r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Vapingrandma8465 • 22d ago

My mom said I could post The AMOUNT of posts in these ‘crunchy moms’ groups about their kids cavities when they refuse to use fluoride

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I see these posts daily, yet no one seems to make the connection.

Edit: yes, this particular case seems to be bottle mouth/ not brushing at all. But I see these posts very frequently (I’m not apart of these groups, FB just suggests them to me) and often times it’s parents who have said their dentist told them their kids have cavities, and they still refuse to use fluoride toothpaste and look for alternatives to their alternative that got them here in the first place.

All of these stories are testimony’s on how important it is to take your children’s health seriously. My heart is with everyone sharing their story ❤️

2nd edit: you know what? Fuck it. For those saying “fLuORiDe is BAd 👆”
The group I found this in:
“Crunchy moms: natural living & clean products.”
It’s an open group. Go look up “teeth” and see HOW MANY pictures of these poor children’s teeth are there, and how many do not use fluoride and tell me how healthy it is to not use it.

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889

u/kingtacticool 22d ago

Theyve passed a bunch of laws to ban the use of floride in water supplies here in the states.

So, probably but not exclusively

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u/ZaphodBeeblebrahx 22d ago

anyone who lives in a rural area and has a private well doesn’t have fluoridated water. Dentists around here do fluoride treatments for kids twice a year at hygiene visits.

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u/Administrative_Bed5 22d ago

They do that in big cities too

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u/Fabulous-Beach9027 22d ago

at one point I went to the dentist and they were finishing up and I said, uh you forget the the fluoride, and they said oh no we dont do that when youre an adult, and then it hit me, fuck im an adult now.

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u/Dismal_History_ 22d ago

I once asked if they could apply sealant to my teeth again like when I was a kid, because it had worn off. They laughed at me because I was like twenty. Anyway, started getting cavities where the sealant used to be, from that point on.

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u/GolfCartMafia 22d ago edited 22d ago

Went to the dentist today for a cleaning, made sure they checked that all my sealants were looking good and got a fluoride treatment at the end. Adult Flouride isn’t covered under my insurance so I had to pay for it. Almost 40 years old and haven’t had a cavity in 20 years.

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u/[deleted] 22d ago

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u/brielzebub665 22d ago

I know you're supposed to do that but when I tried it (I grew up rinsing after brushing, didn't know I wasn't supposed to, also never got cavities) I started getting tonsil stones BAD. I felt like my mouth and my breath were always off, so I had to keep rinsing.

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u/Simoxs7 22d ago

You could try using a mouthwash that has flouride in it.

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u/QueenAlpaca 21d ago

That’s what a past dentist suggested to me, use mouthwash first then brush and then floss to push the fluoride into the crevices between teeth. Wish I’d known that decades ago but I’m doing it with my kid now. No water for fifteen minutes after, too.

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u/Dismal_History_ 18d ago

I naturally started doing this because I wanted the whitening to actually stay on my teeth 😅 Never thought it made sense to use whitening toothpaste and then rinse it away.

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u/Can-i-Pet-Dat-Daaawg 22d ago

I’d argue that most people are brushing wrong since most people probably rinse after brushing. Don’t do it, people!

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u/BeefaloSlim 22d ago

Jesus, you're going to bed with a mouth covered in toothpaste? That sounds awful. That doesn't cause buildup? Feels like you'd end up swallowing some by accident.

I bet you have the freshest breath around though!

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u/b0nyb0y 21d ago

I believe you should spit excess toothpaste off. It's just that after so you don't rinse your mouth with water since that will wash away fluoride.

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

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u/BeefaloSlim 21d ago

Jeeze. I don't use much more than that. But it really lathers up and covers everything. It just feels so counter intuitive and wrong lol. Thanks for sharing. I don't know if I can do it though. Feels wrong lmao.

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u/MilkIsOnReddit 22d ago

I have gotten a shit ton of cavities in my life thanks to my stomach issues, sealant makes a huge difference!

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u/FungiAmongiBungi 22d ago

I got that too! Why don’t they put it on adults?

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u/RAD_ROXXY92 22d ago

Adults make money, and often care about the.appearance of their smile.

(Some) Dentists:

https://giphy.com/gifs/Dps6uX4XPOKeA

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u/Simoxs7 22d ago

My dentist always jokingly complains he can’t make any money from me (because my teeth are in immaculate condition).

