The first time I saw a little white spot on my daughter’s front tooth, I nearly had a meltdown. I’d been so careful—no juice, brushing after her bedtime bottle (well, most nights), even wiping her gums before she had teeth. Still, there it was. Our dentist said it was just a spot, not a cavity yet, but I felt like I’d failed some kind of invisible parenting test.
The fluoride thing drives me nuts too. My mom swears it’s poison, but our pediatrician was like, “Please use it.” I just go with that tiny dab and hope for the best. There are definitely nights when she falls asleep before I can brush and honestly, if I tried to wake her up for it, I’d probably regret it more than the cavity risk.
My friend’s little guy chipped his tooth on a sippy cup at daycare—those baby teeth really are fragile. I keep telling myself that “good enough” is fine. We’re all just doing our best and hoping these tiny teeth make it through toddlerhood mostly intact.
I keep telling myself that “good enough” is fine. We’re all just doing our best and hoping these tiny teeth make it through toddlerhood mostly intact.
Honestly, I used to think “good enough” was fine too, but after a couple of fillings as a teen, I’m a bit more strict with my own kids. Skipping brushing here and there seemed harmless, but those habits stuck around longer than I thought. It’s tough, especially when they’re tired, but I’d rather deal with a cranky kid than dental work down the line. Not saying you’re wrong—just that sometimes it’s worth pushing a little more, even when it’s annoying.
I’d rather deal with a cranky kid than dental work down the line.
That hits home. My youngest used to scream like we were brushing her teeth with hot sauce, but after seeing a tiny spot on her molar, I got way more stubborn about it. It’s a pain in the moment, but I keep telling myself future me will be thankful.
It’s a pain in the moment, but I keep telling myself future me will be thankful.
I totally get this. I used to dread brushing my daughter’s teeth because she’d clamp her mouth shut and act like it was torture. After my own experience with braces and a couple of fillings, I’m way more paranoid about her teeth than I probably need to be. But honestly, that “future me” thing is real—I wish my parents had been stricter about it when I was little. You’re definitely not alone in the struggle.
Totally relate to the clamp-mouth struggle—my son used to act like brushing was some medieval punishment. But yeah, early habits matter way more than I realized. I’m still undoing some of my own childhood dental neglect... future me wishes past me had tried harder, too.
