No Front Tooth 2 Year Old.

Hi J.!
I have twin 5 year olds and one of them fell down not long after he got his front teeth, and cracked all four of his front teeth. I took him to the dentist and they didn't do anything for him at the time.
I finally took him to a specialist and they decided to pull all four of his front teeth. He was about 17 months old and I am with you on it being the WORST experience I have ever been through and I have 5 children. It was HORRIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He is now 5 years old and his front teeth are probably going to be poking through any time. He didn't have any problems at all. His speech was a bit lispy, but nothing horrible.
His twin also had trouble with his front teeth and had 4 caps put on his teeth. I wish they had pulled them like they did his brothers. He has horrible bad breath and has had since not very long after he got them. He is also losing his front teeth and with each capped tooth when they become loose he gets an abscess and his breath is worse than ever. I am absolutely positive that it is the caps causing the problems.
He had more of a problem with speech that his brother with no teeth, but it has cleared up a lot.
Some children have problems with a lisp with or without teeth. He had lots of problems with the f's, p's, some other letters, but we just worked with him and it is much better.
Just thought I would tell you my experience with dental work on little ones.
I hope things work out for you.

I'm a dental assistant and worked for a pediatric dentist for 5 years. It is best to have the spacer with a prosthetic tooth on it. It will hold the space and will look nice. We NEVER had a child choke during an impression and did several daily. They may gag, but they don't choke. I understand your concern, and I'm sorry that your child and you had to go through that.
H.

My husband and daughter were playing when she was about ten months old, and her two center bottom teeth got knocked out. We took her to the hospital, and they said they would have to be pulled out the rest of the way. We had a dentist called to the ER and she said the same thing. The bone is too soft, and there were no other teeth to attach the loose ones to. My daughter is six now, and is just getting her two bottom teeth in. We were told that as long as she kept her regular dentist appointments (every 6 months) they would monitor the position of her teeth, and unless they really starting shifting, there would be no need for a spacer. She was hard to understand for awhile, especially after she lost her top four teeth last year. But now that everything is coming in, her speech is fine, and is correcting itself. I wouldn't worry about it for now, just keep her regular dental appointments, and they will let you know if they see a problem forming. I know this isn't easy, and after my daughter knocked her teeth out I would begin to cry every time I looked at that gap in her mouth. After about two months, I couldn't imagine her smile without that small gap in the front. (It makes for some interesting stories and conversations too!). Hope this helps to comfort you.
J.

It sounds like, if your dentist is recommending all of these procedures, maybe you should get a second (or even 3rd) opinion. I agree that you don't want your daughter to be traumatized any more. And it may not be as long as you think until her adult teeth come in. My daughter started losing teeth when she was not quite 5. She lost her two front top teeth at age 5 1/2 (in December) and they are now both almost completely in. As long as you go for check ups every 6 mos and allow the dentist to monitor them, I'm guessing you'd be fine without too much intervention at this point. Good luck!

at the age of 18 months my son also lost a front tooth falling down. i had the same concerns about pics and what not. my dentist advised me that it would be a waste of money to put a false tooth in a toddler. by the time they were old enough for the false tooth to come out the tooth would obviously look fake. i say make it a part of your childs character rather than put your child through another traumatic experience. your dentist can always watch the other teeth as far as shifting and if a spacer is needed in the future that would seem to be a more reasonable fix. my son is now 9 and we did not need a spacer, nor did his teeth shift. L.

I am a mother of a 2 1/2 year old, but my response is actually first hand! When I was 2 I fell off a porch and lost both of my front teeth. They did not replace them in any way. Of course they were missing for many years. My gums got so tough from eating without them, the dentist finally had to slit the gum line for them to come in. The slits did seem to be too far forward, but the dentist said that was how they should be. Still, I ended up having to have braces. I don't know if any one thing was responsible for the other, but I thought I'd explain what happened just in case any of the info can help you along the way, whatever you do decide.

