Oh, Honestly!

Real Life for Real Moms

How to Save Thousands on Your Kids’ Teeth

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The ProNamel® brand has compensated me in connection with statements made in this post.
Big tears fall as I help him with his coat. “Come on buddy; we can go now.”
My hand on his shoulder, I navigate him out of the small room where we’ve spent the past hour and down the hall towards the waiting room. Several rooms with open doors reveal kids waiting patiently in dental chairs for their hygienist to arrive, their parents in seats beside them.
They turn to stare as my distraught five-year-old begins to wail, “I want to leave this place and never come back!!!”

Here's how to save money on dental bills by keeping your kids' teeth healthy and strong.

How to Save Thousands on Your Kids’ Teeth

I move faster, both concerned and amused at the thought of my son freaking out an entire dental office full of kids. They are there for simple cleanings and have no way of knowing that he just had two crowns placed; a simple enough procedure, but one that required several shots of Novocain that led to an uncomfortable and frightening numbing sensation on the roof of his mouth.

Unfortunately, these aren’t the first crowns he’s needed, nor will they be the last. As his tears continue to fall, I wait for the receptionist to tally the bill. Over $700 this time; the second of four of these visits before we are done.

I bet I know what you’re thinking: Do you ever brush that poor kid’s teeth? That’s what I’d be thinking.

For a while I’ve avoided telling our story because, although I don’t believe all of Samuel’s dental problems are a result of neglect, they are at least partly my fault, and frankly, I’ve been embarrassed. But as time has gone on, I’ve realized that if I don’t share our story, some of you may find yourself in a situation similar to ours: With a child who has to go through a lot of unnecessary worry and pain, and with giant dental bills that you may or may not be able to afford.

So here’s what I’ve learned the hard way. Hopefully by sharing this with you, you can learn the easy (i.e. inexpensive!) way.

1. Visit the dentist when your child is young

I knew the recommendation that you bring your child to the dentist when they turn one, and to be honest, I thought it was ridiculous. A lot of kids don’t even have teeth by their first birthday and I couldn’t see spending money just to get my baby used to having someone reach into his mouth.

You know what they say about hindsight? Yeah, that.

Part of my mistake was that when I took Eli, our oldest, to the dentist for the first time at the age of three, his teeth were perfectly perfect. I automatically assumed Samuel would have the same strong teeth, so I didn’t bring him for his first cleaning until he was five.

That’s when we discovered that all four quadrants of his mouth needed work. If I had done what I’d been told, or even gone when he was two or three, we would have discovered the cavities (or potential for cavities) much sooner and the damage would not have been nearly as extensive.

2. Don’t assume

I never had a cavity until after I had kids, and like I mentioned a moment ago, Eli has really healthy teeth as well. Because of that, I assumed all of my kids would be the same.

It turns out that just because one kid’s teeth are strong, there’s no guarantee that his siblings’ teeth will be.

I remember how amazed I was to discover how different my kids’ personalities were, and I’ve learned that it’s the same with their physical makeup. You can follow the exact same oral care routines, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the results will be the same.

3. Pay attention to what your child is eating and drinking

My kids love orange juice. They drink it every morning and ask for it at other meals with limited success. Orange juice is healthy, but we never really considered the damage the acid in the OJ could do to tooth enamel. Here's how to save money on dental bills by keeping your kids' teeth healthy and strong.

Now I realize that although drinking orange juice may not have been the only culprit, it certainly contributed to Samuel’s dental problems. Since this realization, we have started drinking orange juice using a straw. Plus, we’ve started to cut back on acidic foods and drinks.

Here's how to save money on dental bills by keeping your kids' teeth healthy and strong.

4. Keep the long-term picture in mind

When we learned that Samuel needed crowns, my first thought was, “They’re only baby teeth.” However, damage to baby teeth can end up causing damage to permanent teeth before the permanent ones even sprout up. And when adult teeth first arrive, their enamel is at its softest and most vulnerable; Acid Erosion at this stage can do permanent damage because once enamel is gone, it’s gone forever.

