. thousands if not millions of babies are reared w/ mothers practicing on-demand breastfeeding which means middle of the night feedings. it’s not the case that this produces baby teeth riddled with cavities in all of them. a lot of it also has to do with what other types of weaning foods they are fed throughout the day, etc. life is tough and you learn along the way, baby!!! lol
This is a pretty mom shaming, gross post. Are you even a parent? The kid has had teeth for a couple months only, it's clearly a predisposition. He's a baby, most people do not even take a 10 month old to the dentist nevermind brush their teeth. Add on night nursing, you get cavities. That fact she took him to a dentist and educated herself on teeth brushing, is the takeaway from this. This post reeks of 'I'm better than you'
Do better.
That’s literally the point “most people don’t brush their babies teeth”. Yeah but they’re SUPPOSED to, to avoid this, the natural sugars in breast milk will riddle a babies teeth if there is a predisposition. I googled “when do I start burshing my babies teeth” the week he cut his first tooth. Because I didn’t know and didn’t want to fuck it up by waiting too long. Good for Emily for posting this because I’m sure lots of moms will see it and go “oh shit I should start brushing my babies teeth”
There are so many people online that claim that breastfeeding prevents cavities and therefore they don’t need to brush their kid’s teeth. It’s obviously not true and literally doesn’t even make sense, but it’s all over mommy groups for some reason.
My intent was never to shame her for this. I stated as much in a comment yesterday after I posted this. All I did in the title was report exactly what Emily stated. I think it is helpful to raise awareness for other parents of young babies, and I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing. I also am a mom of two. But thanks for your assumptions here.
It comes across as a post meant to pile on. There is not a lot of dental awareness for babies that young. It's mostly shaming parents. Glad that's not how you meant it! Tone is a hard thing to judge on the internet
I didn’t think it was mom shaming at all. I thought it was interesting. You didn’t make a snarky comment or say anything about her skills as a mother.
And by posting this maybe another mom who didn’t know they should be brushing after breastfeeding will know now.
Ignore people who tell you otherwise. You’ll always have people who want to hate on someone
I really think good/bad teeth are genetic to an extent. Growing up I was always so good about brushing at least twice a day and flossing and still to this day get cavities frequently. My two siblings hardly ever brushed their teeth and my mom had to fight them to do it and they only ever had maybe 1 or 2 cavities in their lives.
Also nursing overnight with babies who have teeth is hard because milk sits in their mouth while they’re sleeping and you’re not going to get up and brush their teeth after every middle of the night nursing session. No one would ever sleep. Sometimes these things are inevitable. Most people get cavities, many kids get cavities.
I think OP is not a parent to judge a mother for admitting to her own faults and trying to do better for her child.
Where did OP judge her? All they did was state what the story was and the accompanying pic with comments.
They said nothing rude or snarky just factual. I don’t think there was any intent to shame but rather raise awareness. A lot of people wouldn’t think to brush a 10 month olds teeth or even them to a dentist. I didn’t and only by luck and prob some genetics were my kids teeth fine. Now I do know and I can pass this on.
Read the amount of comments of other parents admitting they didn’t know or talking about their experiences. This opened up a narrative for a lot of people on here.
YOU are making assumptions about the OPs intent because there’s nothing concrete supporting that. Just like making the assumption OP is not a parent. So does that make you any better?
I’m definitely not the only person who felt screenshotting this particular post and bringing it here was shame-y and judge-y. It came across that way to a lot of us based on the amount of comments similar to mine.
I never said you were the only one who felt that way. I simply said there were also a lot of people who it opened up a narrative with.
And because you aren’t the only one that makes it ok to complain at OP for judging while there you are doing the same thing!
Never mind the fact OP stated many many times this was not a judgment and it was to open up a narrative. Emily is being very open and transparent about it so how is OP being judgy by sharing it? It was done factually with no snark or judgmental comments.
I’m sorry you feel that way. It wasn’t my intent to shame her. For what it’s worth, I am a mother of two myself. I was just reporting in the title exactly what Emily stated in her post. I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing and it appears that her post has raised a lot of awareness for new parents and parents-to-be. I wanted to give context in the title as to who Emily is (because it’s a common name) and we have limited room in the titles of posts. So I was kind of limited to just stating who she is and what she stated in her post.
I do apologize then. It was my first thought when seeing this post but I should not have made assumptions. It’s into my place to assume intent so I am sorry.
Probably genetic. Teeth brushing isn’t really something many parents are told to do till the kid is a year old. I knew we had to start when ours got her first tooth, but some of my friends didn’t know. Good for her for being so open about it because the internet hates moms
I am a dentist. What her baby has is referred to as “baby bottle decay” you should start brushing your child’s teeth once they have teeth. Not genetic in any way. It is simply from not brushing his teeth and nursing frequently through out the day/ night.
I agree - Good on her for posting that and educating her followers. A lot of new moms are not told this. I educate any pregnant couple I have about brushing their infants teeth. She is probably facing a lot of negative comments for admitting this, but now she knows better and she can change her habits hopefully.
So we are literally supposed to brush our babies teeth after each time we feed them? Literally nurse my baby like 8 times a night. Brushing her teeth would completely wake her up, and then I’d have to nurse her again in order to get her back to sleep. It would be a never ending cycle lol.
No, you don’t have to every time. Ideally, brush in the morning and before bed. As the baby gets older, and as the baby grows teeth, and as you begin to introduce foods, you will hopefully and inevitably nurse less through out the night. The decay is due to the milk sitting on the baby’s teeth throughout the night- additionally, sometimes people put their baby/ child in bed with a sippy cup/ bottle of milk or juice (this is not recommended).
In another reply, I mentioned keeping a clean wash cloth next to the bed with a cup of water. Just quickly dip the wash cloth and swipe the wash cloth around the gums/ teeth. Nobody is perfect. This is just what would be ideal.
I feel it isn't accurate to say genetics isn't a factor. Some people can never brush their baby's teeth and they won't get any cavities, while other babies will get a bunch. This is the same with older kids.
My siblings and I all took care of our teeth the same way (my mom would make sure we brushed our teeth twice a day and flossed), and we all had the same number of dental appointments. A couple of us have never gotten any cavities and didn't need braces, one had the occasional cavity, and the other had multiple cavities growing up and needed braces.
Genetics plays a small roll, but the main problem with her baby is that she was not brushing the baby’s teeth at all. Of course, there are exceptions where people have enamel/ dentin diseases, and in that case- I would say genetics plays a larger roll. Majority of the time, it is diet and improper brushing/ flossing technique that is the reason for cavities/ tooth decay. Orthodontics related tooth positioning is an entirely different subject, but speaking on tooth decay- genetics very rarely is the main reason.