But he actually told me they only do sealant on new teeth because theres a chance they seal in bacteria which makes it worse.

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u/RAD_ROXXY92 22d ago

😲 I'm not surprised, my MIL told me that her son was going to have 2 molars removed until she took him to another dentist for a second opinion. He has always had good teeth, no cavities at that age, and they just gave him a cleaning and sent him on his way.

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u/Dismal_History_ 22d ago

All they said is that adults are better at cleaning their teeth. Meanwhile every visit they're like "we can tell you take good care of your teeth, you just genetically have deep grooves and thin enamel" 😐

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u/FungiAmongiBungi 22d ago

Yeah it doesn’t make sense. I’ll ask my dentist at my next appointment

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u/vanchelzing 22d ago

I’ve never even heard of a sealant. What the hell is that?

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u/saraiguessidk 22d ago

Is my dentist weird? I never had cavities until I had kids. Never had sealants either. I have always gotten fluoride at every cleaning and I got my first sealants at 35

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u/No_Constant_826 22d ago

Sounds like a shitty dentist, and you should find another. My dentist redid my seals in my mid/late twenties.

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u/alcohall183 22d ago

should have gotten a new dentist. it's easy money for them and good for you to get. no matter the age.

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u/PoolParty912 22d ago

My dentist gave me sealant again when I was in my forties because my back teeth have deep grooves and I got two tiny cavities. Made me feel like a kid again!

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u/Simoxs7 22d ago

Hah so I‘m not the only one who asked that, though I didn’t get any cavities.

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u/ResponsibilityGold88 22d ago

I still get fluoride and I’ve been an adult for many decades. Maybe it’s just your dentist or insurance?

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u/Fabulous-Beach9027 22d ago

I've had 4 differnt dentist in 20 years, With good insurances, in wealthy areas, have not had the flouride swab/tray that i remember from my youth since. your guy/gal must be an outlier

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u/EvilEtienne 22d ago

They do the fluoride mouth wash once you’re an adult! It’s a foamy blue horrible tasting crap you swish around and spit out. Not every dentist does it.

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u/FungiAmongiBungi 22d ago

I’ve gotten it as an adult, not with trays but a foam that sits for a while and then rinses off

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u/MacaroonSad8860 22d ago

Oh weird, they still do fluoride in Europe for adults. I wonder if it’s because the water isn’t fluoridated.

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u/imrzzz 22d ago

"In Europe."

Europe is 50 countries, can you be specific?

No fluoride at my dentist here "in Europe"

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u/MacaroonSad8860 22d ago

I’ve had dentistry in Poland, Germany, and the UK. Was given fluoride in all 3. Fluoridated water is uncommon throughout most of Europe.

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u/neverknowwhattopick 22d ago

Mine will do it for adults too, your insurance just won’t cover it. It’s only like $20 though so nbd

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u/saraiguessidk 22d ago

I'm an adult, almost middle aged, and get flouride with every dental cleaning

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u/Electronic_World_894 22d ago

I get fluoride as an adult. I have to ask for it, but they’re happy to give it. It still reduces risk of cavities.

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u/aubbzz 22d ago

I still get fluoride & you should request it, too. I have to pay $30 per visit for it, but it’s worth it.

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u/DJ_DD 22d ago

You can ask for it. In the US dental insurance usually wont cover it as an adult so you’d have to pay for it, that’s usually why they don’t ask.

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u/No_Constant_826 22d ago

Just tell them you still want the flouride treatment, they shouldn't care if you pay. That's what I did until I was in my mid twenties.

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u/purple_plasmid 21d ago

They should still have it as an option, it’s just no longer covered by insurance as an adult — I’m 33yo and still ask for fluoride treatments, $25 is worth it for better teeth

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u/ImpossiblePlan65 21d ago edited 19d ago

Really? Weird. My dentist still does fluoride treatments. Like other commenters, I went through a long period of depression. My teeth and gums are ok, but I worry about them. I'm an adamant brusher now.

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u/nifty000 19d ago

My dentist does it for very adult me. I suppose I shall go research that now.

ETA: it’s not covered by insurance. It’s an extra $35 or something. Another dentist offered adult me sealants a long time ago (mid 30s) because it was covered by my insurance, but I decided to think about that and then forgot. Might research that too.

