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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be quietly gutted for my beautiful DD

176 replies

namechange505 · 07/02/2019 07:21

DD had an accident at school a couple of years ago and fell into some concrete causing quite a bit of damage to her front teeth. This week she had felt one of the fillings that the dentist had used to cap and rebuild one of her teeth moving slightly. We made an appointment on Tues yesterday to check it out and then another one yesterday after school to replace the filling.

Unfortunately at yesterday's appointment it became apparent that her tooth had split quite badly and part of it had to be removed. The split went beneath the gum-line resulting in extensive work to try to cover the exposed nerve and rebuild some semblance of a tooth temporarily. (Apologies if anyone is squeamish…) She was in the chair for over 3 hours and is on strong painkillers and antibiotics. She was understandably very upset by the whole thing. Sad

She is going to need some serious dental work going forward, likely she will lose the tooth altogether but we will know more in a few days. Unfortunately there was very little tooth left to work with and the resulting temporary fix is very fragile. The dentist is speaking with colleagues tomorrow to see what the best course of action is but likely an extraction and false tooth on a plate followed by a bridge until she's 18 when they can start looking at an implant. Sad Sad

I ended up googling teens with broken teeth to see if there were any success stories (I know...) but all I could find were stories from people who "luckily didn't lose the tooth" or "luckily they were able to put a cap on it" but that's unlikely in my DD's case.

She's had lots of cuddles and is being very stoic about the whole thing. I keep telling her (and myself) that there are far worse problems to have and that nobody is seriously ill or dying. It's just a tooth and we'll get it sorted.

But AIBU to be quietly gutted for her that she's losing a tooth so young due to a stupid accident? Anyone have any positive stories about similar situations that might cheer her up?

OP posts:
VanGoghsDog · 08/02/2019 21:25

My colleague in my last job was mid twenties and had a totally un-noticeable false tooth at the front, she told me it was the result of an accident when she was younger - she was a bit self-conscious of it, but not excessively so, no more than any mid-twenties woman is a bit self-conscious about a lot of things.

I'm sure they will sort her out.

Ithinkmycatisevil · 08/02/2019 21:31

Bless her. Such a difficult age for something like this, they're so conscious of how they look.

My dad lost a front tooth at this age, running into a wall! he's always had a false one my entire life and you'd never know unless he told you. It's horrible to have to go through it all, but I'm sure once the dental work is complete, you won't be able to tell that her tooth isn't real.

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 08/02/2019 22:08

If there's enough of it left below the gumline could she have a post and crown? They don't need much of the original tooth to be able to cement a post into it. I have one on a back tooth. I think I only had one side of it left, there isn't much actual tooth under it and it's held firm for more than a decade.

justlliloleme · 08/02/2019 22:09

My husband (now 48) borrowed his dads binoculars when he was around 10, his dad told him to be careful & not to break them. Consequently he fell off a wall and clutched the binoculars to stop them hitting the ground & broke the fall with his teeth! He lost his front 2 teeth & had to go though nightmare treatment like your daughter until he was 18 & they could fix them properly. He had them done at 18 & they were great until our youngest was about 9 months old & headbutted one out 😂😂. He’s had trouble with that one tooth ever since 😕 but I think that more down to the dentist quick fixes.

They can do amazing things now & im sure you’re daughter will be fine x

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa · 08/02/2019 22:12

My dog knocked my tooth out age 12 and I had to have a temp crown before an implant at 18 +. We are now 11 years on and I still have the original temp crown in and no problems. The only problem that I have is I want to whiten my teeth and I can't whiten that one. It is one of my front top teeth.

WendyMad · 08/02/2019 22:14

I've had two teeth crowned in the past few years, and they're so good I can't even remember which ones they are.

My uncle broke a front tooth in 1965 at the age of 16, has a crown, and I never knew till recently when he told me - and when he made me guess which one it was, I got it wrong!

Fixes for damaged teeth have been very good for a long time now.

Brigante9 · 08/02/2019 22:40

Bless her, I fell off my bike and snapped a front tooth in half at 12. I had a vampire tooth for ages then had it capped then crowned. I think you should be super fussy about the colour/size, I’m still not happy with mine. (Been replaced twice)

pollymere · 08/02/2019 22:46

I was born without two of my front adult teeth. I had a bridge until I was 22 when I got my implants. I coped fine and had plenty of boyfriends. Consider going privately on the implants through an NHS dentist as the materials are better quality. Mine are now 20 years old and no one even realizes they're not my own!

MachineBee · 09/02/2019 08:33

I fell against a climbing frame aged 10 and smashed all my upper front teeth (5 teeth were actually broken and 5 more were stressed). I had to have temporary caps on them for 6 years - which used to fall off at the most awkward moments. I also had an operation to protect the roots and for 2 teeth replace with metal posts. When I was 16 I was given crowns and although I’ve had a couple of replacements over the years, they’ve been absolutely fine. I’m in my late 50s now.

