Hi everybody. I've been coming to this board off and on for over 15
years. How's Joel these days?

I really need some advise. My ten year old son is having problems with
his teeth and his dentists are apparently out of ideas.

We were aware that he had con{*filter*} hypoparathyroidism at two months
of age, when he had a seizure caused by hypocalcemia and spent some
time in the hospital.

He was put on ergocalciferol and calcium and that treatment has kept
his ionized calcium in normal range since the hospitalization.

When his primary "baby" teeth came in, they had no enamel and they
began to crack down the middle. Of course his primary teeth were
already forming before his was born, so we had high hopes for his
{*filter*} teeth having enamel.

So he had an in-hospital dental treatment at 18 months of age. He had
several stainless steel caps and extractions.

He's seen his dentist every six months since then. He's had cleanings
and fluoride sealants applied.

Fast forward 8 years. Most of his  {*filter*} teeth have came in and they
too have cracks, chips and decays, despite all the hard work the
dentists put into treating them and despite the fact that his calcium
has been normal since three months of age.

Last year he had his second in-hospital dental treatment, which
consisted of two more extractions, one crown and cleaning.

Here's where things get ugly.

His {*filter*} teeth are just falling to pieces now. They are cracking,
chipping and decaying. Fluoride sealant and the twice daily brushing
isn't helping.

The dentists will not discuss long term treatment with me for some
reason. My son has four different dentists, two with hospital
privileges and two without (we use them for more frequent checkups).
He also has been two a couple orthodontists who have both advised the
dentists on treatments ("wait and see" basically).

To make matters worse, my son has a problem with his aortic valve. We
simply cannot afford to allow his gums to be in bad shape. The
dentists are all aware of this.

Main Question: Just based on what I've written above (all his {*filter*}
teeth are falling out), what would the long term treatment likely be,
generally speaking? Titanium implants, bridges, etc? At what age? 18
years old?? I'm just trying to plan ahead. My son has almost no front
teeth now except for a few bottom teeth and he is having a hard time
speaking.

Lead up to question #2: My wife and I have religiously brushed his
teeth daily since 2 months of age and switched to two or three times
daily since five years of age. The dentists are accusing us of not
brushing his teeth (he has special needs, can't brush his own teeth).
In fact we have been accused of not brushing his teeth since six
months of age.

The dentists accuse us of this because our son's gums are pulled away
from his teeth and bleeding at each appointment (in fact they bleed
frequently at home when we brush). It has been worse since his last in-
hospital visit. But again we brush his teeth twice daily (and I know
how to brush teeth). I even use my fingernails to clear away the gunk.
No matter how frequently we brush, with soft or hard bristles, his
teeth accumulate gunk, perhaps because his teeth are very rough and
gritty (there is almost no enamel).

Question #2: How can I explain to these dentists that I am brushing
his teeth? These accusations are now becoming worrisome. Out of the
five dentists we've seen over the years, none seem to believe us or
understand this situation.

Please help!

Thank you
Richard