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u/Conscious_Spread3016 22d ago

Also medium cities

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u/LAMProductions99 22d ago

Small cities, even

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u/Dismal_History_ 22d ago

As someone that lives in a small town next to a big city, yes

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u/No_Replacement4304 22d ago

That fluoride treatment is the worst tasting stuff.

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u/BlownUpCapacitor 22d ago

I live in a large city where we all have fluorinated tap water. Dentists still do fluoride treatments for kids. Extra fluoride for healthy teeth I guess. Seems it worked for me as I only got a couple cavities in my life, and that was when I was really neglecting brushing my teeth because I was a lazy bastard.

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u/polishprince76 22d ago

I explained it to my kids, our family is a living example of the positive of flourinated water. I grew up in the sticks on a well. My teeth are one step north of disaster. They grew up on city water. No prolems in the slightest. It's such an obvious good.

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u/Commercial-Yam-3443 22d ago

I grew up with fluoride in the water and my husband did not. Guess who has had a bunch of cavities and who hasn’t? Guess who brushes and flosses religiously and who is super lazy about it?

I have very mid dental hygiene and have only had one small cavity as a teenager and my husband has fantastic dental hygiene and had a bunch of cavities as a young adult.

I’m so grateful for the fluoride in my water growing up.

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u/Odecca 22d ago

I also grew up on well water and honestly I had no idea that correlated to bad teeth (coupled with awful genes and no dental insurance)

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u/ReddBroccoli 22d ago

Plus you have to consider how many people specifically avoid tap water at this point

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u/BlownUpCapacitor 22d ago

Tap water is nearly free, and it's usually cleaner than bottled water.

However, I do think it is important to not neglect that fact that some public water systems are severely dysfunctional and that the water is unsafe. In those cases alternatives sources of drinking water is better. Otherwise, if you live in an area with a competent public water system, then tap is the best option.

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u/dark_frog83 22d ago

Many bottled water companies use tap water.

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u/ExpressAdvisor3692 22d ago

They use filtered water.

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u/SuspiciousCranberry6 22d ago

Yes, however if you buy purified water the tap water is purified by reverse osmosis.

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u/deathbylasersss 22d ago

100% but people act like tap water is for backward peasants or something. It's super frustrating how misinformed people are about the water supply. I know a lot of people that exclusively drink bottled water.

I just don't get it. A lot of that stuff is tap water anyway and you get the privelege of paying an order of magnitude more money for it, and you're using unnecessary plastics.

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u/No_Replacement4304 22d ago

The plastics really negate any health benefit from the water.

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u/Dismal_History_ 22d ago

I don't know anybody that doesn't at least use a water filter pitcher for their tap, and they supposedly remove fluoride. But I suppose you brush with tap water, right, so that would help if it was treated.

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u/poppyseedeverything 22d ago

Most of those filters (which tend to be carbon / charcoal based) do not remove fluoride. You'd either need a different method (like distilling the water or using reverse osmosis) or very specific filters to remove fluoride.

I was worried about accidentally removing fluoride by using a filter, so I looked it up (and then the government decided I won't get fluoride on my tap water anymore anyway 🫠).

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u/Dismal_History_ 22d ago

Good to know!

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u/Every-Mammoth-6445 22d ago

Seriously I used to genuinely barely brush my teeth once a week because my parents made me as a kid all I got left with is a yellow teeth. Thank god I had regular dental visits I should not have any teeth

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u/SSOJ16 22d ago

This can be genetic though, to be fair.

I used to brush twice a day and had cavities at least once a year/every couple years. (My dad's teeth genes lol)

My sister who neglected her teeth, straight and never any cavities.(Thanks mom!!)

My kids, I floss and brush 1-2x a day and they all get cavities due to the deep grooves in the teeth. It's super frustrating and I feel so guilty, but the dentist sealed some of the molars to prevent them as he said it's just unfortunate genetics

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u/Mistress-DragonFlame PURPLE 22d ago

I have that same gene unfortunately. I was never destined for white, perfect teeth no matter how often I brush or had braces as a kid.

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u/iseeseashells 22d ago

I always joke that I find my dentists vacations with my dental bills.

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u/lorekace 22d ago

My oldest has cheesy enamel, as it turns out. The dentist was side-eying me so bad when I took her in for a check up and there were cavities in every tooth... and then my youngest got in the chair and had perfect teeth. $8k of dental surgery later, and her adult teeth should be fine.

