Bottle Rot = 4yo DSS with no teeth... advice

[JordanKX]

I would imagine with the parents in this forum, there's not a lot of cases of bottle rot. But if anyone has any recommendations....

My DSS had bottle-rot two years ago, just when I met and got together with DP. He was over 2yo, still took a bottle to go to bed (apparently his mother gave him juice... I have no idea, I don't live with DSS's mother, so I'm not throwing blame). Regardless, at the time (2yr ago) dentist said his teeth should come out. His mom couldn't do it- she cancelled 4 appointments over the past two years, until yesterday.

He will be FOUR in sept and just had all 4 top teeth removed, finally. They weren't teeth. They were nubbins. He hadn't been able to use them for a long time (serious pain & sensitivity).

Now he has no top teeth.

I'm not looking at inflammatory things there (they reside in dark harbors), but it's about working with this child that now has no teeth. The dentist said there was nothing to cap nor bridge. So... he's just going to be without teeth.. for how long?

This whole idea just disgusts me (not at DSS, but just that it took this long), but in reality, we have to work with a kiddo with no teeth.

Advice?

[KMK_Mama]

That's so sad. They will come in when he would have normally lost his teeth and gotten his adult teeth...so in about 2 years or so?? In the meantime....are there plans to make sure the rest of his teeth are ok so they keep his other teeth from rotting out? Has the bottle been taken away?

I have a son with teeth issues by no fault of our own (he was diagnosed with an enamel disorder) so I can empathize.

[lovebug]

sometimes when baby teeth are removed it promotes the adult teeth to come sooner. so 6 or 7 but maybe sooner...

what kind of advice are you looking for? i can tell you are upset! it has to be hard. how is he handling it?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Ds hasnt had all top 4 teeth since 2y2m because of weak enamel that caused the teeth to start to decay as soon as they erupted past the gum line.

He hasnt needed the teeth and actually has no issues with eating anything even corn on the cob. It does affect some words but only like you would see when a child looses those teeth at the right age.

The top permanent teeth usually erupt around 7 or that was the case for my dd so ds has at least another 2 years to go without those teeth.

[pbjmama]

It sounds like he may be more able to chew and such now that the teeth are gone. I lost a tooth in an accident when I was very young...maybe 2? And it came in around the same time that I was naturally loosing other teeth. It was slightly discolored and the dentist put some bonding on it, I think. It still looks a little off but it is a bottom tooth so no one really notices. These days I bet there is something the dentist can do to make it look really nice if the tooth is damaged when it comes in.

[SilverFish]

his teeth may come in earlier than 6 or 7... i had lost my front baby teeth at 5 and started growing the adult ones. either way, i think most kids learn to deal with no or sensitive teeth during that stage. since he may go a fair amount of time with no teeth, have you figured out if he's sensitive about his appearance? physically i'm sure he'll adapt and be just fine (provided the other teeth aren't compromised) but he may need some help dealing with looking different from his peers, especially if he doesn't get his teeth until later.

[velochic]

I think he'll adjust. You said no top teeth, but surely he has some incisors and molars, right? Otherwise I guess just soft foods.

Dd is 8 and she has weak enamel. We have been very vigilant about her teeth and she has had no cavities, but they are sensitive. She doesn't like to bite into things like apples. I can imagine your step-son would want things cut up as well. In our case, dd did not start losing teeth until she was 8. She's 8.5 now and still has lost only 3 teeth. It could be a long haul depending on the child. He could be several years without teeth. Good luck!

[annethcz]

Me me me!!!! I can chime in with no judgement.

The exact same thing happened with our (adopted) DS who joined our family a few weeks before his 5th birthday. His top front teeth were completely rotted, and he also needed a ton of work done on his back teeth due to extensive cavities. He had all 4 of his top front teeth pulled at age 5. At first, it was so sad. But he figured out how to eat again VERY quickly. Seriously, he could eat apples and corn on the cob without problem.

It did take several years for his front teeth to come in. I don't remember exactly how long it took- I found a pic of him at age 7, still without front teeth. Isn't he cute? I think he must've been about 8 when his front teeth started coming in again.

I know it's a little scary to have so many of your DSS's teeth pulled, but really he'll be okay. It will seem normal to him and he'll adapt quickly. I'm sorry you feel disgusted by the situation. I never felt that way about my DS- I just focused on doing the best for him that I could.

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I didn't read the other posts.

I bet he's adorable with no top teeth!

Anyway... My daughter was almost two before she had ANY teeth. She ate everything just fine. Pizza, bagels, everything was no problem. So, I wouldn't worry about food. (obviously for the first few weeks he can't eat many solid foods) When his little gums feel better he should be fine.

His big teeth will come in within a year or two.. and you will miss his big gap.

For right now, I'd stick to smoothies and ice cream for a few days, then if he's feeling better start with soft, but normal foods. He'll figure it out.

Take lots of pictures too!

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Originally Posted by annethcz

Isn't he cute? I think he must've been about 8 when his front teeth started coming in again.

YES!

There's something super cute about a kid with no top teeth.

[JordanKX]

Originally Posted by annethcz

Isn't he cute? I think he must've been about 8 when his front teeth started coming in again.

I know it's a little scary to have so many of your DSS's teeth pulled, but really he'll be okay. It will seem normal to him and he'll adapt quickly. I'm sorry you feel disgusted by the situation. I never felt that way about my DS- I just focused on doing the best for him that I could.

YES! He's adorable! :-)
And thank you for the reality check... I was so disheartened by the whole action, but reading through these responses, that he Will be okay and he will adjust... I feel much better about things. Thank you so much!

[Cujobunny]

My dd fell last year and bashed her top teeth, they were loose and one is chipped, the dentist originally though maybe they would have to pull them if they were very loose (they didn't, after all) but reassured me that some kids start to lose their teeth at around 5 so by the time she got to school she wouldn't be so out of place.

There was a girl in ds' class this past year who had been hit in the face with a hockey stick and had to have her top teeth pulled because of that. Not only did I not notice for the whole school year, but the kid didn't think anything of it, wasn't self conscious or anything.

So kids can be toothless for a variety of reasons. No big deal