3yr old needs a tooth extracted... Help!

[Sminglysmoo]

My daughter turns 4 next month, she fell and knocked her top front tooth about a year ago and it's been grey ever since. It seems every time she injurs herself it's the same bloody tooth!

She's been having checks on it every few months, but it now has an abscess so the dentist says it needs to be removed to avoid damage to the developing adult tooth underneath. She's not in any pain, although the tooth has been wobbly for quite some time.

The appointment isn't for another couple of weeks - they couldn't fit her in any earlier, they will do it under local anaesthetic and the dentist says it will come out quite easily, although "she won't like it".

I can't think how to explain to her what's going to happen without scaring her! I've already told her about the tooth fairy... Does anyone have any ideas about what I should say about the actual dentist visit?? I'm dreading it..

under a local?? I can just imagine that with my dd who is strongly adverse to any pain (she goes mad if I try and take a manky plaster of her leg!!!)

Sorry no advice but Good Luck!!! Am wondering of there is any other mumsnetters who can say if this is the norm as I would have thought tooth extraction would need to be done under a general on such a little one.

We are in the same position (although we are still at the waiting and seeing stage - no absess yet). We were told that DS, who is 3.9 and very cooperative, would need a general anesthetic or, at the very least sedation. Perhaps you could ask for a referral to the dental hospital for another opinion about the extraction method? Having said that, if it is wobbly already, it might be very quick and easy.

Not very helpful I'm afraid. Hopefully, someone will come along soon with experience of this situation. I'll be watching with interest!

My dd had a tooth out at 4 and she had a GA, I cannot imagine many children of that age being able to cope with a local. I would ask if there is an option for a general even if it means going to hospital rather than the dentist.

My ds had 2 teeth out last July under GA - that was enough to cope with imo. I would ask about a general, she's so little.

You might want to check about GA. My 5yo Dd had a tooth extracted with a local recently and she screamed the place down! I guess it depends on the child but in hindsight I wish I'd explored GA as an option.

She would be very young to tolerate having it done under local, the injections into the gum to numb it are pretty painful.

I would ask the dentist to consider referring for it to be done under GA, really.

Sorry, should have mentioned my ds was 5.

Thanks - I'm going to see if the dentist will give me any more info on how they want to do it and ask about GA. I was a bit shocked when the dentist first told me and I didn't want to ask too much in front of my little girl and then scare her.. I suppose it'll be easier to explain what's going to happen to her if she does have a GA.. I think I'm probably fretting over it a bit too!

It really depends on your daughter. I have taken teeth out on 3 year olds with local anesthetic. Then there are 7 year olds that you can't.
Local anaesthetic is the safest option, is your daughter generally cooperative? When is she 4?
The stages are usually a little bit of anaesthetic gel rubbed on her gum, then local anaesthetic, this can be done all from the front, at the same time. The sensation is difficult for small children to understand but they usually accept it with no problem. The tooth is then wobbled out and then they bite on a piece of gauze for a couple of minutes.
A GA can also be traumatic for a child so I wouldn't see this as an easier option.

Spoken to the dentist again and she says my daughter's tooth is really wobbly so it will be really easy to take out. She's planning on just using something just to 'freeze' the gum which only takes a second to work and then she can wiggle out the tooth which will be another couple of seconds. DS is 4 at the end of Feb and has previously been very good on her previous visits so hopefully it will all be over really quickly and we can avoid a GA.

Still not sure what to tell her though!

I'd suggest giving her as much information as she asks for. The unknown can be much more frightening. Let her know it might hurt a bit, but it will be quick. A bit like a scratch from a cat (although different type of pain) - sore, but quick.

when my daughter had to have her foot lanced (she was 4 at the time) they sprayed it with something like dry ice which numbed it immediately and I guess only briefly. They tried it on her hand first to show her what it felt like. sounds like it will be so quick that she won't know what's happening.

Well the tooth came out yesterday. It was a really quick procedure and DD was very brave and very co-operative - she didn't even cry! The dentist was REALLY good with her. I ended up telling her we were going to the dentist to see if there were any wobbly teeth that would come out so we could take them home for the tooth fairy. It helped that her older cousin lost on of her baby teeth recently too. My daughter's fine and isn't at all bothered by having a big gap, but I think it'll take me a while to get used to it! Hope she doesn't get picked on when she starts school....

Thanks for all the advice..

Well done littlesmoo. Glad it went well.