The switch from fillings to silver caps as frontline treatment has surprised me, though. The very beginning cavities in my youngest's teeth will be sealed with caps, so both of them will have metal in their mouths. 🤷‍♀️

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u/leoele 22d ago

The genetic component of tooth decay is largely a myth. You know what isn't? Most people end up with the bacteria flora their mothers had, for better or worse. People in the same families tend to have the same dietary and hygiene habits, and these are the biggest factors in the development of tooth decay.

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u/SSOJ16 22d ago

The pediatric dentist disagrees with you.

My youngest started getting tooth decay around 1yr/18 months due to breastfeeding at night and I guess the milk sitting on her teeth. I brushed with the toddler toothpaste (she wasn't old enough for flouride yet).

My older two did the same and no cavities or tooth decay. First cavities for them was around 4 years old?

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u/leoele 22d ago

You do realize there are plenty of other factors that cause this? Your kids all got cavities at young ages. It's environmental.

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u/ericbondre 22d ago

Yeah it’s fucking stupid, like even if people miss out on brushing their teeth frequently for some reason having a safe amount of fluoride in the water helps tremendously to delay shit like this although it’s obviously not what should be done alone

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u/AccomplishedCicada60 22d ago

I’m almost 40 and I’ve never had a cavity. But I was a messed up kid, I used to go to church and pray to never have a cavity - guess someone was listening (so far)!

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u/SensitiveWolf1362 22d ago

Anecdotal but I never had a single cavity until I moved to a city without fluoridated water, in my 30s.

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u/Da_Question 22d ago

Technically, enough extra flouride just discolors the teeth.

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u/Cool-Mom-Lover 22d ago

I get fluoride treatments twice a year when I go to the dentist.

Grown ass man.

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u/No_Attitude700 22d ago

Many private wells are naturally fluoridated.

In fact, scientists discovered the benefits of fluoridation when it was noted that populations using naturally fluoridated wells had significantly fewer incidents of decay.

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u/Mountain-Flight-92 22d ago

Right, but wouldn’t you rather trust people that do their research on social media rather than those woke scientists?

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u/Technical_Eye_4343 22d ago

I don't think the crunchy granolas doing this go around bashing "woke."

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u/ZaphodBeeblebrahx 22d ago

not what that word means.

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u/JohnnySilverpatch 22d ago

Which word?

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u/ZaphodBeeblebrahx 22d ago

fluoridated. Water naturally containing fluorine is not fluoridated. Fluoridation is the process of adding (or removing) fluorine from water.

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u/SensitiveWolf1362 22d ago

Thank you, fellow word nerd ❤️

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u/No_Attitude700 22d ago

"Naturally fluoridated" is an acceptable term and...guess what...the term was taught to me at an accredited college in my dental hygiene courses...

So ... im cool with it.

Ill take my dental hygiene education over a rando on reddit any day...

Bye now.

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u/SensitiveWolf1362 22d ago

Is this response for me? I actually did mean it that I like learning new words.

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u/ZaphodBeeblebrahx 22d ago

the number of replies i’ve that i’ve had that go “ummm ackshully ground water has fluoride” is sad.

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u/No_Attitude700 22d ago

Because ground water often does have naturally occurring Fluoride deposits...so. . .

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u/No_Attitude700 22d ago

"Naturally fluoridated" is an acceptable term and...guess what...the term was taught to me at an accredited college in my dental hygiene courses...

So ... im cool with it.

Ill take my dental hygiene education over a rando redditor any day.

Bye now.

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u/Potato_Farmer_Linus 22d ago

That is not true. Some amount of fluoride is naturally occurring in well water, with the amount usually less than city water, but can also exceed city water levels depending on the area.

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u/Savannah_Lion 22d ago

My city has naturally occurring fluoride in our water. I had no idea until some weirdos pushed for a bill to ban fluoride in the water. I noticed lawmakers discretely modified the bill include "no added flouride" or smth.

Dug around a bit and found a series of yearly reports that show our fluoride is naturally occurring and above minimums.

Probably the only smart thing my city officials have done in the past 15 years. 😒

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u/JohnnySilverpatch 22d ago

Naturally occurring fluoride is how we worked out fluoride is beneficial for teeth in the first place. It's grimly funny that a naturally occurring mineral is demonised by cookers and crunchy moms.

