August
2007
A Visit to the Dentist
Monday the boys had a visit to our local health clinic for a dental check-up. Ever since Bran’s teeth came in he’s had brown staining on the bottom ones. No one was able to give us a reasonable answer why until today. According to the pediatric dental hygienist we saw today it seems that both boys, but Bran especially, probably have some extra bacteria in their mouths (not unusual) and because there is a salivary gland just behind the bottom front teeth, that’s probably why Bran has so much staining on those teeth. After a good check in Bran’s mouth it was determined that what was on his teeth was tartar that had gotten discolored, from the excess bacteria in his mouth. She was able to scrape most of it off with her pick and now we’ll start using flouride toothpaste which should help over time clear up the rest. I was super excited! From what we had been told his teeth were just going to be brown until his adult teeth came in. And now they are as white as the rest of his teeth! It was also nice to be reassured once again that we didn’t do anything to cause the staining (not brushing enough, etc.). I also found it really cool and somewhat satisfying to watch them scrape Bran’s teeth and see the tarter pop off. You never get to watch your own teeth being cleaned, so it satisfied a bizarre curiosity I’ve often had. We go back in 6 months to see how things are doing.