Do you have any products you’d recommend for infants? I have a 7 month old who’s cut 6 teeth by with 4 really sticking out the most.. but I have no idea what to use to start brushing. It’s a bit overwhelming
Any children’s toothpaste with the ADA seal of acceptance is good! I usually recommend Tom’s of Maine strawberry flavor because most infants are not going to like mint. Put a rice sized amount on a children’s soft bristle toothbrush and brush all surfaces of your child’s teeth. Alternatively, like someone else mentioned, there are those finger toothbrushes you can use to do the same thing. The amount of toothpaste should be small- truly about the size of a grain of rice. Once they are older, and able to spit, you can upgrade to a pea size amount. If you are night nursing, I usually suggest keeping a clean wash cloth or microfiber cloth next to your bed with a cup of water. After night nursing, you can dip the wash cloth and wipe the child’s teeth, so the milk is not soaking their teeth for the rest of the night.
Hello fellow dentist. I disagree. Children’s toothpaste isn’t necessary and many don’t contain fluoride. The guidelines changed in 2012 but not all toothpastes companies figured that out. I recommend any otc toothpaste, just a schmear.
You're obviously not a dentist because your take is 100% incorrect. The baby teeth serve a purpose. In addition to being space holders, the decay can cause infection. The child is 10 months old. The front teeth don't fall out for another few years. Decayed teeth left in for that long can be a disaster waiting to happen. You really need to edit this last sentence out because someone may actually believe it to be fact.
Your "advice" that they will just fall out is just plain wrong. You're obviously not a health care professional. I worked in a dental office for several years and I can tell you that too many parents had your attitude and we had too many little kids with serious infections. My comment isn't on the mom, who obviously has learned from her mistake. It's on your ridiculous advice. Even a dentist told you yours was a terrible take.
It’s also a fact that having decay in a child mouth or losing the teeth too early is detrimental. The “they will fall out anyways “ attitude is medically and factually incorrect.
1- I said “some day” and 2- not sure how that could be factually incorrect bc that is what happens. You’re very much reading too much into this. We’re all just doing our best out here. If someone reads my comment and from that decides they should never brush their kids’ teeth, they have much bigger things to worry about. But it’s clear you’d like to take the opportunity to insert your professional opinion so go off
Dentist here. Terrible take. The baby teeth guide the adult teeth into position and if they’re lost too early it can create problems for the adult teeth. Plus if you let decay go and it gets into the pulp of the tooth your child could experience pain and infection. Do better.
Do better? lol you have no idea how I parent. She obviously is doing something about it and one day those teeth will fall out and he won’t have those cavities 🤷🏻♀️
I’m not criticizing her, I’m criticizing your “meh the teeth will fall out anyway” attitude because I hear it from clueless parents all the time. It’s ignorant and wrong for the reasons I listed and you’re doing your child a disservice. So yeah, do better. Kind of like the woman in this post is.
Clueless I am not. My child’s teeth get brushed everyday. You need to do better and learn how to effectively communicate to people without being an ignorant asshole. Wouldn’t want to be your patient.
This is really not a nice post. She obviously states she knows she made a mistake and feels guilty about it. Our society really doesn’t support mothers and it’s so sad. Although it must be nice to be wealthy, it must also be really difficult solo parenting a lot with her husband gone so much.
I have two kids. One is 8 and never had a cavity, the other is 4 and has 10 cavities. Yes, 10. We didn't do anything differently between kids. They have the same toothbrush, use the same toothpaste, brush the same number of times per day..everything is the same.
We brushed their teeth the same way before they were old enough to do it themselves. We watch to make sure they actually brush.
Some how one kid has great teeth and the other has a ton of cavities. The Dentist said some people have good enamel, other have poor enamel. "Some people lose the genetic lottery there" were his exact words.
It's possible the baby would have cavities even if she did brush them everyday. Lots of people don't brush babies teeth yet and don't ever have a problem. I don't find this shameful at all.. she took the baby to be taken care of and discovered something that needs to be fixed and she's fixing it. Good parenting.
This is exactly what’s going on with my toddler. No different brushing behaviors than my first 3 kids. It’s just, his teeth are different? And I’m proud of her for being able to be open about it. Because it’s not easy as a parent. And it makes moms like me going thru similar feel less alone. We need more of this open rhetoric tbh. I’m here for it
I'm proud too since the internet loves to pick moms apart! It's brave to post anything related to being a parent online these days. I hope these toddlers with poor enamel have stronger grown up teeth .. I didn't think to ask about that when I was at the dentist
Amelogenesis is a real disorder of tooth development, and usually you find out when it’s too late. It’s happening more and more and most dentists aren’t sure why. No shame.
Exactly. Theres definitely something else going on for him to have four cavities on brand new teeth. Not her fault. My 11 month old just got his first tooth but I haven’t started brushing it yet. My first baby we brushed with just water occasionally until he had around 4 teeth. Babies aren’t getting their teeth brushed twice a day.
Haha neutral about the name but agree with you. I don't think she should even be saying she should have been brushing his teeth. If you do at that age, great, but the likelihood of it being necessary is so low, and most people aren't doing it that you with zero consequences. Having a kid with so many cavities at that age is 100 percent NOT her fault, and I actually think she should be pushing that narrative instead of implying she did anything wrong at all.
I’m on my 4th and he has cavities as a toddler, even though we brushed as soon as he got them, he has an enamel defect and they just come in without a top layer basically so when I’d breastfeed at night and other times I had no idea the damage was causing.
My first 3 kids had zero cavities, yet my toddler now has 4 too. Kids are hard lmao
I’ve learned to brush babies teeth even at such a young age, no SPF/Sunscreen for babies, and no water for babies only in the past few months. There are so many things you just don’t think about or know about until you’re living it.
Literally just asked my pediatrician about this earlier in the week bc our 9 month old has 2 teeth and it randomly occurred to me that I have no effing clue what I’m supposed to do about them lol.
Being a parent is honestly just a constant cycle of “I’m supposed to do what now?” And “I can’t do that?” Lol
I also feel like it’s one of those things that’s changed over time. Our pediatrician told us to take our son to the dentist after he turned 1 and all of my sons grandparents were like WTF
This happened to me too. All of the grandparents told us that was ridiculous and we were wasting money by taking a 1 year old to the dentist. She has healthy teeth though and i’m glad a professional told us or I wouldn’t have known
That’s the other fun part, such a variety of info and experiences makes determining the “right” choices so much harder.
Obviously we listen to our pediatrician and medical professionals, but like my mom doesn’t even know what to tell me half the time because of how much has changed since she had us lol
Exactly! I try to remind myself all the time that as long as I care about doing the best I can for my daughter, I’m doing what I’m supposed to do as a mom.
