Broken Tooth

My poor sweet Love Bug! Yesterday, almost to the day a month after he chipped (and we’re talking a BIG chip) his front tooth at a WIC appointment, he fell and broke the rest of the same tooth. Now there is little more than a stub protruding from his gum. It makes his other teeth seem misshapen and I’m having a hard time with this whole ordeal. I don’t know why teeth and things of the mouth bother me so much, but they do. My stomach has been hurting since the accident yesterday evening. And I had just come to terms with the massive chip in his front tooth. Or course, my feelings on the matter pale in comparison to the trauma for poor Love Bug. Here’s the story.

 

Yesterday I was finishing my spring cleaning of the house. I had started Easter weekend since I was off four days but only got half-way done. I thoroughly cleaned the living room and kitchen, including the windows and curtains. Yesterday I did the bathroom, Chica Marie’s bedroom and my own room (technically, my room is not clean (YET!) but the windows are done!). This took nearly the entire day, so we got to the farm much later than I had anticipated. When we got there Love Bug pitched a royal fit at being brought inside and so I sent him out with Chica Marie. They’ve done this before and the worst that has happened is they got filthy (it is a farm after all!) and Chica Marie wet her pants. When I am at my parents’ house on Thursdays to make dinner for my mom and do some cleaning, if it’s not dark and the weather is ok, the kids play outside while I prepare dinner. Last night Primero questioned allowing Love Bug out with Chica Marie and I informed him they do this all the time and it’s fine. In my mind I questioned my reasoning, but erred on the side of experience and allowed them the freedom of the outdoors. Of course I watch from inside the house, checking on them periodically. I was talking to my mom and my dad had just checked on the kids a few minutes prior when Chica Marie came busting into the house in tears calling me to “look at Love Bug” because he fell. When I saw him, my heart dropped straight out of my chest and I dashed out into the unseasonably cold, blustery day with no shoes on my feet. He picked up his head when I called to him and all I saw was the blood. Bright red blood smeared across his face, comingled with dirt and gravel. He was lying where he fell, sadly sucking his finger in hopes someone would come rescue him. I scooped him up and he whimpered as I searched his face to find where he was bleeding. I noticed his tooth right away and gasped. It was GONE! I hurried back inside to access the damage and the blood seeped into my shirt where Love Bug nestled his head under my chin. In the kitchen I carried him to the kitchen sink, pushing my dad and the potatoes he was peeling aside. I gently wiped the blood from his nose and forehead, seeing no cuts. I then turned my attention to his mouth and found he had a cut on his lower lip and his gum above the broken tooth was bleeding as well. My dad gave him an ice cube to suck on for the swelling as my mom shouted instructions from the living room. I wiped off Love Bugs hands and his chin, finding a small bruise on his chin. After changing my shirt and washing Love Bug’s hands I called the dentist. They didn’t have an on-call center, so I was left to determine if we needed to take Love Bug to the ER or call the dentist first thing in the morning. Love Bug did eat a little and once the initial fear of the fall and blood subsided, he was playing normally with Primero. I gave him some baby Tylenol when we got home and he slept until 4:30 am. Then he woke up and was unable to fall back asleep. I wasn’t sure if it was his cold (or allergies – he’s had a stuffy, running nose for a few days) or his tooth that bothered him, so I gave him some more Tylenol and he eventually fell back asleep.

 

I don’t know what will happen for Love Bug. My mom thinks the dentist will just pull his tooth out, since it is a baby tooth and eventually will be replaced with an adult tooth. Because he is so little this will mean he’ll be put to sleep and so it will be more of an ordeal since his dentist doesn’t do that in her office. Like when Chica Marie had her cavities filled, Love Bug will have to go to the SurgiCenter and be put to sleep, have the tooth pulled and then have a follow up appointment with the dentist afterwards. For his sake, I hope this will happen sooner than later. I don’t know if he’s in pain, he’s been eating and acting normally. He’s never been a great sleeper, so I can’t really gage his discomfort based on him not wanting to sleep. Should I have taken him to the ER last night? Would they have done anything for him there or just checked him over (probably causing him more distress with their poking, prodding, and testing) and told me to call his dentist? I feel so bad! I know it was an accident and toddlers fall all the time, but I feel so guilty for this happening to him! And, I worry that maybe his teeth are too soft, since they seem to break so easily! I hate this waiting! I felt like this when Primero had his issue and even when Flaco cut off the tip of his thumb and we had to wait to see the plastic surgeon and then wait some more for his surgery. Waiting until the solution is prescribed is often times worse than the procedure itself! What makes it even worse, is that Love Bug can’t tell me if he’s in pain, he can’t tell me the Tylenol is wearing off and he could use a little more because he’s uncomfortable. I just have to guess and then hope the Tylenol helps take the edge off if he is in pain. We will see the dentist this afternoon and hopefully knowing there’s a plan in place will help ease my mind and of course, make Love Bug more comfortable.