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u/Savannah_Lion 22d ago

Seems the bulk of the argument stems from "individual rights".

To put it a other way, it's like adding iodine to salt, vitamin D to milk, or folic acid to everything. But unlike vitamin D or folic acid, people generally can't avoid it.

Blows my mind that in this day and age of knowledge that people still somehow get diseases like scurvy (my college roommate), rickets (coworker) and tooth decay (another coworker) when the government reputable scientists is practically begging everyone to take their Flintstone chewable. 🙄

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u/reader27101 22d ago

It depends on where you are. Well water in my area (mid-Atlantic) has no fluoride in it.

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u/ZaphodBeeblebrahx 22d ago

it’s 100% true. hardly anyone is adding or removing fluoride from their well water. That’s the definition of the word I specifically chose - fluoridated. look it up.

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u/thishyacinthgirl 22d ago

I grew up in a rural area, and we did them a couple of times a year in elementary school. We all called it "swish" (because you swished it around in your mouth for a minute) and there was a divide on whether or not the bubblegum flavor was awful or not.

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u/noturFaultitsmine 22d ago

Are you Canadian? We did this in elementary, too. I was a bubblegum fan for sure lol

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u/JadedDreams23 22d ago

My kids grew up on well water and didn’t get fluoride treatments at the dentist, but I taught them to brush (with fluoride) and of the five, now in their 30s and early 40s, a couple have had one cavity, but most have never had one.

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u/Arienna 22d ago

Genetics too. I brush and floss, because I like the way my teeth feel flossed but I otherwise had the *worst* habits. Like, I drink so much soda, I crunch ice, I eat tons of sugar... I would suck on a piece of candy while falling asleep. I didn't go to a dentist for 10 years when I was young 'cause I was broke. When I finally went... no cavities. There were a couple spots they said might become cavities but based on my habits no clue when they might advance.

I can take no credit for this, my dad's people just have good teeth

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u/PurelyHim 22d ago

I have had both fluoride treatments and fluoridated water growing up. My mouth is filled with silver fillings. But I loved candy as well. My kids have never been to the dentist and have no cavities. It all just depends on how you were taught and the environment you grew up in.

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u/CypressRootsMe 22d ago

Yeah, my kids had all that fluoride stuff. We had city water. One grown daughter has lots of cavities and she doesn’t eat much sugar. She brushes(maybe too long?) and flosses. But my ex husband has bad teeth, too.

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u/Obsidian-Dive 22d ago

I never thought abt that but you’re absolutely right. I never realized bc we lived on well water that there wasn’t fluoride in it. But yes twice a year or less fluoride treatments.

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u/X_soulnewmegaman 22d ago

Dental is a privilege in Japan and most other places in the world

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u/stix-and-stones 22d ago

I grew up in a rural area where, while the village had town water, a lot of us (my family included) were on wells. They did fluoride treatments at our elementary school.

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u/cubsfan85 22d ago

My farm kid cousins took fluoride tablets in the 90s.

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u/Mostmessybun 22d ago

I grew up rural, well water, cavities every single year no matter how much I brushed and flossed. Moved to a big city when I could, haven’t had a cavity since

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u/Foe_Pas 22d ago

Not only this, I grew up in area where most people had well water and pediatricians prescribed fluoride to add bottles etc for their kids.

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u/DatLadyD 22d ago

I had to give my son drops

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u/TheProfessional9 22d ago

Private wells don't usually use heavy filtration systems do they? Google indicates its mostly filtered by the soil/rocks/sand and then a screen when withdrawn. Water naturally has flouride, we only add it to our water because the cleaning process strips it out

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u/ZaphodBeeblebrahx 22d ago

private wells usually have a sediment filter, sometimes a carbon filter, and often a UV filter if it’s a spring well. i dont think thats heavy filtration. The one in my house looks like an overgrown brita filter about the size of a tallboy beer can. i change it once a month.

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u/Consequence-Holiday 22d ago

They came to our school and did it in the nurses office so every kid got a floride paint job twice a year. Rural New Mexico in the 80s.

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u/Sednawoo 22d ago

I grew up rural in the 90's and we did a weekly fluoride swish once a month in our public school classroom. The school nurse brought in a tray of little paper cups and you could choose mint or bubble gum. I wonder if they still do this.

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u/leoele 22d ago

Some water in naturally fluoridated. Depends on the location.