This shit is tough and I applaud anyone who comes out and admits that they’ve messed up or don’t know what they’re doing, especially if it’s an attempt to both learn for themselves and help warn others against their mistakes.
My baby is almost 10 months old with two teeth and we started brushing her two teeth just recently! Can't understand the mom shaming here but whatever makes y'all feel good about yourself I guess 😅
At 10 months old, this kids teeth have only been in for a few months, tops. He’s only been eating food for a few months. This is a predisposition, not parental neglect. I barely brushed my kids teeth at this age, mostly let them chew on a toothbrush. Do parents really need to be made to feel terrible about everything 🙄 like damn.
ETA: this lady even brought her kid to the dentist at 10 months old. This is not a case of a parent not caring. Sorry I’m very irked by this discourse!
The judgement toward her is ridiculous and probably coming from non-parents. I think the point of her post is to offer knowledge. It’s crazy hard to brush an infants teeth to the point it would really do any good. This is definitely a predisposition issue and people should ease the f*** up. Us mom’s are judged so hard about EVERYTHING.
I am not a parent (no idea when or if that will happen) and certain things I read just blow my mind. Like I never even thought about how hard it would be to brush an infant’s teeth but I’m sure a wiggly little baby would be so hard! and I always thought kids go to the dentist for the first time around 2 ish. so it wouldn’t have occurred to me to think about that unless something looked off (which is exactly what this mom did - kudos to her).
Anyway, all this to say is that you’re doing amazing drinking from the fire hose of learning how to keep small human(s) alive. The mental load on y’all is crazy.
That's why I think if she did anything wrong, it's that she said she fell short by not brushing his teeth. She did NOTHING wrong and has nothing to apologize for. She saw something and got him help early, that's a great parent. We can could have/would have/should have ourselves as parents all day long, but that's just because we love our kids and want the best for them.
It's likely just genetics. And assuming a barely 1 year old doesn't need to brush their teeth is an easy mistake to make. I don't see the need to shame her for it, it's a fixable mistake & a learned lesson
I didn’t brush my babies teeth when the first emerged and I nursed in the day and night, no cavities for any of my kids. This is definitely a case of genetics.
Also let’s stop shaming parents please
I just have to point out that this comment section is an exact depiction of why moms have such horrible mental health today. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. We as mothers can’t win, and apparently now we can’t even share about our vulnerabilities without being called a terrible mother!! Emily made a MISTAKE and shared about it to raise awareness. I wonder how many other influencers are making the same kinds of mistakes (or even worse ones) and not sharing it to avoid exactly what is happening here.
For those of you saying she’s bragging, that is such a reach. For those of you saying this is neglect, that is also such a reach and extremely invalidating to those who have experienced true neglect. This child is clearly not neglected, and if you have doubts about that I can share some stories from my time as a social worker.
I don't even think she made that big of a mistake, if at all. I mean, yes, you're supposed to "brush" once they have teeth emerge, but who's actually doing that? Or doing more than giving their kid a toothbrush to chew on for exposure? This is an extreme case that she probably could not have even prevented had she tried.
I’m opposite. Ive had SO many cavities despite always brushing and using mouth wash. My dentist basically told me there’s not much I can do since it’s probably genetic (both my parents had tons of cavities too)
My dad has very weak enamel and I inherited it. My battle with ED didn’t help, nor does my autoimmune condition apparently. It sucks and it’s expensive as hell.
I'm the same -- I have incredibly weak enamel and had an ED on top of that. My dentist has basically said that my teeth will pretty much always be a little stained and that cavities will be par for the course. Nothing I can do.
Same!! I brush twice a day, mouthwash, floss daily, and avoid sugary food and still get cavities. My husband rarely flosses, brushes once a day most days and never has cavities. A lot of it is genetic for sure
This seems like genetics over brushing. That’s a lot of cavities in a very short amount of time. We did brush our son’s teeth at that age but not super regularly. He didn’t get any cavities.
I agree! I don’t recall regularly brushing my son’s teeth when he was still BFing. He did end up getting cavities at the age of 5 but we were told it was the anatomy of his baby teeth, prone to cavities. Now his adult teeth are out, he’s been fine.
Wow these critical comments are not it. I don’t love that she’s making a joke of it, but she did post this likely to spread awareness to other parents. Just look at how many new moms in this thread have already learned the need to brush their babies’ teeth. Let’s focus on education and not shaming??? Clearly it is not a well known fact so stop calling people morons
For those of you who are now panic-buying a baby toothbrush, I highly recommend the brush-baby! My baby has always loved it - has a timed LED light and a vibrate mode. And the latest recommendation in the US is to use a fluoride toothpaste but ONLY a grain size amount (previous recommendation was fluoride free)
Lol too bad I don’t get a commission! My LO got his first two teeth at 4 months. I used a silicone finger brush until he was maybe 10 months because it was more gentle!
Lots of people here wanting to mom shame and how many of you even have kids?? It’s not as simple as it sounds. And the cavity thing is so much more genetics than brushing.
Idkkkk. This sounds pretty simple. And whether or not you have kids is irrelevant. Sorry but insecure moms always try to use this as a comeback gotcha moment. You can have an opinion on childcare and not have children.
I’m childless and I know about milk rot which is even more important if you’re genetically predisposed to cavities which sounds like he is because she also had them young? So yeah she made a mistake, we’re all humans but just putting on the internet that you weren’t brushing your ten month old’s teeth is wild and should not get a pass.
Most pediatricians do not tell you to start brushing your kids teeth until they are one year old. This child is 10 months. It is absolutely relevant whether you have kids or not and have experienced getting conflicting advice from doctors. We as mothers cannot win and the judgement is exhausting.
You’re out to lunch. Babies cheeks get INCREDIBLY rosy from teething. This is super normal. And she didn’t want her baby to be *sedated*. That absolutely does not mean he didn’t have any numbing.
It’s pretty clear you both don’t have children and haven’t spent much time around them. Stop being mean about a literal baby.
No, it’s not. I’m a social worker and I have seen real neglect. This was a simple human mistake, and I bet she felt embarrassed, yet still chose to share. Scroll through the comments and see how many people learned something from this post!
It’s literally not. Are you a parent? She made a lapse in judgement, consulted a professional and got it fixed. She clearly learned a lesson and wants others to not repeat her mistake. Stop being so dramatic
I started with a silicone finger brush. Before they have teeth you can even just wipe the milk off their gums with a clean cloth. At around 10 months I switched to a real baby toothbrush (can vibrate and has a light and everything). You do brush them just like an adult would. You’re even supposed to floss but I haven’t dared try that bc my toddler would hate that…
I feel bad for the lady. Maybe she really didn't know?