Eli has just begun to get permanent teeth and even though he’s had strong teeth so far, we’ve learned our lesson and are not taking any chances. I just found ProNamel® 6-12 Years Toothpaste for Kids that’s specifically geared for kids whose permanent teeth are growing in. It strengthens and protects that precious tooth enamel, setting kids up for a lifetime of healthy teeth.

Here's how to save money on dental bills by keeping your kids' teeth healthy and strong. 

Save a little extra with this coupon for ProNamel® 6-12 Years Toothpaste for Kids.

Even though Samuel hasn’t lost any baby teeth yet, you can bet we’ll be doing everything we can to make sure both his baby teeth and his permanent teeth are as strong as possible. Regular brushing, flossing, and dental visits are a must!

We’ve all heard the saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We had to learn it the hard way. What’s done is done and we have to go through it regardless, but I can at least see the purpose if it helps even one family make changes that result in a healthier smile for your child and lower dental bills for you.

If our situation sounds at all familiar, please learn from our mistakes! You and your pocketbook (not to mention your kids!) will be glad you did!


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About Lauren

If you enjoy picture-perfect home decor, perfectly prepared recipes, and perfectly behaved children, you've come to the wrong place. Meet Lauren. She isn't perfect, but she's perfectly real.

Comments

  1. heather says

    I have learned the hard way to always stick to a strict sleeping routine so everyone is up in the morning on time.

  2. Mami2jcn says

    I have an 8 month old and I suffered for almost 5 months until I realized she loved to sleep in a swing. I wish I had tried a swing from the start.

  6. Julie Wood says

    I learned the hard way that I need to deal differently with my strong willed son. My daughter is so easy to raise and I had to find other ways to raise my strong willed child. It is a struggle.

  8. Kelly D says

    I learned that it’s important to schedule a bedtime routine for kids early in life. My son is 10 and still fights going to bed and my daughter has kept to her schedule since she was a baby.

  10. Natalie says

    I learned the hard way that my daughter cannot tolerate as much soccer practice as other kids. She was pushing herself too hard and got a stress fracture.

  12. Steve Weber says

    I learned the hard way by not setting rules at night

    groogruxking40 @ gmail dot com

  14. Ellen says

    There is a lot of information out now about oil pulling and taking a daily supplement of cod liver oil. I have not tried it but have read a bunch. “They” say they have healed their own cavities and increased their tooth strength. Might be worth looking into.

    • Lauren says

      That’s interesting. I’ll have to look into it… although getting my son to do it might be a hard sell 😉 (Funny story- My dad used to hide cod liver oil pills in my sisters’ sandwiches. Imagine unsuspectingly biting into one of those?? Ugh. I’m pretty sure they started checking after that and taking them out before eating their lunch, lol).

  15. Morgan says

    This is really good advice for protecting your kids’ teeth from excessive damage. It’s really important to take these precautions while they’re young in order to prevent any tooth trauma down the line. You give some super helpful and useful tips here! Thank you so much for sharing!

  16. Jessie C. says

    I have learned to be consistent from potty training my kids.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

  18. Lisa Brown says

    I had to learn the hard way the balance between getting enough sleep and asking for help in the early days. I wanted to do it all myself and it was difficult.

  19. Lisa Brown says

    tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/733332199332700160
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

  20. ann says

    Wanting to level with them but also having to be stern with them is always hard 🙁

  24. Anastasia Falling says

    It seems like I had to learn EVERY parenting lesson the hard way!! From not thinking ahead about how many diapers to bring, to how to handle bullies! They’ve all been rough lol 🙂

  26. Madeline says

    We used to let our child have candy right before bed and learned the hard way that this caused lots of cavities!

