After my teenage son told me he was spitting out pieces of his teeth I got concerned. My son, who visits the dentist frequently and has no cavities is now having issues with his teeth. Not only issues, but his teeth are actually crumbling.
We went and seen the dentist. After a few questions and an examination of his teeth. She quickly diagnosed the problem.
He needs more calcium.
With his rapid growth and extremely active lifestyle, he is not getting enough calcium. Yes, he drinks milk. Yes he takes vitamins. Calcium was actually the one thing I never worried about him having. He is a very picky eater but he always chooses dairy products. The dentist explained that his bones are growing at a rate where they are taking all the calcium away from his teeth. This has caused them to be more sensitive than usual and to chip easily. She polished and sanded the chipped teeth , making them look perfect again. Then suggested taking calcium supplements.
Well I am the mom who asks lots of questions on a good day. I remember seeing something on the news about Calcium concerns recently so I asked more questions then usual.
She recommended taking calcium for one month and then waiting for two months then taking it again for one month. As she is our dentist and not a pharmacist, she said we should check with him to find out exactly what he should be taking.
Every time I go to the pharmacy it is super dead and no one is really there. That is until I have to speak to the pharmacist. Then everyone else is there to talk to him too. I gave our pharmacist the details (age, weight, activity levels, concerns etc) and he suggested he be taking calcium twice a day. He agreed that one month on and two off was right for my son. He also said to take these big supplements with food. It looks like this bottle will last for the entire time he needs the extra calcium. The pharmacist also said they would help with his leg cramps.
The Canada Food guide recommends that he should have 3-4 servings of dairy (milk and alternatives) a day. Once he is 19 it drops to 2 servings a day.
Examples are
Milk and Alternatives
Milk or powered milk (reconstituted)
250 mL (1 cup)
Canned milk (evaporated)
125 mL (½ cup)
Fortified soy beverage
250 mL (1 cup)
Yogurt
175 g (¾ cup)
Cheese
50 g (1 ½ oz.)
Hopefully we will see and he will feel a difference after taking the added calcium. When I was a teen and when I had my children, I always had low Iron. It is amazing how every individual has different needs. Do you need a specific vitamin or supplement added to your diet?
My sister never had any problems with her teeth until she became pregnant, then all of a sudden she had the same problem as your son. It was also lack of calcium, the babies all took the calcium and she wasn't getting enough.
This should be a reminder to myself too – coming to think about it .. I don't get enough calcium either! I should also remind/warn my littlest sister to drink her milk too! It's so important these days to "forget" with all the other drinks available.