Taking Kay to the dentist is usually pretty routine. Teeth cleaning, a quick check, maybe a sticker at the end, and we’re on our way. This visit started out pretty much the same.
Kay did great with her cleaning and even tolerated getting X-rays done (with the help of plenty of stickers), which honestly is an accomplishment in itself. Anyone who has ever tried to get a child — especially a young child — to cooperate with dental X-rays knows it can be a whole event. But she handled it well, and the dentist was really happy with how things were looking overall.
In fact, she told me that Kay’s dental hygiene looks great. As a parent, that’s always nice to hear. We do our best with brushing, but like most parents of little kids, we’re working with a very wiggly human who has strong opinions about personal space and toothbrushes.
After looking over the X-rays though, the dentist did notice two very small cavities starting in between Kay’s baby molars. They appear to have just started and are tucked right between the teeth.
She reassured me that this is actually pretty common in kids and said she doesn’t think it’s because of poor brushing. The bigger issue is flossing. Food can easily get stuck between those back molars, and if you can’t floss regularly, it can sit there.
Then she looked at me and said she assumes Kay probably doesn’t allow me to floss her teeth.
I laughed and immediately agreed. Kay tolerates a lot of things… flossing is not currently one of them.
During that conversation, the dentist asked what we typically use to treat Kay’s low blood sugars. I told her that we usually use glucose gummies because they’re quick, easy, and Kay will reliably take them when she’s low. She immediately said she’s about 90% sure that’s what caused the small cavities between Kay’s molars. Gummies are sticky and can easily get lodged between teeth, especially those back molars where it’s already difficult to clean well.
Because Kay has Type 1 diabetes and treating low blood sugars is obviously non-negotiable, the dentist suggested switching to applesauce pouches instead. She explained that applesauce doesn’t tend to stick in the teeth the same way gummies do, and if Kay drinks some water afterward it can help rinse any remaining sugar away. She especially recommended this approach for overnight lows, when sugar might otherwise sit on the teeth for hours while she sleeps.
Managing Type 1 diabetes means constantly balancing what works medically with what works practically in the moment, so this was helpful advice to think about as we continue adjusting what we use to treat lows.
The dentist also shared a little glimpse into what’s coming next in Kay’s mouth. Her adult molars are already lined up and ready to come in, and she expects they could start popping through within the next six months. On top of that, Kay’s two bottom front teeth are already loose, which means we could be seeing our first lost teeth in the next couple of months.
Watching these little milestones approach is both exciting and a little emotional.
The good news is that the cavities are still very small. Because they were caught early, the dentist doesn’t need to drill or do traditional fillings. Instead, she can treat them using a special medication applied on floss between the teeth.
We’ll go back next month to do the treatment again to help stop the cavities from progressing.
While Kay handled the cleaning and X-rays like a champ, the cavity treatment was a different story. She was not a fan.
It ended up taking three of us to hold her still while the dentist quickly flossed the medication between the teeth. As a parent, moments like that are hard. No one likes seeing their child upset or having to hold them down while someone does something they don’t understand. But it was also necessary.
If those cavities were to get worse before her adult molars come in, the next step would likely involve putting Kay under anesthesia at a surgical center to fill them. That would be far more invasive and potentially just as traumatic — if not more — especially considering how small the cavities are right now. Catching them early means we have the chance to handle it in a much simpler way.
Parenting often feels like a series of small decisions and moments that don’t always feel easy in the moment, but are made with the bigger picture in mind. This was one of those moments.
And despite the tough ending to the appointment, we walked away with good news overall: healthy teeth, exciting milestones coming soon, and a plan to keep Kay’s smile strong as she continues growing.