Calling COMEOVENEER -- Decayed tooth in 3 1/2 year old?

[Uwilalalalalala]

My 3 1/2 yr old DD has one front tooth which looks a bit darker than all her other teeth. I am shocked. We brush her teeth twice a day. She does eat sweets, but not a huge amount. After lunch/dinner, maybe mis afternoon. Could this be a decayed tooth? Or is it something else.

She has a dentist appointment for tomorrow. But, just wondered if I could gather some mumsnet wisdom before I go. Comeoveneer, if you are around, have you seen this in a 3 year old? That seems too young to have decayed teeth?!?!

My 4 yr old has totally brown front teeth on the btm and top - but they have been like this from coming thru. Like you, he does eat sweets but nothing out the ordinary and he does brush, albeit quickly. I have had 2 explanations for it and the dentist seemed to have a 'proper' name for it.

1. Caused by a lot of antibiotics given before the teeth came thru - plausible as he did have a lot of chest/ear infections as a very sml baby.

1. I was ill whilst I was carrying him at around the time the teeth were forming - can't remember tbh.

But if your daughters tooth has just gone brown rather than always been that way maybe not related. Could it be dead rather than decayed? Sometimes the nerves just die don't they??

Is it generally darker or just a patch? If generally darker all over it sounds more like a dead tooth than decay. Can you remember her having a fall/knocking her teeth atany point in the past few years since that tooth erupted? If this is the case and it isn't causing her any probelms it will be monitored and hopefully will remain unproblematic until it falls out naturally. Also check for any swellings (Gum boils) above the tooth (ie on the gum where the tooths root is underneath iyswim) to indicate any infection.

I have seen front teeth decay as early as 2 (usually due to bottle caries) but (thankfully) it isn't that common.

Do get her checked out with your dentist though. HTH a bit.

It is the whole top right side front tooth. It appears a bit greyish. It isn't really dark, but a bit darker than the other teeth. The nanny and I both noticed it on Saturday, which makes me think it just turned dark, otherwise why would we both have noticed it on the same day.

sorry to hijack but doe anyone know of a 3 yr ld having more than 20 teeth? dd seems to have all her 20 and is still dribbling and we can feel another tooth in the upper gum? Any ideas?

It could be either the start of the tooth dying or some decay, without actually seeig it it is hard to say. Can you see any sign of a hole, or the surface caving in? Has she complained of any pain, sensitivity to hot/cold/sweet etc? Afraid I can't really be much more help than that.

Knat there are 20 baby (deciduous) teeth in total. The first adult teeth to come through are aroung the 6 year mark, usuallystarting with loosing the lower front ones and them being replaced and the first adult molarscome through behind the back baby teeth at a similaris time. It would be very unusual (although not unheard of) for them to be coming through this early. Just pop along to your dentist and let them check it out.

Looks fine, just like the other teeth, but is slightly greyish. No pain. No sensitivity.

Have to go wake ds up and do the school run, but I will check in later.

COV, if the tooth died, how quickly would is discolor? The oddest thing is that it suddenly appeared? Is this normal? And how common is it for a 3 year old to have a tooth die?

BTW, thank youfor being here. I'm somewhat horrified at my parental neglect. If it turns out to be toothe decay I think I'll have to go hang my head in shame.

thanks comeovener. Will keep an eye and if worried take to dentist. Not had much luck in then getting a look at her teeth when we've gone before tho.

Knat, sounds you might have an extra tooth and we might soon be missing one. Perhaps we could work out some kind of deal?

sounds good to me!!!! I thought we were all done with this!!!