This morning I noticed my 15 month old had a black spot on the top of his molar that just came in a month ago. I thought it was food, so I took his toothbrush and tried to brush it out. It was still there after several brushing attempts. Now I'm panicking that maybe his tooth is rotting? Has anyone had this experience? If it is indeed tooth decay, is it too late for this tooth (i.e. once it starts it doesn't stop) or can we save it by being extremely disciplined about brushing?
Take care of it NOW. my now 8 year old has cost us THOUSANDS of dollars on his teeth and my now 6 we started younger thank goodness. Good Luck!
Have you brought him to a dentist? They would be the most qualified to answer your question. There are plenty of people who suggest having a first check up at 12 months to make sure everything looks ok.
I say take him to a pediatric dentist as soon as you can. My son has 2 black dots in 2 of his molars...and they are just stains. Our dentist used her "explorer" on them and it did not stick so we know it is not decay...yet....so now we just really really scrub those teeth very well, she says tooth staining can happen in in less than 24 hours...so it may not be to late yet...but I would have a professional look at it...if you catch it early you have more options.
My daughter, who was 2 at the time, kind of had the same thing. She had a molar coming in and it looked fine. A week later we looked at it again and I thought it was chocolate, but it wouldn't come off. Took her to the dentist and it was decay. Food had gotten trapped under the gum where it was coming in & started rotting the tooth. She had to have a pulpotomy and a cap put on the tooth. I suggest taking your son to the dentist. Better safe than sorry.
My son had a spot on/between his front teeth that ended up being a stain that they could polish away, but that I couldn't get with the brush or floss. It's possible that it is more serious or a defect in the tooth I guess, but since it is only a month old, I am guessing it is a stain.
My son had a similar problem, but with one of his front teeth. I took him to a dentist, and he said it is not decay, but just a stain. It might be worth it to take your little guy to either your dentist or a pediatric dentist just to have it looked at.
This happened to our daughter when she was 2.5. I took her to a pediatric dentist, who thankfully determined that it was a stain which could easily turn into a cavity. So we had to be VERY good about brushing from then on. And he gave us (well, we had to pay for it) something called M.I. Paste, only available from a dentist, which you put on the tooth after brushing at night to seal the tooth, in the hopes of keeping it from progressing into a cavity. So I'd recommend you take your little one to a pediatric dentist to see what's going on. Hopefully it's not really a cavity already, just a stain. Good luck!!!
Be sure not to use those rubber finger brushes. Use a real tooth brush made for little people. Sometimes the new teeth are not fully formed when they grow in and it looks like decay. If you have been brushing since you could see teeth then you are likely allright.
It may be tooth decay -- a dentist will be able to tell you.
It may also be staining from prenatal, or early childhood antibiotic exposure, or to floride overdose.
My daughter gets a dark build up along her gum line on the bottom and top front teeth. It's from antibiotics. I took her in the other day and he scratched it off and I've been trying to keep it off for awhile. I took my daughter to the DDS for the first time at 12 months, if you have insurance or you can afford it I personally think it's a good idea to get them use to the sights and sounds of the DDS office.
Best of luck!
I agree with the other posters, it may be just a stain but it may also be decay. If he already has decay in that tooth then there is nothing you can do about it other than taking him to a dentist. Personally I would recommend it anyway. He is going to have that molar for years to come, just like an adult tooth if he gets an infection in the root it will be incredibly painful and he would need a root canal. Hopefully you have caught it in time. I would suggest that make him an appointment with a dentist, and yes, commit to brushing twice daily.
It sounds like it is time to take her to the dentist. By the time I took my eldest daughter to the dentist at 2 years old she had 4 cavities. Oops! She just had them filled with no more problems. It could be something else, but a dentist will be able to figure it out and take care of it.
ahh..you need to take him to a pediatric dentist....because what is on that tooth can spread to the adult teeth forming....my daughter who we adopted had bottle rot on her top 4 teeth...she was two when she came to us...and the damage I know had been there for a while.....this is an actual surgery in the hospital to get her teeth capped.....it is a little scary when kids come out of anesthesia....so if you have to do this be prepared....also ..some people are more likely to get cavities...my same daughter brushes and flosses all the time and yet, we still get little cavities...some people are just prone to it...
so with all that said..go to a pediatric dentist. We go to Weideman....and they are wonderful!
I would have it checked but it sounds like tooth decay to me. You should read Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel. He will tell you how to stop tooth decay. Believe it or not it won't be by brushing. It is by food. Teeth are alive and just like your body, it will correct itself when giving the right tools (food). Very good book full of great food information!