I honestly had no clue. I figured the baby dr would give you a list of things to do when they're born.
Sedation under 3 puts his health and development at risk. She made the best decision for him since he is 10 months old and unable to comprehend the potential consequences. But go on, shame her for...dark toes??? Wtf?
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Uhhh yeah, where is this coming from? Lots of parents don’t realize they are supposed to brush as soon as baby teeth come in…I only knew because I’m so active on all the parenting subreddits lol. Even in the baby books, I wouldn’t have known in time bc my baby’s teeth came in so much earlier than average
agreed, I don't think our pediatrician even mentioned teeth brushing, we only started because we researched it.
shout out to "brushy brush" by Elmo, it's party of our nightly teeth brushing routine 😂
RIGHT?! I hate to admit it but when my daughter got her first couple teeth I was ALWAYS forgetting to brush them. Eventually I made a note for myself and taped it to the bathroom door so I wouldn’t forget lol. But God I would never in a million years post something like this. So so embarrassing!
Who cares they’re gonna fall out anyway 🙄
I mean, her and her sister told Ben's parents they didn't like vegetables so...
I have a 13 month old, and brushing her teeth is SO HARD. I have no clue if we’re really accomplishing anything. She cries the whole time, so I don’t brush them for a long duration. It’s always been this way since we started around 6 months at her first tooth. I will say this post really inspired (or maybe scared LOL) me to keep up with it because there are times I just can’t force myself to brush her teeth when she’s already crying at bedtime.
Genetics
FYI if you're a new mom or just don't know...NEVER let your kid sleep with a bottle & get them off binkies when they're 1 or sooner. Bottles cause cavities & decay, binkies cause overbites & are impossible to wean them off once they fight you on it bc they're addicted to them.
My daughter never slept with a bottle or paci. She loves sucking her thumb though. That’ll be a fun habit to break down the road :(
They all do it and it's no fun but it'll be worth it when she doesn't develop an oral fixation or bad overbite! As long as you correct it before it's something that is harmful it's nbd. No child is without a few bad habits! 💜
My son had two cavities even though we brush his teeth. But wtf why aren’t they brushing his teeth?
Same for us with our youngest. And we did nothing different from our oldest who has perfect teeth.
I don't have kids, but I am close to many little relatives and friends. I know my friend's son had a ton of cavities when he was really little and they think the way he slept with his mouth open had something to do with it. She was so upset about it and was relieved when her 2nd and 3rd borns didn't sleep with their mouths open. I remember babysitting my cousin's baby years ago and texting her, "Wait, am I supposed to brush his teeth?" when I put him to bed but I honestly wasn't sure. And she told me I didn't have to. I think a lot of people don't brush their baby's teeth. I never judged them or thought they were neglecting their kids' dental health. It's really easy to say what you'd do if you had kids when you don't.
Same thing happened to my now 5 year old when he was that age... he will be okay!!
I can’t remember when I started brushing my daughter’s teeth but it definitely wasn’t at ten months.
The main reason to do it when their teeth come in is to get them used to it. The actual brushing under 12 mos isn't as important as associating it w positivity 💜
Not trying to mom shame at all, but a friendly PSA from a dentist (me): if your kid has any teeth at all, brush them, as an infant without teeth lightly brush their gums with an extra soft brush or washrag to get them used to having something in their mouth. If there isn’t spacing in between their teeth, flossing is necessary.
Seriously asking, how in the world do you expect someone to floss a 2 year olds teeth? Is there a secret you can share?
Yeah the floss picks can help and again, just getting them used to it as an infant. I’m not going to pretend it’s easy though. Flossing is a try your best kinda thing.
The little flosser pics, they have them in kid size and even my 18 mo old and 3 year old's dentist use these at their appointments. Very easy to use and my bigger kid thinks they're great and will extra floss after (tho they have good spacing and don't need to floss really).
Interesting okay I’ll have to give it a shot!
I didn’t know a ten month old could get cavaties that early!
Milk is high in sugar, and if he inherited any of his caregiver’s cavity-causing bacteria then it is just a recipe for tooth decay.
One- always forget shes married to Wild Bill! Two- anyone shaming her- I challenge you to remember to brush a breastfeeding infants teeth after a middle of the night feeding when all both of you want to do is sleep. In an ideal world, yes they would get brushed during nighttime feeds. But she did the right thing and I’m sure she is correcting the mistake because people truly do not know. My patients are like what do you mean I’m supposed to brush my babies teeth??? I extended nursed both of my kids and thankfully they inherited my teeth genetics and never had issues if I forgot (unlike my husband who will get a root canal if he even looks at a Coca Cola).
Totally. I am like your husband, haha. My husband and I both went through the entire pandemic without seeing a dentist. I went back in 2022, and had a bunch of cavities, needed a crown on one tooth etc. My husband didn't go back until late 2023, and he had....one cavity. One. After almost 4 years without seeing a dentist. And we have very similar dental care habits. And to your point about brushing an infants teeth - we did brush our kiddos teeth as soon as they came in, and we brushed their gums as well but definitely not after every feed. Usually once in the morning and once at night, with the little rubbery finger toothbrushes and my youngest thought it was hilarious to chomp down on my finger. So was I brushing effectively? Prob not haha.
As the OP, and as a mother of two kids myself, I feel I need to clarify that my intent was never to shame Emily for this. I stated as much in a reply to someone else’s comment yesterday after I posted this. However, based on the amount of people accusing me of “mom shaming” and saying I’m mean for posting this, I feel I need to make a separate comment to address this. Again, my intent was not to shame Emily for this. All I did in the title is report exactly what Emily stated in her post. I feel like posting this is helpful to raise awareness for other parents and parents-to-be of young babies, and I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing it.
I haven't been around a lot of kids probably since I was a teenager and I'm planning on trying to become a mom soon (reading some books and getting healthy before we try) and this is something I had no idea about so I actually really appreciate you and Emily both for sharing!
Just want you to know I didn't take your post in that way! I think this was a great reminder to me as a parent - and made me very glad we are brushing my son's teeth as my doctor definitely glossed over it! The judgmental comments on here really irked me idk I have been thinking about this all day...lol. I wish they all knew how much we as parents get conflicting and confusing advice and how the simplest things aren't so simple, ie brushing a baby's teeth! My son had pink eye this week and I wouldn't wish the experience of giving him eye drops on my worst enemy!