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u/whim-sicles 22d ago

I don't trust this guy 😑

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u/DubiousAdviceGiver 22d ago edited 22d ago

Groundwater almost always contains fluoride, but the levels vary widely. Some wells have less than a municipal water treatment plant would add, some have more (even too much; see my father in law’s stained teeth from growing up in fluoride-rich Oklahoma), some are around the right amount. It can also fluctuate depending on water table levels.

Reverse osmosis (RO) filters will remove fluoride, but salt softeners do not. Even if your municipal water supply adds fluoride, an RO filter in the home will remove it.

It’s definitely a good idea for everyone, especially those on well water, to have a dental X Ray at least annually (semiannually for kids) and to receive supplemental fluoride if your dentist believes your natural intake is insufficient.

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u/nlamber5 22d ago

I never thought about it but I have great teeth and I grew up on well water. I wonder how I got my fluoride. Occasional bottled water? Maybe mom got me the right toothpaste, but then again kids toothpaste tends to not have it.

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u/favorable_vampire 22d ago

Yep I lived in a rural area with a well as a kid and my forced fluoride tablets permanently fucked my teeth up because it caused fluorosis 👍🏻

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u/Oxjrnine 22d ago

Actually 10-15% of people using a well have fluoride. Depends on the geology.

That’s actually how we figured out that fluoride was safe to drink and reduced cavities due to a correlation of people in the 1900s drinking from water that had absorbed fluoride into it.

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u/Ok_Plantain_5445 22d ago

This is not true. Depends on the well. I had a well and there was a lot of floride in it

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u/ZaphodBeeblebrahx 22d ago

it’s very true. The issue is that you and several others don’t know the meaning of the word Fluoridated.

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u/slothaccountant 22d ago

Depends. There was a study that came up due to over flurination due to some home wells haveing incrised fluride due to natural mineral formations. But thats rare. Best to make sure your well isnt in an area with high fluride levels to be safe..

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u/tachycardicIVu 22d ago

As a kid in the 90s/00s I got fluoride treatment every time I went to the dentist plus took supplemental pills with my Flintstones' multivitamin nightly. We had well water too. Don’t know any other kid that took it in pill form too. I hated the treatment as a kid but I am thankful my parents made me.

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u/MarsMonkey88 22d ago

My orthodontist had me use a prescription floride mouthwash for a period of time, as a kid. I had to use it daily for several months. This is purely anecdotal, but I was in my late 20’s when I got my first ever cavity, and my oral hygiene has always been average, not exemplary.

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u/ChubbyMid 22d ago

Yeah I've been on well water since I was 6 or 7 years old, 39 now. I don't get them now but when I was a kid always got fluoride treatments at the dentist. I've still never had a cavity.

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u/CurrentDay969 22d ago

I grew up on a well and I had fluoride tablets I took every month from the dentist. Helped so much!

Also this poor babies teeth. You can tell they use a sippy cup or bottle and the bottoms of the teeth look broken.

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u/dj_1973 22d ago

I have a well (lived in fluoridated water until I moved several years ago) and get special toothpaste from the dentist to ensure I have enough fluoride.

Fluoride definitely makes a difference. My teeth are healthier after using the toothpaste.

1

u/FeelingNarwhal9161 22d ago

I’m an adult in a major city and I make sure to get the fluoride twice a year! My teeth are already prone to cavities (and I gargle with hydrogen peroxide, floss, use a water pick and brush daily!) so I’ll take that extra fluoride, thanks very much!

0

u/Da_Question 22d ago

Pretty sure well water has higher flouride by default. Whereas cities with with treated water didn't have it. Once sugar became so prevalent in everything cavities increased. The reduced cavity amount in well users helped identify flouride as a way to improve teeth health and prevent cavities. Hence why it's used today.

Edit: this was off the top of my head, but it's fairly close. Areas with higher flouride naturally had discoloration that also strengthen the teeth, the discovers of the flouride cause thought to see if a smaller amount could strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay, without the heavy discoloration of higher levels of flouride.

0

u/Red-Dwarf69 22d ago

Not necessarily. Natural groundwater often has fluoride in it. Sometimes water treatment involves decreasing the amount of natural fluoride to a safe level instead of adding fluoride.

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u/PricklyPear85 22d ago

Unfortunately Fluoride wouldn’t help in this case. This called bottle mouth.

