My sister doesn't give her kids fluoride toothpaste, and they have bad teeth as a result.

[ironpony]

She believes that fluoride doesn't do any good for your teeth and that it's all a hoax. But her kids have had a lot of cavities over the years now, probably cause she doesn't get them to brush with fluoride. The dentist even advised her to give her kids fluoride toothpaste if she wants their teeth to improve, but she won't do it, and doesn't believe it.  But us telling her doesn't change her mind, either.  But at the same time, it's really painful for me to see my nephews and nieces go through this.  Should I try to convince her more harder?

[basil67]

No, don't bother trying.  If she won't listen to a dentist, she won't listen to her brother 

 

[ironpony]

25 minutes ago, basil67 said:

No, don't bother trying.  If she won't listen to a dentist, she won't listen to her brother 

 

But should my parents want her to listen to, so maybe she would if we tried some sort of intervention?

[basil67]

She would react the same way as an antivaxxer would if you did an intervention. Don’t waste your breath.

[SincereOnlineGuy]

19 hours ago, ironpony said:

My sister doesn't give her kids fluoride toothpaste, and they have bad teeth as a result.

This makes no sense.

 

I don't give my cat fluoride toothpaste, and his teeth are fine.

 

Are you sure they don't have bad teeth  for a myriad of other reasons?

 

 

[preraph]

Poor kids.  Nothing like having a conspiracy theorist who thinks she knows better than the doctors and dentists with a decade of training.  Bad teeth will be the least of their problems.  If there is anything that rises to abuse, like her not getting them medical care, report her to Child Protective Services anonymously. 

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

Does your sis live in a developed area? City/town, etc.?  If so, there is probably flouride in the water.  Unless she lives in a rural area with well water, lack of flouride is probably not the cause of the kids' "bad teeth." 

I once dated a 40 something man who brushed his teeth like once a week and never had a cavity.  (I broke up with him when I realized he never brushed his teeth. Gross.)

I had great oral hygiene growing up, including flouride, and had a ton of cavities as a kid/young teen. Lots of fillings.

My son once had 6 or 7 cavities in one visit around age 7 and I'm a great mom and we did not have well water and he got flouride. 

Sealing molars WORKS so once baby teeth are lost, kids should get their molars sealed.

Now, if they are toddlers/young kids/baby teeth and have brown teeth....well, other issues are going on.

Ok that's my wisdom about teeth as a mom of a 17 and 19 year old with healthy teeth.

[basil67]

20 minutes ago, CautiouslyOptimistic said:

Does your sis live in a developed area? City/town, etc.?  If so, there is probably flouride in the water. 

We have a few hippy towns in Aus where there's enough locals who don't want flouride to successfully push for the town water to not have flouride in.  If the council was to put flouride in, they'd probably all switch to bought water. 

[ShyViolet]

Listen, your sister is a grown woman and you can't control her.  If you've already told her your opinion then that's all you can do.

There are lots of people who don't believe in fluoride and who don't use fluoride toothpaste.  I don't think that's a big deal.  It's their choice.  As long as the kids have a healthy diet and aren't allowed to eat tons of sugary junk food, and as long as they see a dentist regularly, I think those factors are more important.

[amaysngrace]

I sure hope she doesn’t make them brush with some kind of natural charcoal toothpaste.  

That stuff will eat their enamel.

[ironpony]

On 5/27/2020 at 7:35 PM, SincereOnlineGuy said:

This makes no sense.

 

I don't give my cat fluoride toothpaste, and his teeth are fine.

 

Are you sure they don't have bad teeth  for a myriad of other reasons?

 

 

I talked to a friend about this who owns a cat, and he says he feels that it's because cats have healthier diets, in their food, compared to kids, if this is the reason?  Also, even if they have cavities for other reasons, fluoride toothpaste, would still help fight those cavities, wouldn't it?

[ironpony]

On 5/27/2020 at 8:57 PM, CautiouslyOptimistic said:

Does your sis live in a developed area? City/town, etc.?  If so, there is probably flouride in the water.  Unless she lives in a rural area with well water, lack of flouride is probably not the cause of the kids' "bad teeth." 

I once dated a 40 something man who brushed his teeth like once a week and never had a cavity.  (I broke up with him when I realized he never brushed his teeth. Gross.)

I had great oral hygiene growing up, including flouride, and had a ton of cavities as a kid/young teen. Lots of fillings.

My son once had 6 or 7 cavities in one visit around age 7 and I'm a great mom and we did not have well water and he got flouride. 

Sealing molars WORKS so once baby teeth are lost, kids should get their molars sealed.

Now, if they are toddlers/young kids/baby teeth and have brown teeth....well, other issues are going on.