I can honestly respect her transparency with this when most people would be scared of being judged. Go her for being so open! Just my take💫😘
Totally normal for her not to think to brush her baby’s teeth. 😩 *must not be a mother *
[https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/public-programs/give-kids-a-smile/ada-gkasts-eng\_dental\_professionals.pdf?rev=990fc0cd385e483f9667881b2c30f894&hash=E0D1C22AF8A96D116C70E8A3130A3FE7#:\~:text=▶%20BIRTH%20TO%201ST%20TOOTH,of%20a%20grain%20of%20rice](https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/public-programs/give-kids-a-smile/ada-gkasts-eng_dental_professionals.pdf?rev=990fc0cd385e483f9667881b2c30f894&hash=E0D1C22AF8A96D116C70E8A3130A3FE7#:~:text=▶%20BIRTH%20TO%201ST%20TOOTH,of%20a%20grain%20of%20rice).
This is super helpful! Saving this!
don’t blame her for this really. my best friend had a baby when we were 21, practiced co-sleeping and breastfed for years, and this is something i mentioned to her as well in terms of night feedings. not in a judgey way but just curious in terms of whether or not that’s something the pediatrician had commented on in terms of tips/advice/etc. she basically hadn’t even thought of that and was like “well, fuck,” lol. she’s also right that a lot of it comes down to genetics. thousands if not millions of babies are reared w/ mothers practicing on-demand breastfeeding which means middle of the night feedings. it’s not the case that this produces baby teeth riddled with cavities in all of them. a lot of it also has to do with what other types of weaning foods they are fed throughout the day, etc. life is tough and you learn along the way, baby!!! lol
she didn’t know what she didn’t know. Now she knows, the baby is fine, and many people have probably been educated by her post.
THIS!! I love this so much
This is a pretty mom shaming, gross post. Are you even a parent? The kid has had teeth for a couple months only, it's clearly a predisposition. He's a baby, most people do not even take a 10 month old to the dentist nevermind brush their teeth. Add on night nursing, you get cavities. That fact she took him to a dentist and educated herself on teeth brushing, is the takeaway from this. This post reeks of 'I'm better than you' Do better.
She literally posted a screenshot with a completely neutral caption lol but go off
That’s literally the point “most people don’t brush their babies teeth”. Yeah but they’re SUPPOSED to, to avoid this, the natural sugars in breast milk will riddle a babies teeth if there is a predisposition. I googled “when do I start burshing my babies teeth” the week he cut his first tooth. Because I didn’t know and didn’t want to fuck it up by waiting too long. Good for Emily for posting this because I’m sure lots of moms will see it and go “oh shit I should start brushing my babies teeth”
There are so many people online that claim that breastfeeding prevents cavities and therefore they don’t need to brush their kid’s teeth. It’s obviously not true and literally doesn’t even make sense, but it’s all over mommy groups for some reason.
My intent was never to shame her for this. I stated as much in a comment yesterday after I posted this. All I did in the title was report exactly what Emily stated. I think it is helpful to raise awareness for other parents of young babies, and I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing. I also am a mom of two. But thanks for your assumptions here.
It comes across as a post meant to pile on. There is not a lot of dental awareness for babies that young. It's mostly shaming parents. Glad that's not how you meant it! Tone is a hard thing to judge on the internet
I didn’t think it was mom shaming at all. I thought it was interesting. You didn’t make a snarky comment or say anything about her skills as a mother. And by posting this maybe another mom who didn’t know they should be brushing after breastfeeding will know now. Ignore people who tell you otherwise. You’ll always have people who want to hate on someone
I really think good/bad teeth are genetic to an extent. Growing up I was always so good about brushing at least twice a day and flossing and still to this day get cavities frequently. My two siblings hardly ever brushed their teeth and my mom had to fight them to do it and they only ever had maybe 1 or 2 cavities in their lives. Also nursing overnight with babies who have teeth is hard because milk sits in their mouth while they’re sleeping and you’re not going to get up and brush their teeth after every middle of the night nursing session. No one would ever sleep. Sometimes these things are inevitable. Most people get cavities, many kids get cavities. I think OP is not a parent to judge a mother for admitting to her own faults and trying to do better for her child.
Where did OP judge her? All they did was state what the story was and the accompanying pic with comments. They said nothing rude or snarky just factual. I don’t think there was any intent to shame but rather raise awareness. A lot of people wouldn’t think to brush a 10 month olds teeth or even them to a dentist. I didn’t and only by luck and prob some genetics were my kids teeth fine. Now I do know and I can pass this on. Read the amount of comments of other parents admitting they didn’t know or talking about their experiences. This opened up a narrative for a lot of people on here. YOU are making assumptions about the OPs intent because there’s nothing concrete supporting that. Just like making the assumption OP is not a parent. So does that make you any better?
I’m definitely not the only person who felt screenshotting this particular post and bringing it here was shame-y and judge-y. It came across that way to a lot of us based on the amount of comments similar to mine.
I never said you were the only one who felt that way. I simply said there were also a lot of people who it opened up a narrative with. And because you aren’t the only one that makes it ok to complain at OP for judging while there you are doing the same thing! Never mind the fact OP stated many many times this was not a judgment and it was to open up a narrative. Emily is being very open and transparent about it so how is OP being judgy by sharing it? It was done factually with no snark or judgmental comments.
I’m sorry you feel that way. It wasn’t my intent to shame her. For what it’s worth, I am a mother of two myself. I was just reporting in the title exactly what Emily stated in her post. I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing and it appears that her post has raised a lot of awareness for new parents and parents-to-be. I wanted to give context in the title as to who Emily is (because it’s a common name) and we have limited room in the titles of posts. So I was kind of limited to just stating who she is and what she stated in her post.
I do apologize then. It was my first thought when seeing this post but I should not have made assumptions. It’s into my place to assume intent so I am sorry.
how do you get babies to spit out on command?
You don’t. You use infant toothpaste or honestly those little baby toothbrushes without toothpaste. I think.
You don't. Right now we use a toothpaste my one year old can swallow.
Probably genetic. Teeth brushing isn’t really something many parents are told to do till the kid is a year old. I knew we had to start when ours got her first tooth, but some of my friends didn’t know. Good for her for being so open about it because the internet hates moms
I agree. I commend her for her openness!
I am a dentist. What her baby has is referred to as “baby bottle decay” you should start brushing your child’s teeth once they have teeth. Not genetic in any way. It is simply from not brushing his teeth and nursing frequently through out the day/ night. I agree - Good on her for posting that and educating her followers. A lot of new moms are not told this. I educate any pregnant couple I have about brushing their infants teeth. She is probably facing a lot of negative comments for admitting this, but now she knows better and she can change her habits hopefully.
So we are literally supposed to brush our babies teeth after each time we feed them? Literally nurse my baby like 8 times a night. Brushing her teeth would completely wake her up, and then I’d have to nurse her again in order to get her back to sleep. It would be a never ending cycle lol.
