Traumas - chips,breaks,cracks,bleeding, etc

[Len]

My DS (28 months) was playing on the back part of the couch and he fell off face first (I know!) onto the hardwood floor. I was really scared when I picked him up and found blood coming out of his mouth. He nursed until he calmed down and let me see his teeth, which are complete and not loose, I think. but his gums, just above his middle tooth, was bleeding. That happened last night and today it was much better, but it (the gum) started to bleed again today when he was eating a rice cake. I don't think his tooth hurts because he can chew but I'm concerned about his gums getting bacteria if they don't heal soon. Should I take him to a dentist? Is there something that I should/could give him that will keep his mouth bacteria-free? Any advice will be much appreciated!

[Smilemomma]

I'm with you! I hate my first visit with a child to be some trauma. It's so much better to build happy visits, then if something happens, we know and trust one another.

It sounds like he's all better, hurray! Do brush gently, though; you don't want to get an infection in there.

So glad I could help!

[Len]

Thankyou Smilemomma! My baby is perfect now and I was right to follow my instincts and your advise. I'm now starting my search for a Smilemomma practicing in my town.

[bebe luna]

White spots on gums

Okay, I wasn't really sure how to describe these... but my 1 yo ds has 2 little white marks that almost look like scabs (but they aren't) right behind 2 of his front top teeth- on the gums.
He nurses a few times during the night. No juice ever. No sugar. Honey or maple syrup just a few times. Apple sauce or stewed pears at breakfast. Occasional rice milk out of a bottle during the day. Very infrequent brushing. Beautiful white teeth (7 of them).
Is this decay????
Any advice????

[redsquirrel]

He chipped a tooth!

Help! My son, 21 months old, chipped his front top tooth. It's not a huge chip but I can see it. It's actually more like a notch. It didn't seem to bother him when it happened and he didn't react when we brushed it either. It does feel sharp and he is running his tougue over it. I can't feel it while breastfeeding though. I am going to call my ped for a referal to a ped dentist (I hope there is one in town b/c my dentist who I love told me he doesn't do kids).
Is there anything I should be watching for, looking for, be worried about? I have a feeling that this is just something that happens and there is nothing anyone can do. My friends kid knocked out a tooth at three and there wasn't much that anyone could do and he did just fine. I am so sad that his beautiful smile has been changed.
I did a search on the word "chipped" tp see if anyone else had asked this but not much came up. I am sorry if this has already been discussed.

[redsquirrel]

I am bumping this up. I feel like I am talking to myself! I stopped by the dentist and he told me that the tooth looks fine...chipped.. but fine. He also said that it will turn black!!!:
I hope it won't stay that way until it falls out. Hasn't anyone had this happen to them? I would really appreciate some info from a parent who has experienced this.

[Corriander]

Well I'm sitting here right now with a chipped tooth that I've had for 2 years and it's never turned black. I think maybe if the root of the tooth was damaged and the tooth died then it would turn black, but if only the enamel was chipped (is that the right word?) then I don't think you have to worry.

[PM]

First of all, I'm sorry about your ds. I'm glad to hear he wasn't in pain, though. I'm also sorry you haven't gotten any answers. It hasn't happened to my dd but I did a search and came up with two interesting Ask The Dentist type of things:

How to treat a chipped tooth and cavity potential
http://www.parentsplace.com/expert/d...106648,00.html

Discoloration in chipped tooth
http://www.parentsplace.com/expert/d...106965,00.html

I have a chipped tooth. I chipped it in the 8th grade. I can say that it does stain easier with tea and coffee so I have to keep it extra clean.

[redsquirrel]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post. The dentist said it would turn black b/c it got bruised and like any bruise the blood that collected has to dissapate. I have spoken to a number of folks with chipped teeth and it seems to be about 50-50 on the turning black (all of the people with kids who chipped a tooth said it turned black) He's going to look like a pirate for a while I guess.
Hey, smilemamma, if you read this I think you should write a book for parents about the care of kiddie teeth. I looked in all my baby books and found no info to help me at all. I kept thinking that what I needed was a book by a nice mama dentist who would understand my questions and not talk down to me.
Thanks again to you all.

[dotcommama]

sorry i didn't see this thread before

My ds chipped his two front teeth when he was not quite a year old. We went to the ped. dentist who just quickly filed them a bit so they aren't sharp fang points anymore She said it was 50/50 that the teeth would turn black. It's been a year and they haven't discolored, so I'm hoping it never will.

[Mammachi]

I'm glad I found this forum- Maybe someone can help...

I originally wrote a long post in the Breastfeeding Overcoming difficulties forum, and it frustratingly vanished....
Maybe it was supposed to be here.
I actually have several issues I want to discuss.
I have had an extremely difficult time nursing my teething son the last few weeks. He is 15 mos and has his top 4 front teeth and bottom 4 front teeth plus 4 molars. I think it's his eye teeth coming in now. He's been nursing non-stop- day and night. My nipples and breasts are incredibly sore, but the real problem is that one of my son's front teeth is slightly chipped. The sharp edge of the chipped part is grazing along my areola as he nurses and has caused an open cut to form on each breast. OUCH!!!! I've been lansinohing like crazy and they're just beginning to look like the are starting to heal a little but it still hurts like hell when he nurses. All. The. Time!!!! I called LLL but they were of minmal help. Basically they just told me to use Lansinoh which I already am doing, and to consider taking my son to a dentist.

