Question:
In the last few weeks - not every time though - I've noticed some blood when
my 3 year old spits out after having her teeth brushed. I or my husband tend
to brush her teeth and afterwards she plays around with the toothbrush. I've
tried to make sure I'm not brushing hard, but I'm not sure if anyone else
has had this problem and if so, what was the outcome. She's not had a visit
to the dendist yet as she has a heart problem which means she has to go on a
course of anti-biotics for a week before she sees him. So, I've been looking
after her teeth well in order to delay a dental visit untill she's over 4.
Answer:
First of all, the recommendation for a week of antibiotics is not right,
it's more like take the antibiotics an hour before the appointment (I have a
daughter who needs prophalaxis antibiotic treatment before a dentist
appointment). I would check on that to make sure and now they are saying
that antibiotics are not even needed anymore due to new studies they have
found. Second, bleeding gums means there is a periodontal disease and
therefore your daughter really does need to see a dentist.
I doubt she needs antibiotics just to open her mouth and have the dentist
have a look which might be all she needs. My sister had to do the same, but
she never took any for a regular check up, by the time she needed any dental
treatment her heart condition had resolved.
That's not correct information and you better be careful on what you say.
People with heart disease do need to be on antibiotics because of an
infection they could get. I am sure the dentist is going to do more than
just look at her mouth, a cleaning will be done I am sure and that is what
can cause the infection.
ok what I meant was, she probably doesn't need antibiotics just to open her
mouth and have the dentist look with a mirror, which is definitely worth
doing if she has bleeding gums, then if the dentist feels it is necessary to
do more such as a clean (which I doubt with bleeding gums, I thought the
treatment for that was medicated mouthwash?) then it would be possible to
make an informed decision about whether the risks/disadvantages of taking
the antibiotics are outweighed by the advantages of any dental treatment
that might be necessary.
Bleeding gums is from gingivitis and that is from a build up from plaque. If
the dentist is any kind of dentist (imo) will certainly clean her teeth
because they will need to get the plaque off. And at age three, she should
already have been to the dentist. Periodontal disease is from not brushing
your teeth well enough, not flossing good enough, unhealthy diet, vitamin
deficiency, chronic health problems, etc. Using mouthwash aggravates the
condition and should not be used. So the OP needs to speak to the heart
specialist and a pediatric dentist to find out for sure how long or if
antibiotics need to be used. Depending on the medical problems of the child,
antibiotics will most certainly need to be used. Only the OP and her
dentist/heart specialist needs to discuss this. One course of antibiotics is
not going to produce problems.
There were too many causes to list and waste bandwidth. I don't think the
lists were your fault category. The OP's daughter has a health problem and
more than likely has contributed to her bleeding gums. She shouldn't feel
guilty over that.
Or, it is from trauma from a 3 yr old attacking her gums with a really
hard brush....or who knows, maybe she has an epulis or some other oral
mass that is bleeding. I don't think a simple oral exam is out of line at
all. Of course, if she his having gingival bleeding at home, the question
of antibiotics prior to a dental visit becomes sort of moot, doesn't it? I
mean, she's already opened the door for bacterial translocation, it would
seem to me. And btw, I take antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental visits
because of my mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation, and I was there
just about a month or two ago at which time I checked the latest
recommendations and they were still saying yes, I need them (the Heart
association was saying that, I mean, not the dentist, who goes by what the
Heart Association says.)
FWIW I brought both my kids with me to the dentist during my visits when
they were babies and young toddlers, and the dentist would look in their
mouths to get them used to it, but he didn't do anything at all until my
older one turned 3, at which point he did get a cleaning. My 2 yr old is
not supposed to go til next year. Clearly there are varying
recommendations. I feel comfortable waiting til age 3 because we do brush
the kids' teeth at home, and they do get oral exams and if there were a
glaring issue it would be addressed then.