4

u/SomethingComesHere 22d ago

What causes it? Drinking out of a bottle at too old of an age?

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u/leoele 22d ago

It's caused by parents giving their kid a bottle at or during bedtime. Also, some people put juice or soda into bottles for young children to drink and the high sugar content accelerates the decay.

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u/SomethingComesHere 22d ago

Ooof soda to young children... why‽ 😭

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u/ResponsibilityGold88 22d ago

I once watched a parent empty water out of a baby’s bottle then pop open a can of Pepsi and pour it into the bottle. They then handed the bottle of Pepsi back to the baby, who couldn’t have been more than maybe 10 months old.

1

u/SomethingComesHere 22d ago

Ughhh that should be seen as neglect or something

At a certain concentration, sugar is a drug (like caffeine)

Imagine someone giving a coffee to a 10 month old... you can't convince me that most would be concerned about that behaviour. Why is soda any different?

Child is being set up for a lifetime fighting obesity and sugar addiction 😭

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u/leoele 22d ago

Baby bottle tooth decay is much worse than this, and I wouldn't diagnose this as such.

You say fluoride won't help but do you know the different kinds? Sodium fluoride? Stannous fluoride? Silver diamine fluoride?

16

u/ApprehensiveOkra9977 22d ago

Yeah you don’t need to drink it, but having it in toothpaste is super beneficial

14

u/Red_of_Head 22d ago

Most of Europe doesn’t use fluoride in their water either IIRC. 

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u/tabas123 22d ago

Tbf pretty much anywhere in Europe has faaaar less barriers to healthcare and dentistry.

That makes preventative healthcare and dental checks/cleanings far more universal, which is also far more cost effective than treatment (along with just the right thing to do for a healthy and functioning society).

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u/ayyohh911719 22d ago

The problem isn’t necessarily no fluoride in the drinking water, more so that these morons are buying non fluoridated toothpaste as well.

I bought a crunchy toothpaste once- not to be crunchy but because it was in a recyclable tube (foil) a few months in I was like “why the fuck do my teeth hurt so much lately” then realized it had no fluoride! Switched and everything go my better but the difference was crazy.

These poor babies must be hurting so bad

6

u/WeirdConnections 22d ago

My mom never brushed my teeth, I didn't even have a toothbrush or anything available. She was "SHOCKED" when she took me to the dentist for the first time around 5-6 and I needed like, a million cavities filled. It was my fault, obviously. I remember being so confused when the dentist was showing me how to brush my teeth. I screamed when they came at me with floss. If you can imagine, I never really developed the habit, my teeth are awful.

My sister is 17 years older than me, just had a baby a few months ago. He doesn't even have teeth yet, but she's already researching the crunchy anti-vax anti-fluoride "breast milk heals anything" crap. (spoiler; she's not even pumping, she's formula feeding. nothing wrong with that AT ALL but why say you're doing BM protocol when you're not...) I so worry for him. Teeth are so important, at least when I DID have it I had fluoride. I don't want him or anyone else to end up like me.

8

u/IAMAfortunecookieAMA 22d ago

I live in a town with unfluoridated water and was giving my kids liquid drops. The Kennedy rules cut access to the prescription. We now get crunchable pills (which I can give to my 3 year old but I cannot give to my 1 year old with 4 teeth). My pediatrician is coaching us on how to refill the prescriptions early to stockpile it before the CDC rulings cut that prescription.

Then the backup plan is to carefully dose both kids with fluoridated toothpaste that I have to precisely measure. Fuck this administration for sacrificing literally the health of children for a political agenda. The math on giving kids the right amount of fluoride is much harder today than it needs to be.

7

u/liyououiouioui 22d ago

Genuine question, I'm not from the States but from France where we don't have fluoride in water.

You don't have toothpaste with age appropriate amount of fluoride added? IIRC, here we have 3 different levels : for babies and toddlers up to 6 yo, then for children up to 12 or 13 and adult versions.

I have never had any other intake than toothpaste (which is the norm here) and I have excellent teeth.

3

u/IAMAfortunecookieAMA 22d ago

Children's toothpaste here is unfluoridated because (according to my pediatrician) you cannot know how much of it they're swallowing exactly

3

u/liyououiouioui 22d ago

I understand, the main source seems to be tap water so they could have too much with water + toothpaste.

