Hi Dr. Ellie!
I’ve had the good fortune to read your blog. I have been searching for assistance to help my 16 month old baby. I believe she may have constitutionally weak teeth. I feed her well and I breast feed. Unfortunately, she still seeks out nighttime nursing but I’m trying to reduce the amount and hope to get through nights completely without that.
She had previously at around 7 months developed a lesion of sorts on her front bottom tooth that disappeared once I began “brushing” her teeth with a solution of GSE, xylitol, and s. bicarbonate. Now at 15 months and seemingly all of a sudden, there is the appearance of brown staining on her bottom teeth. We are also battling thrush still and I had also noticed that same discoloration on my bottom teeth about 6 weeks ago but is now improved somewhat. The baby’s teeth look more like they have decay in between the teeth and around the gum line. Just over the past week there has been some mild improvements.
While trying to figure out what in the world happened, I realized that only one thing had changed: I had begun giving her nuts as I eat them a lot when I can’t get other protein sources and to get some fatty acids to nourish my milk. I have, upon my startling discovery of her teeth’s decline, omitted the nuts and again have seen a mild improvement. I also still clean her teeth with the solution and have added an infusion of green tea that I swab over her teeth. Can you offer some suggestions, PLEASE?!!
— With Sincerity,
TJ
Hi there – I hope I can be of help!
I understand your concern, your indecision about what to do – and your idea to try everything, all at once, to protect her.
The problem is that you need to settle on one way to look after these teeth – I do not suggest that you mix up potions and “hope’ it will work. Green tea can be acidic – and this may add a whole different chemistry: the tea may even interact with the bicarbonate you are using and be causing the problem.
I would suggest:
NO bicarbonate.
I would brush your child’s teeth twice a day with a solution of xylitol in water – just plain xylitol (half a teaspoon mixed with a little water). I would not worry about any natural food – nuts are perfectly fine for teeth – very alkaline and helpful.
The only thing that will damage teeth is harmful mouth bacteria, acidity – and dry mouth. Xylitol in little amounts throughout the day will take care of all the above problems. You can use xylitol after meals, after drinks, wiped on teeth, granular off a spoon or dissolved in some water to drink after meals and through the day.
Xylitol will also take care of thrush – usually in just a matter of days. You should use the same technique (dissolve a quarter of a teaspoon in some water and give as a bottle or sippy cup, four or five times a day). At the end of the day you should have used about a teaspoon with this method. If you prefer, some of the crystals of xylitol can be eaten directly off a spoon.
Final thing: make sure the toothbrush that you use to clean her teeth is CLEAN.
I mean perfectly clean – every day. The best way to clean a toothbrush is to swish the bristles in some Listerine in a cup, rinse this liquid off the brush under running tap water and then stand the brush up in a cup and allow it to DRY completely.
Do not let her brush come near other ones!
Thrush is a mold that can transfer from other people’s brushes – and it grows on damp toothbrushes stored in bags or under covers or left in damp bathroom areas.
The whole family should start this program at the same time.
http://www.zellies.com/store.asp?pid=17185
In about two months you should all see a difference – mark the date on your calendar and let me know your progress!
Good luck,
Ellie
Ellie Phillips DDS
www.zellies.com
26 Corporate Woods
Rochester, NY 14623
(585) 272-1270
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