enamel hypoplasia

[trish]

Oh wow I never knew about this! And I had 2 with jaundice and Ali's was bad enough for hospital therapy and home beds. UGH! I HATE the dentist after all my dental issues. As a kid I had molars that came in with cavities so I've had fillings and dental problems all my life. I was really hoping my kids wouldn't. I really have to get them to a dentist. :(

[amanda]

Wow - I never knew this...
Interesting though - I have always had terrible teeth - to the point that, as a child I had crowns and absesses - even though my mom brushed them constantly.

Anna Grace is just starting to get her teeth - the first two seem white - is there anything else I can look for??

[dja]

Malcolm has enamel discloroation on a few of his teeth - we suspect bad acid reflux that lasted for quite a while as a baby/toddler. He also has pretty bad jaundice as a baby. This will make me even more vigilant with his teeth!

[mommy1st]

I remember reading about this in the preemie magazine I used to get and like Holly, when Braden's baby teeth came in they were great so I thought there would be no worries! We first took Braden to the dentist at age 3 and his teeth were perfect. I am wondering though if Alexa will have problems because of what Caryn was saying about the jaundice and bilirubin levels. Her's were really bad! Something I'll have to watch for in the next couple of years. Both my kiddo's were on the bili lights but come to find out my Mom told me that I almost had to be readmitted to the hospital because of my jaundice I had and when Alexa was readmitted the Nurses told me it can be hereditary!!
Preemclampsia will never leave us even though we would like to!

[hols537]

I remembered hearing about this before, but when Alexander's baby teeth came in and weren't discolored, I thought we were good. I hope he doesn't have trouble as he gets older - as if we don't have enough to worry about. I wasn't a preemie and had bad teeth as a kid (despite great dental habits)...I hope he isn't doomed to that too!

[christine lyn]

My son is 4 years old and his teeth came in with big gaps in between all his teeth and some are twisted. The dentist said it should be fine he'll end up having room for his second teeth. I hope they'll be fine and the dentist said there's always braces, not what I wanted to hear.

[jacobkaden]

Jacob had all top 4 front teeth pulled because of it....we were told it is just his baby teeth that will be affected. His molars have come in fine, thank God!

[sonja]

Oh Caryn - I just love you!!! (whenever I start to feel bad about something you bring up some science that makes me feel better)

Kira just got her first cavity and the dang hygentist made both her and I feel so dang guilty. Kira won't even eat candy anymore because the lady told her that she ate too much - she is the most responsible kid - eats healthy and brushes 2 times a day.

Kira was jaundiced when she was born - her levels got really high (the whites of her eyes were even yellow) - I will have to ask the pediatric dentist that she is going to for her filling if he feels that could be a cause.

[haileysmom]

Is it just the baby teeth they have problems w/ or the permanent ones too??

[caryn]

Four caps, a pulpotomy, and two fillings here. He said, "Mama? They got me with a tranquilizer gun." Good thing we'd been watching _Nova_ because it at least made a tiny bit of sense!

Yeah, it's correlated with poor placentation, and with jaundice, so preemies tend to get whammied. It's something or other to do with the bilirubin levels interferring with the adhesion of the enamel in the jaundice case, and I'm not remembering that they'd figured out precisely what it was in the poor placentation case. Something about the buds of the molars not closing therefore predisposing to cavities, but I don't remember why.

And *dang*, is it ever annoying.