Messed up baby teeth?

[smeep]

I looked at Ezra's tooth today and it was chipped (his front left tooth). Then I looked closer at his teeth (as I can in the mouth of a screaming, wiggling 17 month old). The two front teeth, near the gum line, have something on them (sorta yellowish). His left tooth next to the front ones is the same way, but his right tooth next to the front ones is actually missing enamel!!!!!!!! Up by the gumline it's missing enamel, probably 1/3 or 1/4 of the front his tooth. Anyone have a kid get something like this? What'd you do? I don't want to just pull those teeth if I don't have to...for a billion reasons. But it's worrying the hell out of me. I'm going to get them looked out once I sort out this medicaid crap, but I wanted to get your opinions and alternative options since I could just see some dentist telling me I need to pull all his teeth and get him implants and braces and the whole works.

[attachedmama]

My son (almost 3) has thesame thing on the same teeth. I have been freaking out about it too. Worse still is he is afraid of EVERYOnE and everything He is my shy one. He broke his collar bone in Feb, just as I was gearing up to figuring out this dental issue and take him....but ever since the ER visit, there is no way! If I go anywhere near any medical looking building he starts to sceam He wouldnt even get out of the car at the vet
I am hoping his teeth don't get too much worse before this phase passes

I would love to hear your responses!

[flutemandolin]

My 4 Y.O. son's front teeth started to look like that at about 18 months too. He had a visible gap between his front teeth where it looks like some erosion happened. I thought NO WAY am I going to take him to a dentist at that age and endure complicated procedures, so I decided to watch and wait. Well, 2 1/2 years later his teeth have grown some in length and the base by the gums looks perfectly normal, and there has been no further erosion!

I'm not saying you should not get something like that checked out, and maybe I should have, but I too was afraid a dentist would suggest intervention.

Deb

[miamommy]

I noticed the same thing with my dd right after her top front teeth came in. We waited about 6 months then went to the dentist. Another 6 months before we did anything and now, on Monday we had to have them pulled. They were too decayed for caps. My dd is almost two. It was hard. Both of my children are very shy and it was very hard for the dentist to look, but now we just wish we had done something earlier. My dd is eating so much more just 2 days after the procedure than she ever has. We now realize that her teeth were causing her pain but she didn't know any different. She is even talking more!
My advice would be to get it looked at, asap. It isn't very much, maybe $100 for a quick exam, actually more like $60 and I live in Los Angeles. That is how much we paid. The procedure was an arm and a leg though because she had to be put to into a "twilight" sleep. But, I would do it again. We have never seen her so happy.