Toddler with loose tooth because of bash - emotional and so upset

[midnightmisssuki]

Hi

My 3 year old was fooling around and slipped, fell face first into the floor and one good immediate came out of place - didn't fall out, but you could see it sort of 'dislocated' - i panicked and snapped it back into its right place. Went to dentist, he said she has a hairline fracture on both front tooth. He didn't even say what that meant - and couldn't tell me it tooth/teeth would fall out - he said could be soon, could be in 7 years when she starts losing her baby teeth. I suppose because we were an emergency case he didn't have time as they were closing soon and he had patients still.

I am so sad and emotional and i don't know what to do - i realise this makes me look stupid as it just baby teeth, but the feeling that at 3 years old, she might lose both her teeth already makes me so sad. Ive not really stopped crying since it happened.

Can anyone who is a dentist/dental nurse/parent with same experience shed any light?

Sorry for the long post. thanks.

It'll be wait and see at the moment.
Practical things to do for the next week are soft diet and pain relief -paracetamol. Do gentle tooth brushing around the area -you don't want gingivitis compounding the trauma., so definitely keep it clean.

It's very difficult to say whether your DC will have any problems before the teeth naturally exfoliate. It sounds as if your DC can bite together properly and the teeth/tooth isn't displaced now; which is good. Because otherwise, she'd be having those teeth extracted under GA as an urgent/emergency case. Try not to worry about the "hairline fracture", that could just be through the enamel-which is really nothing of consequence.

The main issues with dental trauma, is that the nerves in the teeth can die-entirely linked to the force of the trauma and no dental intervention can prevent the nerve death. Even if the tooth/teeth nerves do die off, not usually a problem & teeth are left in situ.
No way of knowing how if and when a tooth nerve will die off. If pulp death occurs, Sometimes the teeth go a little darker in colour, nothing really to worry about. Better a dark tooth holding the space open for the second adult tooth to erupt into, than nothing.
However, If the tooth/teeth then becomes infected, which doesn't happen as much as you'd expect, then extraction is necessary because of the risk of damage to the underlying developing adult tooth.
Book a review appointment with your dentist for 7-10 days time, for reassurance that all is healing well. Good luck OP.

If it helps OP, my sister knocked out both front teeth when she was 3 or 4 years old. Had a massive gap at the front for years. But she now at nearly 40years old has the most beautiful teeth now, never had a brace they are amazing.

I wish I had knocked mine out! (Only half joking)

I'm pretty sure that children tend to loose their front teeth first and this is often at around age 4 or 5? Certainly plenty of children in reception class with gappy smiles, so at age 3 your daughter isn't too far off that even if the teeth come out now/soon. I'm sure she will be just fine.

I feel for you, just posted similar, my 5 yr old pulled a tooth out yesterday by accident and tooth next to it is wobbly and I'm so scared it'll fall out too.

I hope you're ok, I was crying last night too!

My son fell off a roundabout aged 4 and had a gap for about three years. I was very sad at first but got used to it. It caused him no pain and the adult tooth came through perfectly.

My dd fell on her face with her dummy in her mouth at 16 months old.. terrible injury to her teeth and she actually had fractured the bone that holds the top teeth in place. We had to see a facial surgeon but he didn't need to operate as she was so young. She healed quickly, but I cried for 2 weeks! She looked awful. She lost her front tooth amd she was only a baby... fast forward and she's now just turned 8 and has a mouth full of beautiful big teeth that have come through perfectly. These things happen and it's only natural you're upset but it's not the end of the world xx

How are the teeth OP? I hope you're feeling better