I am one of those folks who would rather have my toe hairs pulled out one by one with a hot pair of tweezers than go to the dentist.

I can not imagine taking my son and subjecting him to the hell of the dentistry experience. Not to mention that I am extremely against the use of mercury.

What would they do to my son's chipped tooth? It's really a slight chip across the bottom but it does have this jagged edge as I mentioned. Sadly, I also noticed the other day that it seems to be slightly 'green' on the back of the chipped tooth. I assume this means it's decaying??? He also has some white spots- plaque like deposits on his top front teeth up by the gum line. Is this really bad? Is it from all the night nursing? I'm really terrified of bringing him to the dentist and am shocked that he's only had these teeth for a handful of months and they're already doing so poorly. We brush his teeth the best we can every day.

Not to mention MY teeth. I have some severe gum problems. They don't bleed too much, but they are always swolllen and irritated. I try to floss daily, but don't always. I have all of my wisdom teeth and have a head full of mercury. All but one of my molars if filled with amalgam. That is another whole story, but I sure wish I could find a dentist near me who removes mercury. Anyone have a list of dentists (in CA?) who remove mercury? I also wish I had money to do that. I don't have insurance for myself, but I do for my son.

Does anyone know about herbal/natural/dietary supports for good health of teeth and gums? Other than the obvious calcuim which I try to get extra of. Is there any way to rebuild enamel?

Thanks for any and all suggestions to the plethora of concerns I have!!!!
I reallllllly appreciate it!!

[Jazmommie]

I would take him in to a dentist (family kind),It would not take much to file the edge off the tooth.I do not know about the discoloring.
I use something called IPSAB(you can get it from health food stores or Heritage products by mail)
It has salt,prickly ash bark,peppermint,iodine-it helps gum problems-add CoQ 10 capsules to your diet & lots of green foods!

[Piglet]

Sage and calendula mouthwash for you and if you can't face the dentist get a nail file out and gently file it smooth (not as bad as it sounds belive me!) Don't worry about you amalgam fillings unless you are suffering with long term health problems that could be related to them. Just don't have any more and when they need replacing have composite fillings (White ones). I too have bad teeth but being a dental nurse put me off the dentist for a long time!!! The only other suggestion is a latex nipple shield. Hope this helps keep smiling

[Smilemomma]

You have gotten a lot of great advice already, I just want to second going through this board. There's a ton of info on here on every question you posted! We rock!

[Mira]

Baby keeps biting herself

My two year old daughter has most of her teeth. The problem is that she keep accidentally biting the inside of her mouth while eating. It is very upsetting for her and it often stops her from eating anything else.

Is this a common problem? Is there anything I can do to help her?

Thanks.

XOXOXO

[Mira]

Thank you Smilemama

Thanks for the response. I hope she'll eventually
grow out of it.

I am just worried because I bite myself all the time
and wondered if it was something I had passed on
to her.

XOXOXO

[ldsapmom]

my 2.5 year old's tooth has been loose for 2 weeks...

I posted before about my son having his four front teeth capped. One of his top two teeth has been loose for about 2 weeks. I thought originally maybe he bumped it and I decided to give it time to tighten up. Well, it is still loose. There is no sign of infection or swelling; it is just loose.

Any ideas? I did call a ped dds and am awaiting the return call.

[ldsapmom]

Please someone help! I am STILL waiting for the ped dds to call! Grrr! It is so loose it is angled differently than his other teeth!!!!!!!! Is it going to fall out? And if it does, what can be done? He will just have an empty hole until his adult teeth come in? I am so scared!!!!!

[ldsapmom]

Thanks, SM, but it fell out today. I decided to make an appt. with my old dentist for Monday back in my hometown three hours away. We are at my mom's house now -- he is the family dentist and lives down the street. We called him when it happened and he made a housecall to come check things out. He said we should still come in for x-rays tomorrow so he can tell us more about what happened above gumlines. I was sad, but at least I can stop worrying if it is going to fall out or not and just deal, you know? I will get back after the x-rays and post more.

[merrysmom]

Nursing 3-yr-old with loose front tooth from fall, is it okay?

Hi Smilemomma! We've been away for a while, no more tooth woes until today. DD fell and knocked one of her top front teeth on the bath (plastic type). It's a little loose. I called our ped. dentist, whom I trust. She told me to watch for discoloring, and that DD might have broken the root. DD had a lot of blood from the split lip, but a little where the gum attaches to the tooth as well. The dentist said she doesn't need to see her right now as it is such a common injury and there is nothing she could do right now. She also said that in about 5% of these they eventually have to do a root canal!!! Good God, does that sound right?

The tooth appears still to be in alignment, or maybe it is slightly pushed back. I can't tell because it keeps moving. My question is: she is still breastfeeding. She is a big nurser and does so at least every two hours. I can't even put her to sleep without milk. Is all this nursing going to affect whether or not the tooth tightens up? Also, will it make the tooth stick out or angle in more than if she wasn't nursing? I haven't told this ped. dentist that we still breastfeed, as I like the dentist so much and don't want to introduce any issues into the relationship. I don't know how she'd respond, but see no need to test it.

Thanks so much, Jackie