  28. Kristen says

    Thank you for sharing your story! I was so embarrassed when Lila had TWO cavities at age 5, and we had taken her to the dentist at age 3! It happens, we try our best, but sometimes we can’t be perfect. And that’s the toothpaste I use, will totally start using it on the kids too!

  29. Jeffrey says

    I’ve learned a lot from raising my children but nothing has been too difficult. Our first child may have had it a bit harder because I was new at parenting and didn’t realize how much time they needed. Both of my children have taught me many things and I feel better as a person. Knock on wood, we’ve avoided huge issues but we’ll have a teenager this year!

  31. onyinye Elochukwu says

    I learned that even though i may be a supermom, i can still ask for help when i am overwhelmed and help is offered. I can’t do it all.

  32. Erika says

    I probably have learned the hard way with too many parenting issues to count. Thank goodness my kids and I can both grow and learn.

    chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com

  33. CR Williams says

    Yes I sure, I learn that giving babies bottles can stain their teeth brown. : (

  35. Margaret Smith says

    Being a parent, it seems I’m always learning new things, especially with each year that passes. One particular lesson was to always bring a change or two of clothing with you for your baby.
    Thanks so much.

  37. Amy Tong says

    Oh most definitely. I guess I didn’t show my kids how to brush properly and now their dentist order me to help them brush before they brush on their own….every night. but gotta do what we have to! 🙂

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  39. Michelle R says

    A parenting lesson I have learned the hard way is that kids mimic their parents. You must act how you want them to act!

  44. ANGEL JACKLYN says

    I learned sometimes you have to SHOW them, because just TELLING them doesnt always work

  45. Elle says

    I learned the hard way not to laugh when your kid is doing something he shouldn’t be doing but is funny doing it because even if you express anger and disappointment, all he sees is you laughing and wants to do it again.

  48. Cynthia C says

    I once learned the hard way it’s not a good idea to let kids pack their own suitcase for a trip. We ended up with lots of electronic games and music and not much else LOL!

  50. shelly peterson says

    I learned that it is important to stay consistent.
    cshell090869 at aol dot com

  56. Tina M says

    my son is 18 months old now. I learned the hard way that I have a crazy screaming baby!!

  58. Rebecca says

    My husband and I try to stay consistent and on the same page on raising our children. It is something that we always try to learn how to improve.

  61. natasha Lamoreux says

    I have learned don’t spoil your kids at a young age because as teenagers they want everything and are not used to be told no.

  63. Denise L says

    My two kids are 17 years apart so the biggest lesson I learned the hard way is that your children grow up too fast and you should savor every minute. Luckily, I’m doing that with my little guy.

  65. Kerry says

    I learned the hard way how to enforce good nutrition right from the start. Bad habits can be hard to break!

  73. Kathleen Chen says

    I learned the hard way that no matter how much I do to warn them and set good examples, sometimes kids need to learn and experience the lesson on their own

  74. Stefanie Gladden says

    My kids are pretty good about brushing their teeth and keeping them healthy

  75. Stephanie Phelps says

    I learned the hard way how to set up bedtime routines with my kids to make it easier on them and me!

  76. Elizabeth Pergande says

    Consistency is what we do – we brush together twice a day to make sure we establish good habits. truckredford(at)Gmail(dot)com

  78. Pam Halligan says

    I have learned parenting skills the hard way. One of them was the danger sugary juice drinks to my kids’ teeth. I thought I was giving them a nutritious drink. Now they drink mostly water.

  81. Shanna says

    I learned the hard way you need to be consistent with discipline and follow through.
    I’m a pushover to my oldest – and we are working hard on following through.

  82. Gabrielly says

    I learned that it’s important to schedule a bedtime routine for kids early in life.

  83. Ellie Wright says

    Speaking of teeth, I learned the hard way not to let my oldest son take a bottle of apple juice at night. It was the early 80’s and I was a very young mom. My poor son ended up with a moth full of caps by his teens. I knew better when my younger 2 sons came along.