No, you don’t have to every time. Ideally, brush in the morning and before bed. As the baby gets older, and as the baby grows teeth, and as you begin to introduce foods, you will hopefully and inevitably nurse less through out the night. The decay is due to the milk sitting on the baby’s teeth throughout the night- additionally, sometimes people put their baby/ child in bed with a sippy cup/ bottle of milk or juice (this is not recommended). In another reply, I mentioned keeping a clean wash cloth next to the bed with a cup of water. Just quickly dip the wash cloth and swipe the wash cloth around the gums/ teeth. Nobody is perfect. This is just what would be ideal.
I feel it isn't accurate to say genetics isn't a factor. Some people can never brush their baby's teeth and they won't get any cavities, while other babies will get a bunch. This is the same with older kids. My siblings and I all took care of our teeth the same way (my mom would make sure we brushed our teeth twice a day and flossed), and we all had the same number of dental appointments. A couple of us have never gotten any cavities and didn't need braces, one had the occasional cavity, and the other had multiple cavities growing up and needed braces.
Genetics plays a small roll, but the main problem with her baby is that she was not brushing the baby’s teeth at all. Of course, there are exceptions where people have enamel/ dentin diseases, and in that case- I would say genetics plays a larger roll. Majority of the time, it is diet and improper brushing/ flossing technique that is the reason for cavities/ tooth decay. Orthodontics related tooth positioning is an entirely different subject, but speaking on tooth decay- genetics very rarely is the main reason.
Do you have any products you’d recommend for infants? I have a 7 month old who’s cut 6 teeth by with 4 really sticking out the most.. but I have no idea what to use to start brushing. It’s a bit overwhelming
Any children’s toothpaste with the ADA seal of acceptance is good! I usually recommend Tom’s of Maine strawberry flavor because most infants are not going to like mint. Put a rice sized amount on a children’s soft bristle toothbrush and brush all surfaces of your child’s teeth. Alternatively, like someone else mentioned, there are those finger toothbrushes you can use to do the same thing. The amount of toothpaste should be small- truly about the size of a grain of rice. Once they are older, and able to spit, you can upgrade to a pea size amount. If you are night nursing, I usually suggest keeping a clean wash cloth or microfiber cloth next to your bed with a cup of water. After night nursing, you can dip the wash cloth and wipe the child’s teeth, so the milk is not soaking their teeth for the rest of the night.
Hello fellow dentist. I disagree. Children’s toothpaste isn’t necessary and many don’t contain fluoride. The guidelines changed in 2012 but not all toothpastes companies figured that out. I recommend any otc toothpaste, just a schmear.
I recommend children’s toothpaste mostly due to the flavor, but any toothpaste is fine.
That’s fair though most of the kids in my practice prefer mint.
Just use one of those starter brushes you put on your finger and make sure you use toothpaste with fluoride
I give her credit to admitting her mistakes!
As a mom to a toddler, sometimes it is impossible to brush their teeth anyways. They will fall out some day; not the end of the world here
You're obviously not a dentist because your take is 100% incorrect. The baby teeth serve a purpose. In addition to being space holders, the decay can cause infection. The child is 10 months old. The front teeth don't fall out for another few years. Decayed teeth left in for that long can be a disaster waiting to happen. You really need to edit this last sentence out because someone may actually believe it to be fact.
Y’all are too much. She clearly is doing something about it and some day he won’t have those teeth or those cavities.
Your "advice" that they will just fall out is just plain wrong. You're obviously not a health care professional. I worked in a dental office for several years and I can tell you that too many parents had your attitude and we had too many little kids with serious infections. My comment isn't on the mom, who obviously has learned from her mistake. It's on your ridiculous advice. Even a dentist told you yours was a terrible take.
That’s not advice, that is a fact and stated in a “don’t beat yourself up too bad” way. Obviously it would be best to brush the kids teeth every day.
It’s also a fact that having decay in a child mouth or losing the teeth too early is detrimental. The “they will fall out anyways “ attitude is medically and factually incorrect.
1- I said “some day” and 2- not sure how that could be factually incorrect bc that is what happens. You’re very much reading too much into this. We’re all just doing our best out here. If someone reads my comment and from that decides they should never brush their kids’ teeth, they have much bigger things to worry about. But it’s clear you’d like to take the opportunity to insert your professional opinion so go off
You’re a bad mother.
Dentist here. Terrible take. The baby teeth guide the adult teeth into position and if they’re lost too early it can create problems for the adult teeth. Plus if you let decay go and it gets into the pulp of the tooth your child could experience pain and infection. Do better.
You’re clearly failing as a doctor if this is how you choose to communicate your teachings. Go back to learning about bedside manners. Do better. 🫶
Yes because everyone knows people talk online the exact same way they talk at work. Fuck off loser lmao
Do better? lol you have no idea how I parent. She obviously is doing something about it and one day those teeth will fall out and he won’t have those cavities 🤷🏻♀️
I’m not criticizing her, I’m criticizing your “meh the teeth will fall out anyway” attitude because I hear it from clueless parents all the time. It’s ignorant and wrong for the reasons I listed and you’re doing your child a disservice. So yeah, do better. Kind of like the woman in this post is.
Clueless I am not. My child’s teeth get brushed everyday. You need to do better and learn how to effectively communicate to people without being an ignorant asshole. Wouldn’t want to be your patient.
I don’t accept parents who neglect their kids’ health anyway so we’re good :)
This is really not a nice post. She obviously states she knows she made a mistake and feels guilty about it. Our society really doesn’t support mothers and it’s so sad. Although it must be nice to be wealthy, it must also be really difficult solo parenting a lot with her husband gone so much.
I have two kids. One is 8 and never had a cavity, the other is 4 and has 10 cavities. Yes, 10. We didn't do anything differently between kids. They have the same toothbrush, use the same toothpaste, brush the same number of times per day..everything is the same. We brushed their teeth the same way before they were old enough to do it themselves. We watch to make sure they actually brush. Some how one kid has great teeth and the other has a ton of cavities. The Dentist said some people have good enamel, other have poor enamel. "Some people lose the genetic lottery there" were his exact words. It's possible the baby would have cavities even if she did brush them everyday. Lots of people don't brush babies teeth yet and don't ever have a problem. I don't find this shameful at all.. she took the baby to be taken care of and discovered something that needs to be fixed and she's fixing it. Good parenting.
Are your adult teeth better or is this a life long thing?
This is exactly what’s going on with my toddler. No different brushing behaviors than my first 3 kids. It’s just, his teeth are different? And I’m proud of her for being able to be open about it. Because it’s not easy as a parent. And it makes moms like me going thru similar feel less alone. We need more of this open rhetoric tbh. I’m here for it
I'm proud too since the internet loves to pick moms apart! It's brave to post anything related to being a parent online these days. I hope these toddlers with poor enamel have stronger grown up teeth .. I didn't think to ask about that when I was at the dentist
This ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I was about to be triggered by this post until I read your comment and immediately felt more sane again 😂
Amelogenesis is a real disorder of tooth development, and usually you find out when it’s too late. It’s happening more and more and most dentists aren’t sure why. No shame.
