My toothless child.
[This post is dedicated to Benjamin's first two front teeth.]
You might remember when Benjamin lost his front tooth on Christmas Day. After he took a big fall, the tooth cracked. Eventually the dentist had to pull it out (there were straps, it was horrible). Lately I’ve noticed his second front tooth greying … fading away almost.
A quick Google search for “discolored toddler tooth” tells me there’s no hope - the tooth’s roots are damaged and it will eventually fall out
Here are my words: “It will be fine, he’ll just have a gaping hole where his two front teeth are supposed to be for two-four more years. No big deal.”
Here is my brain: “F**K!!!!!! NOT AGAIN!”
It must have been the bad fall he had a few weeks ago at day care (my kid has no fear and is 100% boy. His falls are frequent and mighty - the day care is not to blame … believe me).
It sucks though. Seriously. They might have to pull this one out too. And what if he has speech issues? Or can’t bite into steak? And then, there will be the inevitable, “You’re a lousy mom” glares from mean parents.
Saturday night, it was too hot upstairs so I brought Benjamin to my bed. We were both asleep when he reached out for my head and pulled me into his chest. I’m not sure if he was comforting me or if it was the other way around, but in that moment I realized a few things:
1. Benjamin is about to become really protective of his mama.
2. He is the best thing that has and ever will happen to me.
3. And, teeth or no teeth - at least he has everything else, including his sweet, sweet little heart.
We’ll be visiting the dentist on Thursday. Keep you posted…
[Photo: Benjamin this weekend - notice the one missing front tooth…but, he’s still THE cutest little guy on the planet.}
If you liked this post, you might like, “Rock a Bye Baby - I want to kill the Barnes and Noble Lady.”
UPDATE:
The dentist says the rotten tooth can say, it doesn’t need to be pulled out at all. It will just stay there and won’t even get darker. But I do have to keep my eye out for a possible infection.
Filed under: My little guy, The Daily Grind
Benjamin’s such an angel! Regardless of losing his front teeth, he’s going to grow up into one fine young man. Of course thanks to Momma.
Which reminds me of my son. He scurries toward me and kiss me. He’s just 18 months old but he’s so sweet already.
Ah children, aren’t they precious?
I was four or so when I killed my two front teeth. It was on a cement barrel that they used to have in playgrounds WAY back when. I still remember EVERY painful detail. There was a lot of screaming, a lot of blood. I was trying to run up it. My shoes would stick most of the time. The last time they didn’t.
It was by far one of the more innocuous things I did as a child. The rest involve emergency rooms, stitches, dislocations, punctures, firemen, policmen, and more.
Well in this case, don’t listen to your brain. Listen to your words. They are correct. It is no big deal. Benjamin is awesome, and like all kinds his age, whatever happens is normal. He’s not going to care, so why should you? And in a few years, he gets new teeth and you’re going to miss the cute little gap.
It could be worse: I babysat for a mom that took a tumble down the stairs carrying her toddler & out came the two front teeth. She felt horrible. Needless to say it was a very big deal when the big teeth grew in years later. At least he’s knocking them out himself
He’s such a doll…it gives his grin character!
This happened to my friend’s son and another friend’s daughter as well. It’s not your fault and you are not alone!
You guys are so amazing … really, I feel so much better already.
And Crazy Computer Dad - stop scaring me!
Aww! What a cutie! And I love how you’re noticing he’s protective of you. Aren’t they just the closest thing to angels on this planet?!
*sigh* Now I can’t wait to scoop up my girls and give them big hugs!
Don’t we judge ourselves so harshly as mothers?
He’s adorable — the missing teeth just add MORE charm! Someday you’ll look back and miss that sweet open space. And they’ll grow in.
My MP does the same thing sometimes with me when we’re asleep. Heart melting.
Even if he was completely toothless for the rest of his life…with those adorable cheeks no one would EVER notice!!!!!
I love how protective he’s becoming…I remember when littleman began that phase……I have a story for that one…..
There’s nothing harder for a parent than seeing their kid in pain at a doctor’s office (or hospital. yikes.) I remember my son after an ear operation. I turned to ashen white that the nurse’s made me leave before they had 2 patients to deal with.
Major bummer about Benjamin’s teeth. If you need to get him replacements, look into some shiny bling, like Flavor Flave http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/football/bob_blog/flavorflav.jpg
(just kidding)
Poor Ben–but he’ll be OK. I’m sure dentist will tell you that, too. You know, I noticed his lack of teeth in your one video–I just thought “That’s odd. It looks like all his other teeth have come in but that front one hasn’t.”
And Crazy Computer Dad is scaring the beejesus out of me, too–STOPPIT.
Although, I did knock out two of my baby teeth–one top and one bottom–when I was about 5 or so. I skateboarded down a neighbor’s hilly driveway on my stomach. I fell, and smashed my face up real good.
Ah, the saga of the knocked out teeth. My 14 year old daughter knocked out her front tooth when she was 22 months old, then when the new tooth grew in (when she was in first grade), she promptly fell and knocked THAT one out. Looking back on the toothless years, it was o.k. For a couple of years it just looked like she hadn’t gotten the tooth yet, then for the rest of the time it just looked like she lost it early. It was a big hit in the preschool class! For more about what we’re doing now, read
Busy Mom's Journal: Am I Cheating on my Dentist?
First of all, you are such a great mama! Please know that.
Second of all, this post has stayed with me all day. I have my own mother-guilt around teeth. In preschool, Mae got not on, not two, but three cavities. Bad, bad mama! I was brushing her teeth every night. For real. Why? Oh why? I felt so awful.
Just like Esa says above, you’ll look back on this time, a year or two from now, and laugh… You’re a super mom.
OK, this might seem a little strange, but I was browsing your blog today because I am stuck in the house with my foot elevated after a hornet sting and I have decided to methodically browse through every bookmark on our computer to waste time. I believe my boyfriend knows you from high school, so here we are.
I’m a pediatric speech language and I wanted to ease your worry about speech issues - I can’t help myself.
Losing front teeth has the potential to alter the placement of the tongue of all sounds made when the tongue is placed on the alveolar ridge (bumpy place behind the teeth), namely t, d,l, z, s, and a few that are made a little farther back on the palate, like sh. However, losing these teeth should only alter the perceived sound of s and z and maybe sh…the rest of the sounds, while his tongue might stick out a little, won’t sound any different because teeth are missing. And it is typical for children to have trouble making s,z,and sh anyway, even with intact teeth, until they are 5 or 6. If he does have trouble making these sounds, he will probably make them like a ‘th’, which will be what 50% his peers with be doing anyway.
This is not to say that he won’t have speech issues, because many kids do (especially boys). But having serious speech issues caused by missing front teeth ALONE is pretty unlikely. Like I said, the sound errors he’s likely to make are ones that 50% of kids his age will be making and should go away pretty easily when he gets big boy teeth.
Okay, I hope this makes you feel better
Oh, I meant to say speech language PATHOLOGIST. All the speech talk got me all flustered and excited.