I hope your DD is fine. They can do even more amazing dental work these days.

bubblegumunicorn · 09/02/2019 09:36

I’ve been thinking about this this morning and honestly I think having a plate with a false tooth might look better they try so hard to match the teeth and you can’t tell! Caps on the other hand are notorious for looking a bit off here’s my teeth the top photo was Christmas 2010 I’d had my braces off for 3 weeks and my dentist just patchworked repaired the cap where the glue had taken part of it away it’s obvious it’s false and it’s grey! The second one is from the day I had my crown 18 months ago and you can only tell because of the way the tooth hasn’t settled in yet! The plate tooth will look a lot more like the bottom one!

to be quietly gutted for my beautiful DD
Original poster
namechange505 · 09/02/2019 11:59

A couple of people have mentioned a post and crown, the dentist did say that she couldn't have a crown either because of her age? Agree that would seem to be the less traumatic fix (if it were possible) but I guess it's again to do with her mouth still growing etc. Although I do agree @bubblegumunicorn, the repair they did first of all to the tooth before it split was slightly discoloured compared to the rest of the tooth.

I think we're going to push for keeping the tooth root in her mouth if at all possible, likely with a root canal. It would be cut off at the gumline and then she'll have something temporary until an implant can be done. Thank you again to the professionals on here who gave me that information! Definitely feels better to have a plan of action.

I remain amazed at the stories on here. The amount of damage people are describing and nearly all finishing with "but today you would never know" or words to that effect! I hadn't realised what a real art dentistry is. Most of these stories have made my teeth hurt in sympathy!

@Penndragon I'm so sorry to hear what your DD went through, I'm so glad she's through the worst of it. Have to say I did spit my tea out laughing at your "they were a bag of chips before" comment...Grin Reminded me of that Greg Davis comment at the Royal Variety Performance when he says "my mum's friend was thinking of getting her teeth done because and I quote, they're beginning to look like a bag of quavers"...

OP posts:
WaxOnFeckOff · 09/02/2019 12:34

I don't think it's necessarily because her mouth is still growing and more because they can charge for it at 18? I might just be cynical though...

Bikkigirl · 09/02/2019 12:39

My brother lost his two front teeth at a similar age (slid head first off a table tennis table). He had screw in implants put in which lasted until he died in his late thirties and they were still going strong then. This was 30 years ago and probably was done privately but I don’t remember him being without teeth for very long and was certainly done well before he was 18.

TheMadGardener · 09/02/2019 12:49

My DSis knocked out her two front teeth on a climbing frame aged 11 and had to start secondary school with no front teeth Grin She had replacements which she then knocked out in a bike accident about 6 months later and had to have them done again. She's in her 40s now and you would never know her front two teeth weren't her own. My DM lost her front teeth in a boat accident in her 50s and wears a bridge, she's in her 80s now.

MountPheasant · 09/02/2019 12:53

My fiancé cracked his front tooth in half at 13 and had to have it rebuilt with some sort of substance.

I never noticed until he pointed it out! It’s an ever so slightly darker shade is all.

hatethinkingofusernames · 09/02/2019 12:59

You need a tooth to have a crown. The best option by the sound of it is a well made denture and then an implant then a crown over that when she's 18, they are expensive but is the closet thing she'll get to a real tooth. Bless her.

GladAllOver · 09/02/2019 13:03

I don't think it's necessarily because her mouth is still growing and more because they can charge for it at 18? I might just be cynical though

You can think what you like but the implant can't be done until the mouth has reached its final adult size.

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 09/02/2019 13:49

Her mouth doesn't need to finish growing for a crown though? I had mine at 15. It's been fine. All they need is enough root to cement a metal post in and then they secure the crown over the post.

WaxOnFeckOff · 09/02/2019 13:59

You can think what you like

Yes I can.

MissUGirl · 09/02/2019 15:59

It's a minor problem and it can be fixed. Count your blessings.

CasanovaFrankenstein · 09/02/2019 19:59

Sorry to hear that. Someone I know has 2 implants (teeth never grew) and I would never have known had they not told me. Hope it all goes well.

bababoom100 · 09/02/2019 20:08

YANBU it's awful to go through all this but cosmetic dentistry these days is amazing and by the time they have finished with her you won't be able to tell what's happened.

Bignosenobum · 11/02/2019 16:04

I wish my mother was as nice as you. She will be fine x

Gth1234 · 11/02/2019 18:54

OP. You don't need to be quietly gutted about it. I am sure they will get it looking good cosmetically until she can have permanent implants - which you should get on the NHS. Reassure her so that it doesn't dent her confidence. Hopefully (perhaps I shouldn't assume that) it won't involve braces.

TakenForSlanted · 11/02/2019 19:12

The sexiest man bar none I've ever known in my entire life had a fake tooth. 'nuff said.

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