Chipped Tooth - how can I keep this in perspective??!! Advice please...

[sazzerbear]

My 14 month ds has chipped one of his bottom middle teeth which, in turn has taken a tiny nick out of the edge of one of his top middle ones. I am taking him to the dentist to get him checked out and you can't really see the chip unless you look really closely. Although it could have been a lot worse, I feel naturally devastated about this and wish it had not happened. How can I keep this in perspective as I feel really upset! Please advise any other MNers who have been in this situation! Thanks

My dd when she was just over 2 did a similar thing - it was an upper front tooth and it chipped around 1/6 of it away. No real harm done, and her adult teeth should come through with no problem. The dentist just advised us to keep an eye on it as up to 2 years later it could become discoloured which may indicate a little problem. (i.e. they may need to extract it).
I expect most people won't notice your ds's tooth. Why do you feel devastated? Was it a tumble/fall that you somehow feel responsible for?

No, it was an accident as he stumbled (still mastering walking). I just wish it had not happened I suppose, when they are so small it's difficult to accept things happening to them, that's parenthood I suppose! Also overly hormonal which hasn't helped!

Just try to remind yourself that these things happen, and be thankful it was fairly minor.

Thanks for the advice

Sazzerbear - when my ds (now 3) was 14 mths he finally got his first tooth His nickname was gummy for ages!!

He then tripped over and banged his face on the leg of his tchibo highchair and tooth came out root and all and he went back to zero teeth!!

I was gutted knowing he would have a gap there until adult tooth came through. But now I hardly notice it and there is a definate gap. Think it makes him look cheeky

My dd did the same (about the same age as your ds), hit her tooth on kitchen floor. Dentist gave me the same advice as OPOL, but added that if it discoloured, they would consider removing it once she got to school, but would prefer not as the adult teeth need to push the milk teeth out to end up in the right position or something. But so far there's been no discolouration.

You poor thing, how upsetting for you! I should stop whingeing and be thankful it was fairly minor!

Our dd was the kitchen floor as well - she was playing with her friend! .

We didn't notice til bedtime [neglectful emoticon!]

onepieceoflollipop - when DS knocked his out there was a fare bit of blood but not much really. Straight after it happened he then wanted his tea and we only realised when feeding him he already had something in his mouth and was chomping on said tooth

sazzerbear we are unlucky on the teeth department here.

ds1 did the same thing as your ds, about the same age too, now he is almost 4 and strangely, because all the teeth are grown as much as milk teeth can be, the chip is barely noticeable (and it was bigger than your description too). I was devastated at the time and weepy about it, honestly!

ds2 (2.2), now, he is even worse. he actually chipped his 2 front teeth (this is possible although I hadn't heard of it before) before they came through and so not only are they both chipped but because the damage happened before the teeth appeared, the enamel didn't form properly so they are a bit yellowy & discoloured. He is totally gorgeous though so I try not to worry! (and we get all our teeth always checked out thoroughly by dentist too).

I am thinking of getting dd3 (12weeks) to wear a faceguard

onepeiceoflollipop, same thing happened to my dd when she was about the same age, think she hit her front tooth of DH's knee!! Anyway it really upset me for a week or so, and it was all i could see everytime i looked at her. I don;t notice it often now and certainly the more teeth she got the less apparent it is. However bad you feel about it now, it will lessen in time. Lots of people said to me, at least its not her adult teeth...little consolation at the time, but true.

Snooks, you poor thing, you have certainly been very unfortunate. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences, I feel a lot better now

DD (now 6.5) fell onto her chin at about the same age. Took her to the dentist immediately. It made her front teeth wobbly and a bit crooked but they did not fall out. She lost both her front teeth (naturally) 3 days before her 6th birthday and I worried for months that she had damaged her adult ones and they would emerge black or something.
The first one came through a couple of months ago and looks OK so far. The second one emerged yesterday so my fingers are still crossed.
At least these are not your ds's proper teeth. All these things add character and tell the story of a kid's life - my 13 year old ds still shows the scar under his hairline he acquired during the Boulder Incident with his cousin when they were 2.
Mind you, I still look at the little star-shaped scars on his soon-to-be-manly chest where he had his Hickman line in SCBU. And the whacking great scar on his back where he had a spinal fusion at 10.
It's sad, but keep it in perspective, worse things happen at sea and all that...

my ds has chipped both of his top front teeth, and dd has chipped one on hers. when it first happens, it will be noticeable to you, but after a while, the break becomes worn down a bit, and starts to look more natural and less noticeable iykwim. better that chips like this happen to their mik teeth rather than the adult ones.

ds chipped his on the crossbar of a climbing frame, they'd only just grown through, and he literally broke off all he tooth that was showing. the worst part of it is, there is kind of a semi circle shape missing which makes it look like his teeth have grown around his dummy, which they haven't.

Ds had chipped a tiny bit of his front tooth when he was about 2 and damaged the nerves so his front two teeth were really discoloured. Maybe I must be a tough old witch cause it didn't bother me too much because he is now 8 and lost those teeth and two really strong, well formed white teeth have grown in their place. Just remember that these are the baby teeth and luckily not the adult ones.