  85. Shannon says

    I’ve learned the hard way not to judge others parenting techniques until you’ve gone through exactly what they going through!

  88. Betty C says

    I learned the hard way that one style of discipline doesn’t work for every child. I struggled until I found the right method for each individual child.

  92. Trisha Burgess says

    I learned the hard way all baby’s do not sleep alike! My daughter was the best night time sleeper and I did everything the exact same way with my son and he absolutely refuses sleep and when he finally does fall asleep it’s not for long! It’s been a very long two years and we have tried everything! I will Never assume all kids are the same, again!

  94. Raphael Salgado says

    Timers are necessary. Whether it’s your electric toothbrush that stops after two minutes, or if you use a tiny hourglass. Enough brushing ensures they either take their time, or are more thorough in getting everywhere cleaned.

  95. Chelsey Bennett says

    I learned the hard way not to take it personally when your kids act out or go through a rebellious phase. (I’m talking adolescents, not toddlers. Lol)

  96. Noreen says

    I learned the hard way that just because a food is safe for one child means it is safe for their sibling

  98. Kristi S says

    I learned the hard way to always have a spare set of clothes and diaper in the car. 🙂

  101. Bekah Walsh says

    I don’t have kids, but I will never forget my mom’s lesson learned about boy diaper changes (she got a shower she didn’t want) after having 2 girls! Whoops.

  105. Ashley C says

    Potty training is a hard parenting lesson I’m faced with daily! I thought it would be easy and once they’re potty trained they’re done, but not so much!

    demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

  106. Jessica To says

    I learned the hard way that I should have made water the every day drink and sweet drinks as a treat.

  107. angie says

    Luckily, since I am not a parent, no. I have not had to learn any parenting lessons the hard way. I think that being a parent is the hardest job in the world, IF you do it right. But we are all human and, as long as we do our BEST, that is all we can do.

  108. Kathleen Richardson says

    I feel there are parenting lessons that I have both learned the hard way and many that came naturally to me. Consistency is key when it comes to parenting. We have many routines including a bed time and morning routine that keeps all of us consistent and ensures that everything that needs to get done actually gets done.

  110. Tabathia B says

    I have never been a big fan of kids having a lot of candy unless it’s something similar to Halloween, so therefore, my two oldest never had cavities at all until my now teen was born and her father allowed so much with her that she has always had several cavities and that messed up my two oldest dental hygiene with the amount of sweets but they still between the both of them only had one cavity as children. I wish I had been stricter with sweets

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  112. wendy browne says

    As a parent to two college aged kids and a new baby, I learned the hard way by not getting my kids involved in more decision making activities like driving in high school, getting jobs or time management. They’re way too dependent.

  118. Katelyn L Fagan says

    I learned the hard way that giving in to a child’s picky eating early and being lazy with dinner and making them eat certain foods makes it harder later on to break their picky eating.

  120. Whitney Bellows says

    I am not a parent yet – but as a puppy parent I can think of several things that I could be doing better.

  122. Michelle J. says

    I’ve learned that getting your baby every time they make a sound at night means neither of you sleep.

  125. amanda whitley says

    i have learned the hard way to always make sure you cover them all while changing them :p

  126. Jerry Marquardt says

    I have had to learn parenting lessons the hard way even being a great uncle to my great nephew.

  129. Terry Stevens says

    I have to learn to let my children cry themselves to sleep when they were young as I was a single parent and had to work early in the morning. This was really hard for me not to want to cradle them all night.

  130. Sarah Anderson says

    Indeed, assuming is a scary thing when it comes to medical stuff like this. You should make sure to take your kids to the dentist, early and often. Without doing that you are setting your child up for dental issues and diseases.

  131. Rhonda Grisham says

    I learned the hard way that you must teach a child to respect early, it is much harder as they get older.

  134. Brian says

    I definitely think you’re right about taking your kids to the dentist at a young age. Waiting until they have had teeth for a few years can really lend itself to problems later in life.