We went through something similar with our daughter. Took her in at about 18 months, mostly because our pediatrician suggested it, and I was shocked to find out she already had some enamel issues starting. Felt like I'd messed up somehow, but our dentist explained the same thing—genetics and diet matter a lot too. We ended up ditching bedtime bottles earlier than planned and switched snacks around...helped a ton. You're right though, parenting is basically trial and error half the time.
Totally get what you're saying about the trial and error thing—been there myself. Did your dentist mention fluoride varnish treatments at all? Our dentist recommended them early on, around the same age actually, and it made a noticeable difference with my son's enamel issues. Also, did you find switching snacks tricky at first? We struggled a bit with finding healthier options he'd actually eat...but eventually landed on cheese cubes and apple slices as winners. Parenting really is just figuring things out as you go, isn't it?
"Did your dentist mention fluoride varnish treatments at all?"
Yeah, fluoride varnish was a game changer for my granddaughter too. We started around her first birthday, and honestly, snack swaps were tougher than expected...carrot sticks were a total fail, but yogurt pouches saved the day.
We started fluoride varnish treatments pretty early too, around 12 months or so. Honestly, I was skeptical at first—seemed a bit overkill for a baby with barely any teeth—but our dentist explained it helps protect those tiny teeth as soon as they pop through. Snack swaps were definitely a challenge here as well. My son flat-out rejected cucumber slices (I thought they'd be a hit because they're crunchy and mild... nope), but cheese cubes turned out to be the unexpected winner. Go figure.
I think the key is just finding something tooth-friendly they'll actually eat, even if it takes some trial and error. And yeah, yogurt pouches are a lifesaver—portable, tasty, and dentist-approved. Can't beat that combo.
We started around 14 months and I was pretty nervous too...felt like we barely had any teeth to check. But it went smoother than expected, and yogurt pouches were definitely the MVP snack for us too. Glad I'm not the only one!