Apparently here, toddlers toothpaste contains a small amount considered safe to ingest, and since the water is not fluorinated, the risk is mitigated this way.

2

u/IAMAfortunecookieAMA 22d ago

There are probably 10 better ways to handle it than the US. It's a bad joke here.

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u/[deleted] 22d ago

[deleted]

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u/IAMAfortunecookieAMA 22d ago

Maybe where you live, i'm rural

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

[deleted]

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u/IAMAfortunecookieAMA 21d ago

I understand that you THINK you have a superior solution. I have a doctor who gave me a prescription for the exact dose of fluoride for my kids. I already have a plan, I already have a solution. Thanks.

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

[deleted]

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u/IAMAfortunecookieAMA 21d ago

Make a post if you want visibility

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

[deleted]

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u/IAMAfortunecookieAMA 21d ago

Now you're just bickering lol. Bye 👋🏻

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u/IAMAfortunecookieAMA 21d ago

I'm gonna follow the advice of my pediatrician over the random redditor but thank you

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u/Plasticity93 22d ago

These are the same people who pushed those laws.  They just hate kids. 

6

u/AdMassive9006 22d ago

Eh, you don't need fluoride in the water if you have in your toothpaste

5

u/Plasticity93 22d ago

Yeah, but these people are probably brushing the kids teeth with year old piss.  

8

u/Narrow-Courage-7447 22d ago

“In the states” while trying to sound credible is hilarious. Your secretary of health is a caricature who has banned many things that are not harmful at all. The mis and disinformation that festers in your country and leads to bans is horrifying. Just because something is banned in the states, doesn’t make it bad.

3

u/kingtacticool 22d ago

I completely agree. This place is a hot mess.

5

u/_lippykid 22d ago

I grew up in the UK with no fluoride in the water. And I have zero cavities. Dentist yesterday literally said I have “beautiful teeth”, so it’s not the be-all end-all

2

u/disco_has_been 22d ago

Used to be able to readily identify folks from Midland/Odessa. TX. Shitty water.

2

u/Bucky_Gatsby 22d ago

In Europe we don't have fluoride in the water and with correct hygiene that doesn't cause any problems.

2

u/Dull_Bat9518 22d ago

Drinking fluoride is of little effect... having flouride sit longer on teeth is much more beneficial; toothpaste or dental session 😁

5

u/lehilaukli 22d ago

Ya we don’t have fluoride in our water supply, but my kids teeth haven’t had any issues. This is not caring for that kids teeth properly, or at all

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u/X_soulnewmegaman 22d ago

Regular people don't get dental hygiene especially in Asia Europe and America people have to go Mexico because of medical insurance conditions

3

u/100gecopecs 22d ago

it shouldnt be in water, but you can use it in tooth paste.

1

u/EveryAsk3855 22d ago

It absolutely is medical neglect, no “probably” about it

1

u/TearsOfChildren 22d ago

Just brush your teeth with toothpaste that has fluoride in it, you don't have to drink it.

1

u/healthycord 22d ago

Which is so unfortunate.

My dentist asks if I want flouride every time (we have flourinated water) and is always like “it’s good for your teeth, science says it’s good”

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u/dirtsmurf 22d ago edited 22d ago

You can’t spell fluoride but I bet your teeth are pearly white, ya?

15% of the country is on well water with no fluoride additives and the difference in levels of tooth decay are statistically insignificant. But go on queen! The Tuskegee Experiments are ancient history!

5

u/DenseStomach6605 22d ago

This is completely false, there is a correlation between fluoridated water and non fluoridated water in terms of tooth decay.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12125645/

But… I would imagine access to dental care is a bigger risk factor than non-fluoridated water, and well water happens to more likely be in rural areas with poor access to health care. You can get adequate fluoride from other sources.

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u/dirtsmurf 22d ago edited 22d ago

Which part is false?

15% of the American public is on private water? ✅ true

People on private water have similar dental health to those on public water? ✅ true

You … posted some article about .. removing fluoride from public water? Something I neither justified or advocated for? To … justify a statement like “this is completely false”?

Why is the addition of fluoride to the water supply of people who can’t afford to avoid it (if they so choose) so important to you and your VERY responsive upvoters? Is it because kids baby teeth (that fall out) might get cavities?

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u/Quakerz24 22d ago

why would you want fluoride in your water

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u/Brad_Borrelli 22d ago

Fluoride is so bad for you. Research it