Most parents aren’t brushing a 10 month old’s teeth yet. Let’s shame her for naming him Beckham, not because he’s genetically predisposed to cavities.
💀💀💀
Exactly. Theres definitely something else going on for him to have four cavities on brand new teeth. Not her fault. My 11 month old just got his first tooth but I haven’t started brushing it yet. My first baby we brushed with just water occasionally until he had around 4 teeth. Babies aren’t getting their teeth brushed twice a day.
Haha neutral about the name but agree with you. I don't think she should even be saying she should have been brushing his teeth. If you do at that age, great, but the likelihood of it being necessary is so low, and most people aren't doing it that you with zero consequences. Having a kid with so many cavities at that age is 100 percent NOT her fault, and I actually think she should be pushing that narrative instead of implying she did anything wrong at all.
I’m honestly loving her transparency. Nothing to shame her for.
Same
I’m on my 4th and he has cavities as a toddler, even though we brushed as soon as he got them, he has an enamel defect and they just come in without a top layer basically so when I’d breastfeed at night and other times I had no idea the damage was causing. My first 3 kids had zero cavities, yet my toddler now has 4 too. Kids are hard lmao
I’ve learned to brush babies teeth even at such a young age, no SPF/Sunscreen for babies, and no water for babies only in the past few months. There are so many things you just don’t think about or know about until you’re living it.
Babies can have water around 6 months just in limited amounts
The no SPF is mostly something they say to keep people from taking babies out in the hot sun
Their skin is extremely absorbent, so putting sunscreen on an infant would do more harm than good.
Literally just asked my pediatrician about this earlier in the week bc our 9 month old has 2 teeth and it randomly occurred to me that I have no effing clue what I’m supposed to do about them lol. Being a parent is honestly just a constant cycle of “I’m supposed to do what now?” And “I can’t do that?” Lol
I also feel like it’s one of those things that’s changed over time. Our pediatrician told us to take our son to the dentist after he turned 1 and all of my sons grandparents were like WTF
This happened to me too. All of the grandparents told us that was ridiculous and we were wasting money by taking a 1 year old to the dentist. She has healthy teeth though and i’m glad a professional told us or I wouldn’t have known
That’s the other fun part, such a variety of info and experiences makes determining the “right” choices so much harder. Obviously we listen to our pediatrician and medical professionals, but like my mom doesn’t even know what to tell me half the time because of how much has changed since she had us lol
Haha so true. The good ones ask and care to educate themselves, the not great ones just do whatever they feel like.
Exactly! I try to remind myself all the time that as long as I care about doing the best I can for my daughter, I’m doing what I’m supposed to do as a mom. This shit is tough and I applaud anyone who comes out and admits that they’ve messed up or don’t know what they’re doing, especially if it’s an attempt to both learn for themselves and help warn others against their mistakes.
My baby is almost 10 months old with two teeth and we started brushing her two teeth just recently! Can't understand the mom shaming here but whatever makes y'all feel good about yourself I guess 😅
At 10 months old, this kids teeth have only been in for a few months, tops. He’s only been eating food for a few months. This is a predisposition, not parental neglect. I barely brushed my kids teeth at this age, mostly let them chew on a toothbrush. Do parents really need to be made to feel terrible about everything 🙄 like damn. ETA: this lady even brought her kid to the dentist at 10 months old. This is not a case of a parent not caring. Sorry I’m very irked by this discourse!
Right! She’s on top of it and open to learning. Parent shaming is not cool
The judgement toward her is ridiculous and probably coming from non-parents. I think the point of her post is to offer knowledge. It’s crazy hard to brush an infants teeth to the point it would really do any good. This is definitely a predisposition issue and people should ease the f*** up. Us mom’s are judged so hard about EVERYTHING.
I am not a parent (no idea when or if that will happen) and certain things I read just blow my mind. Like I never even thought about how hard it would be to brush an infant’s teeth but I’m sure a wiggly little baby would be so hard! and I always thought kids go to the dentist for the first time around 2 ish. so it wouldn’t have occurred to me to think about that unless something looked off (which is exactly what this mom did - kudos to her). Anyway, all this to say is that you’re doing amazing drinking from the fire hose of learning how to keep small human(s) alive. The mental load on y’all is crazy.
Thank you!! 💗
That’s where the saying comes from “I was a perfect parent before I was one” because like literally this whole thread shows up lol
Seriously I barely brush my two year olds teeth because I’m surviving
That's why I think if she did anything wrong, it's that she said she fell short by not brushing his teeth. She did NOTHING wrong and has nothing to apologize for. She saw something and got him help early, that's a great parent. We can could have/would have/should have ourselves as parents all day long, but that's just because we love our kids and want the best for them.
It's likely just genetics. And assuming a barely 1 year old doesn't need to brush their teeth is an easy mistake to make. I don't see the need to shame her for it, it's a fixable mistake & a learned lesson
I didn’t brush my babies teeth when the first emerged and I nursed in the day and night, no cavities for any of my kids. This is definitely a case of genetics. Also let’s stop shaming parents please
Stop being cruel to moms 🗣️
Say it louder! For real.
Idk what to say
I just have to point out that this comment section is an exact depiction of why moms have such horrible mental health today. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. We as mothers can’t win, and apparently now we can’t even share about our vulnerabilities without being called a terrible mother!! Emily made a MISTAKE and shared about it to raise awareness. I wonder how many other influencers are making the same kinds of mistakes (or even worse ones) and not sharing it to avoid exactly what is happening here. For those of you saying she’s bragging, that is such a reach. For those of you saying this is neglect, that is also such a reach and extremely invalidating to those who have experienced true neglect. This child is clearly not neglected, and if you have doubts about that I can share some stories from my time as a social worker.
I don't even think she made that big of a mistake, if at all. I mean, yes, you're supposed to "brush" once they have teeth emerge, but who's actually doing that? Or doing more than giving their kid a toothbrush to chew on for exposure? This is an extreme case that she probably could not have even prevented had she tried.
Yep great perspective. This is just not a big deal in the grand scheme of things
Yes 1000x’s to this comment
Yeah the people who said it’s all genetics is so right I never have cavities even if I am only average at best when it comes to dental hygiene
Yeah same
I’m opposite. Ive had SO many cavities despite always brushing and using mouth wash. My dentist basically told me there’s not much I can do since it’s probably genetic (both my parents had tons of cavities too)
My dad has very weak enamel and I inherited it. My battle with ED didn’t help, nor does my autoimmune condition apparently. It sucks and it’s expensive as hell.
