Are there any DENTISTS about? urgent advice needed about a supernumerary tooth

[santaslilhelper]

My dd is 5 and has an extra tooth between her top front baby teeth. I noticed it just before xmas, the dentist x-rayed it, and sent a referral to the hospital. The orthodontist at my dental surgery said it would need to be extracted soon as it could interfere with her permanant front teeth coming through.

It's been 4 weeks and I've heard nothing from the hospital, I have made endless phonecalls to the hospital because the tooth is now coming through and it looks like it is going to knock out her front baby tooth.. it's also becoming painful to the touch. I've contacted the hospital appointment line who have said her referral is not showing up on the system.. that maybe it was sent to Orthodontics instead of where it should have been sent.. The dental surgery are sure they sent it correctly.. I'm at my wits end, I have left messages for the Orthodontics department and the consultants secretary about it and if they could call me back... have still heard nothing... What do I do? I need to get her looked at as she has already lost a bottom tooth (so is possibly going to get her adult teeth earlier than the norm). I feel like just taking her to A&E and seeing if I can get her in the hospital system that way? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Taking her to A&E would beentirely inappropriate, there will almost certainly not be a dentist there and you will just be abusing the system quite frankly. She hasn't had an accident and it's not an emergency. Five isn't particularly early to see some permanent teeth so don't be unduly worried by that. Also four weeks isn't long for a referral to be in the system.

It doesn't matter if the front baby tooth is lost, it's coming out anyway regardless of the supernumerary. My advice would be to find out exactly where (ie which department or consultant) your dentist sent the referral to and get their contact details.

If you are absolutely desperate then I suppose you could speak to PALS (patient advocacy and liaison) but really I think that this referral isn't that slow. Try to calm down, it really isn't an emergency. If it is done this year then all will be well with the permanent teeth.

Surely it's just her permanent tooth coming more central than usual?

4 weeks is not long for being referred and I don't think it knocking out the baby tooth is an issue at all. Some children's front teeth are out at 5yo and not all get the replacements quickly.

A&E would be completely unreasonable. It won't get you anywhere. The triage nurse should probably read you the riot act (and they will see your medical notes so know you're already referred). How would you feel if you went to A&E with a baby say with breathing difficulties and saw someone who'd come because their referral was taking longer than they wanted?

Thanks for your replies, yes you're both right A&E not the solution, just being a protective mum that wants to get her seen.. The problem is that the referral was meant to go to a local health centre that deals with local hospital appointments, I have spoken to them and they have not recieved her referral, my dentist have sent it to the orthodontics depart at the hospital and the health centre is yet to track it down. So it seems I am waiting for an appointment at the mo that may or may not turn up. I'm just trying to make sure she is IN the system. PALS sound like they might be worth contacting, thanks for that suggestion.

Do you have a school of dentistry near you, or a dental hospital? They often have emergency clinic type thing which you can just turn up to on the day, or call in the morning and they will see you later in the day.

A&E is NOT appropriate, and will not achieve what you want it to. This is neither an accident or an emergency. You would be most unlikely to come across anyone in A&E who knows anything about teeth. Your average doctor would be quite confused by your DD's special extra tooth. Totally agree with what grumpy has said

But it's not an emergency so don't do that, you would be wasting an awful lot of resources.

DeWe It's definitely a supernumerary tooth she's had it x-rayed.

I'm not aware of there being a dental hospital etc in this area, will have a google.

Thankyou bonzo, yes it looks like the conical sort that you described. So glad I posted about this, not being a dentist myself I obviously don't know if I should be getting her seen asap or it's fine to leave for now. I just feel so responsible to doing the right thing I would never forgive myself if she had something that could potentially mess up her adult teeth and I did nothing to get it sorted quick. Your replies are very reassuring.

Supernumerary means just that though. Extra. There are different sorts of extra tooth so what bonzo (waves back) said makes sense. Either way, emergency treatment is NOT indicated so don't waste your own or the NHS's time by using these resources whether it is A&E or a dental hospital.

Can we please forget I mentioned A&E, I'm not wanting to waste resources, I promise I'm not going, feeling suitably bad for even mentioning it. I have other things going on that am very stressed about, stress of this is nearly sending me over then edge, I just need some advice to stop me worrying about this.

Seriously, this is not an issue you should be stressed about. Give it two more weeks, if you haven't heard anything then speak to your dentist. Bad things won't happen if the treatment is delayed by a few months.

Hope other issues are ones you can cope with.

That was meant to be said in a caring way but I fear it sounded a little sarcastic. Sorry.

I'd go further. With a conical supernumery you could probably never treat it and the permanent teeth would come through OK. Though DD would have a very magic extra tooth to show off! Seriously, it can wait, don't stress too much, it sounds like you might have more pressing things to put your energy into.

I would ask the dentist to rewrite/reprint the referral & send it on to the correct clinic. If you are worried about it arriving correctly, you could collect it & deliver it yourself. I am honestly surprised that no one has suggested this, I would have thought the receptionist at your dentists would have done this automatically. I know that all the dentists I work for would have just done it the first time you called, or as the receptionist, I would have printed it out & got it signed & sent off.

Waiting for someone to look for it is pointless, as I feel, if it went to the incorrect place, it has possibly been thrown away.

Please don't stress too much, your daughter's future dentition is unlikely to be badly affected by this small delay!

Her baby teeth have spread alot seemingly to make room for it, not sure she'll thank me in years to come if I didn't get it removed! but your words are reassuring that it can stay put for now.

I will definitely be making sure the referral gets resent tomorrow to the right place, thanks both of you for taking the time to reply. This parenting lark is hard sometimes.. knowing when to panic and when not to!

differentname I did suggest that the OP ask the dentist to resend the referral.

Sorry Bonzo, I didn't mean anyone on this thread. I can see how it might have seemed that way, but I meant the people OP spoke to at the hosp/dentist!

No worries different.
santa the baby teeth do tend to spread out as children grow. The jaws grow but the teeth do not. Spaces are created which make room for the adult teeth, which are bigger than the baby ones.

The gap inbetween her front teeth is more than what I can see any child around her age has it is the size of a tooth, looks like she has already lost a tooth. I am having some success this morning though, the consultants secretary has got back to me, no sign of the referral, it was definitely sent to the wrong place. The hospital bookings lady is now on the case for me and is being wonderful, she is phoning the dentist for me and is going to get them to send a copy of her referral to them and the secretary. At least I know she will soon be in the hospital system.

agree with bonzo77. it does sound like the conical type of supernumary. really even leaving it a few months is fine. referrals do usually take a while even once they reach the right place. if something needs to be dealt with that urgently and really is an emergency then it will be treated as such. try not to worry!