Ok that's my wisdom about teeth as a mom of a 17 and 19 year old with healthy teeth.

Yes she lives in a small town a couple of hours away, where as I live in a larger city comparison.  But even if the water has fluoride in it, wouldn't it be a very low amount compared to fluoride toothpaste?  I wasn't able to find out how much percent of water is fluoride, but wouldn't it be a lot lower, and thus not near as effective, as fluoride toothpaste?

[basil67]

On 5/28/2020 at 3:22 PM, ShyViolet said:

Listen, your sister is a grown woman and you can't control her.  If you've already told her your opinion then that's all you can do.

There are lots of people who don't believe in fluoride and who don't use fluoride toothpaste.  I don't think that's a big deal.  It's their choice.  As long as the kids have a healthy diet and aren't allowed to eat tons of sugary junk food, and as long as they see a dentist regularly, I think those factors are more important.

I agree that the OP's sister makes her own decisions.  And you're right about the links between diet and tooth decay.   Apparently tooth decay rates skyrocketed at the start of the industrial revolution when sugar became easy to access.

However, the kids teeth ARE rotting, so it would seem they don't have the type of diet which would support a no fluoride approach.

[ironpony]

Okay so maybe fluoride only does a little good in not getting cavities, and using a fluoride toothpaste, like the dentist, wouldn't really help much then?

[SincereOnlineGuy]

The big change with regard to teeth is when fluoride was routinely added to the U.S. water supply, approximately in the 1950's.

 

Sure fluoride toothpaste enhances protection but it simply cannot be said that 

 

anyone  "has bad teeth resulting from a lack of fluoride toothpaste"

 

I don't know how cavemen would have thrived while morphing toward whatever we are today, if such were possible.

 

Thankfully the cat drinks the same fluoridated water that we drink, in case he needs just a little protection against the decaying power of Turkey and Giblets.

[ironpony]

Oh okay, well I am just going by what the dentist told her that that was the problem as to why they are having cavities.  He said lack of fluoride toothpaste, was the problem and the way to start helping, is to get fluoride toothpaste of course.  Unless the dentist is wrong?

[ShyViolet]

On 5/29/2020 at 8:52 PM, ironpony said:

I talked to a friend about this who owns a cat, and he says he feels that it's because cats have healthier diets, in their food, compared to kids, if this is the reason?  Also, even if they have cavities for other reasons, fluoride toothpaste, would still help fight those cavities, wouldn't it?

Ok I have to address this.  Cats absolutely do get dental problems, and when they do it's serious and they need to see a vet and get dental treatment.  

[basil67]

On 5/30/2020 at 1:57 PM, SincereOnlineGuy said:

I don't know how cavemen would have thrived while morphing toward whatever we are today, if such were possible.

Cavemen didn't eat the high sugar diets which we do.  

[SincereOnlineGuy]

2 hours ago, basil67 said:

Cavemen didn't eat the high sugar diets which we do.  

 

Right!!

but did you read the title of this thread:

 

"...doesn't give her kids fluoride toothpaste, and they have bad teeth as a result."

 

bad teeth are in no way a RESULT of  not getting fluoride toothpaste.   It's that simple.

[basil67]

Wanna make it rich as a dentist?  Move to somewhere where there are heaps of anti-flouride people.  

 

[ironpony]

21 hours ago, SincereOnlineGuy said:

 

Right!!

but did you read the title of this thread:

 

"...doesn't give her kids fluoride toothpaste, and they have bad teeth as a result."

 

bad teeth are in no way a RESULT of  not getting fluoride toothpaste.   It's that simple.

Oh okay, so when the dentist tells her that fluoride toothpaste will her kids cavities, then he is just bulls%$ting her then?

[Gaeta]

Yes fluoride will help teeth's health but it will not save their teeth if they eat candy and don't brush twice a day and especially before going to bed. Sugar that has deposited on your teeth only need a few hours 8-12 to settle, then no brusing will remove the deposit and the damage starts.

Also, I was explained that some people are better protected against cavities and plaque by their type of saliva. I know people that brushes their teeth 3 times a day religiously and still have bad teath and gums. It's one of those unexplained things. 

Again, cutting sugar, soft drinks, juices, candies, will help her kids teeth.  I get goosebumps each time I see a baby/toddler with a bottle of juice. It will rot a child's teeth even before they come out. 

The dentist probably is insisting on fluoride as strict care for the teeth isn't observed. 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Gaeta

[ironpony]

Oh okay, but what do you mean by isn't observed exactly?

[basil67]

It means that it's likely your sister's kids aren't avoiding all the sugars which rot teeth.    

[ironpony]

Oh okay.  I guess it's strange because I too was served cake on my birthday as a kid, and my teeth were not full of cavities.  Is it my teeth are just better for some reason?