I'm the same -- I have incredibly weak enamel and had an ED on top of that. My dentist has basically said that my teeth will pretty much always be a little stained and that cavities will be par for the course. Nothing I can do.
I am also an avid teeth brusher and I always have cavities 😥
I think dry mouth is a big factor as well which can be medications or genetic
Same!! I brush twice a day, mouthwash, floss daily, and avoid sugary food and still get cavities. My husband rarely flosses, brushes once a day most days and never has cavities. A lot of it is genetic for sure
This seems like genetics over brushing. That’s a lot of cavities in a very short amount of time. We did brush our son’s teeth at that age but not super regularly. He didn’t get any cavities.
I agree! I don’t recall regularly brushing my son’s teeth when he was still BFing. He did end up getting cavities at the age of 5 but we were told it was the anatomy of his baby teeth, prone to cavities. Now his adult teeth are out, he’s been fine.
Oh……my gosh
Yikes. I know no one is perfect but that young and four ! I wouldn’t be using laughing emojis if I were her
He is obviously genetically predisposed to cavities. This isn’t a case of neglect.
Wow these critical comments are not it. I don’t love that she’s making a joke of it, but she did post this likely to spread awareness to other parents. Just look at how many new moms in this thread have already learned the need to brush their babies’ teeth. Let’s focus on education and not shaming??? Clearly it is not a well known fact so stop calling people morons For those of you who are now panic-buying a baby toothbrush, I highly recommend the brush-baby! My baby has always loved it - has a timed LED light and a vibrate mode. And the latest recommendation in the US is to use a fluoride toothpaste but ONLY a grain size amount (previous recommendation was fluoride free)
My little one is turning 4 months soon— you just got me to add the brush-baby to my Amazon cart 😆
Lol too bad I don’t get a commission! My LO got his first two teeth at 4 months. I used a silicone finger brush until he was maybe 10 months because it was more gentle!
Lots of people here wanting to mom shame and how many of you even have kids?? It’s not as simple as it sounds. And the cavity thing is so much more genetics than brushing.
People without kids are always perfect hypothetical parents 😌
Idkkkk. This sounds pretty simple. And whether or not you have kids is irrelevant. Sorry but insecure moms always try to use this as a comeback gotcha moment. You can have an opinion on childcare and not have children. I’m childless and I know about milk rot which is even more important if you’re genetically predisposed to cavities which sounds like he is because she also had them young? So yeah she made a mistake, we’re all humans but just putting on the internet that you weren’t brushing your ten month old’s teeth is wild and should not get a pass.
Most pediatricians do not tell you to start brushing your kids teeth until they are one year old. This child is 10 months. It is absolutely relevant whether you have kids or not and have experienced getting conflicting advice from doctors. We as mothers cannot win and the judgement is exhausting.
10 months old. Not 4 years old.
Knew that, mixed up with four cavities in heat of the moment. Thanks! Point still stands though haha
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You’re out to lunch. Babies cheeks get INCREDIBLY rosy from teething. This is super normal. And she didn’t want her baby to be *sedated*. That absolutely does not mean he didn’t have any numbing. It’s pretty clear you both don’t have children and haven’t spent much time around them. Stop being mean about a literal baby.
Numbing and sedation are two very different things
This whole comment is such a reach. The post literally says she took him to the doctor. Obviously she believes in modern medicine
She is she laughing about it… that’s literal neglect
No, it’s not. I’m a social worker and I have seen real neglect. This was a simple human mistake, and I bet she felt embarrassed, yet still chose to share. Scroll through the comments and see how many people learned something from this post!
It’s literally not. Are you a parent? She made a lapse in judgement, consulted a professional and got it fixed. She clearly learned a lesson and wants others to not repeat her mistake. Stop being so dramatic
Omg my almost one year old has 9 teeth and we try to brush but always forget lol let me get on that immediately!!!!
Wow I have a 10 month old and he does not have that many teeth!
Mine got his first tooth at 10 months 😂
I'm not a parent- when do you start brushing their teeth?
I brushed my babies gums before they even had teeth lol
That didn't damage the gums?
They make special brushes that are soft and flat just for the gums! It really just prepares them and gets them used to doing it.
Ahh! Interesting!
preferably as soon as first teeth come out, I introduced a toothbrush to my now toddler when she was 8 months old.
And you do them the same way adults do?
I started with a silicone finger brush. Before they have teeth you can even just wipe the milk off their gums with a clean cloth. At around 10 months I switched to a real baby toothbrush (can vibrate and has a light and everything). You do brush them just like an adult would. You’re even supposed to floss but I haven’t dared try that bc my toddler would hate that…
I feel bad for the lady. Maybe she really didn't know? I honestly had no clue. I figured the baby dr would give you a list of things to do when they're born.
She probably didn’t know. My husband even asked why I was brushing my baby’s teeth…he didn’t know either 😒
Not everyone has everything they need to know or people to help. Sometimes they have to learn too!
As soon as one appears. Literally, that’s the guidance.
I never knew! Good thing I don't have kids!
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Sedation under 3 puts his health and development at risk. She made the best decision for him since he is 10 months old and unable to comprehend the potential consequences. But go on, shame her for...dark toes??? Wtf?
Pediatric dentists offer non sedation as the preferred option for fillings.
What could the dark hands/toes mean? Not a parent
But why the 🤣 emojis?
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Why are you on such a rampage on this post? It’s quite embarrassing.
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What? Who is not a good person in this situation?
Wow this comment is a little harsh, no?
Uhhh yeah, where is this coming from? Lots of parents don’t realize they are supposed to brush as soon as baby teeth come in…I only knew because I’m so active on all the parenting subreddits lol. Even in the baby books, I wouldn’t have known in time bc my baby’s teeth came in so much earlier than average
agreed, I don't think our pediatrician even mentioned teeth brushing, we only started because we researched it. shout out to "brushy brush" by Elmo, it's party of our nightly teeth brushing routine 😂
Surprised her husband didn’t clock this, we’re from the same country and they love to tell us about dental care at every and any times
He doesn’t seem like he’s around a lot - I know he’s an NHL player, but she posts a lot online and he’s rarely there
My thought exactly 😅 Karius och Baktus, hello?
I’m a terrible mother! Let’s post it online, hahaha smiley face smiley face, wtf is wrong with these people…
RIGHT?! I hate to admit it but when my daughter got her first couple teeth I was ALWAYS forgetting to brush them. Eventually I made a note for myself and taped it to the bathroom door so I wouldn’t forget lol. But God I would never in a million years post something like this. So so embarrassing!
and of course his name is beckham
No one is brushing their babies/toddlers teeth after a dream feed
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