A Perfect Smile…
We were recently sent a tube of Oral B toothpaste to try; their new Pro-Expert Premium Gum Protection range (which is a mouthful in itself) and despite the murky green colour, we rather enjoyed the end result; it left our mouths feeling fresh without the chemical burn feeling I often associate with a clean set of bedtime or morning snappers.
When I was a teenager I was awful about cleaning my teeth. Terrible. In my late teenage years I struggled with bulimia and as a result lost one of my back teeth and ruined a few others to boot. After having my back tooth removed, I developed a fear of visiting the dentist. Not so much because of the physical ramification; more because I was (and still am) afraid of the humiliation I’d feel opening my mouth and letting someone else see what I’d done to myself.
As parents we naturally want more for our little ones and so since he was two years old, when he experienced his first visit to the dentist, Our Little Adventurer has had check ups every six months with his Dadda, who has a perfect, pristine smile.
This month, Baby Dragon was rushed to the dentist on my insistence after I noticed a line of sorts across his front two teeth as I was tickling him. After all of the nonsense I’d heard over the past three years about how breastfeeding rots children’s teeth, I was beginning to doubt the research and articles I’d read to the contrary.
Naturally I began a mad, frantic Google search of rotted childrens’ teeth, and I’d got it down to the breastfeeding or flurosis, a condition caused by too much Fluoride (as Lyoto is a toothpaste-loving little one). I was near hysterical when I called the mister at work to explain to him how I was never going to send our youngest son to school because children are too cruel. Teeth are so crucial to self-image; the ability to smile free from hindrance is a priceless asset in life, and the thought of my little one hiding his smile behind his hand because of his unsightly teeth ripped into my heart.
One trip to Dr. Elephant (Baby Dragon sees everyone in Peppa Pig terms) put my mind at ease. There was good news and bad news. The bad news is that the faint line is real; a difference in enamel caused by the antibiotics I was given late in my third trimester for my chronic pleurisy. The good news; his teeth (aside from the chip in his front tooth from falling over) are healthy, not rotten and not being damaged by breastfeeding.
Our little ones’ smiles are so precious…and my own hypocrisy aside, safe brushing and regular checkups are the best way of protecting their oral happiness.
This post is an entry for Britmums’ #ORALBLoveYourGums Challenge sponsored by Oral B, promoting healthy gums – something especially important for pregnant women. Get tips and advice on www.oralb-loveyourgums.com