Hi! Sounds like you went through a lot! I am a Certified Dental Assistant, and in 15 yrs experience, have never seen a dentist replace a front baby tooth. The permanant tooth usually comes in around 6 years old. I'm NOT a dentist, but I would recommend getting a second opinion.

I agree with your friends who say to wait. My son lost his front tooth when he was 1 year old. We didn't do anything until it came in at 6 years old. In pictures it really wasn't noticeable when he smiled. His tooth did come it rather high and was out a bit further than his other front tooth. So now that he is 15 years old, he is in braces, which he would probably had to have had anyway.

My daughter was about 18 months when she fell down the driveway at grandmas house. She lost both front teeth. I took her to the dentist for her first visit of many and he watched it every 6 months. Her adult teeth came in as normal. She did have to have braces, but not for that reason. She is 14 years old and her teeth are beautiful. I say just watch them.

J., My daughter was 2 1/2 when she tripped and knocked her front right tooth out of her mouth. She is now 7 and the tooth is just under the gum waiting to poke through. My suggestion is to just let it go. Yes, she will be missing a tooth for a while, but it will be one of those stories you put in her book. My daughter does stick her tongue through the gap and "sthounds" a little "sthilly", but it is very endearing.

my son fell at 2 years old and had to have both front teeth removed. He is now 8 and has his new front teeth. It has not hurt him at all. actually when I look at pictures of him with his teeth missing, it makes me laugh cause it became part of who he was. It will be ok and I thing doing anything further would be a mistake.

Oh my gosh!!! I just read your other post about the whole ordeal...I am soo sorry you went through that! My 10 year has had to have extensive dental work since she was 4ish. She does not react to laughing gas either... She had a molar capped and it then became abseccesed(sp?) and had to be removed. We were told she would have to have a spacer too...Well after waiting a year and a half, for the tooth behind it come in enuf, we were told she did not need it after all! We too were told that all of her adult teeth would shift....they never did. I do think it could happen, just not everyone. The wait and see option isnt a bad one...If things start to change just get an appointment asap. With all the modern technology you could always "paint" in a tooth on pictures too. As you can imagine I have been through alot dental work with my daughter. We have tried several pediatric dentist in the KC area. We have also noticed that they all vary on options on what was the right thing to do. (I did not ever stick with one dentist, If I didnt agree with the way they treated my daughter.) Now we have a very gentle passionate one.

For what it's worth, I knocked out ALL of my front teeth - 4 top and 4 bottom when I was a little over 2 (face-first off a swing on an asphalt playground). There was never any talk about false teeth or spacers etc. I got my adult teeth when I was about 7/8yrs. old. I was never made fun of and it's not really something I've ever noticed in all of my childhood pictures. My adult teeth came in just fine (straighter than my brother's and sister's even). I never needed braces or any other dental work - other than yearly cleanings. I'm sure you will do what's right for your daughter, I just wanted to let you know that just because she's lost her tooth doesn't mean you really "need" to do anything. Good luck and I hope she doesn't have to endure much more...

Your daughter will be fine. My son was the same age when he fell off the seat of an exercise bike and hit his front tooth on the handle bar. We took him the his pediatric dentist and because the tooth was shattered he send us to an oral surgeon in Lee's Summit. The surgeon removed the tooth. The tooth did not come in until he was about 6 or 7. The tooth looks great but due to spacing issues in the back of his mouth we have place an "LA bar" across the roof of his mouth to keep his teeth from moving forward. The has nothing to do with the front tooth. If your daughter still has a lisp once the tooth comes in the school district will help her to correct this usually starting by 2nd grade. I hope this helps!

My daughter's tooth was knocked out on the first day of pre-school. I had the same concerns as you, I thought her pictures would never be the same. She is 8 now and looking back she looks adorable. Her tooth has grown in perfect! She was lispy for a while after it happened, but quickly adjusted to talking without her front tooth. I would not put her through anymore dental procedures unless it is absolutely necessary. Good Luck!

My 10 year old daughter had a similar problem. She lost her two top teeth to baby bottle decay. We went through the same producures of having having them pulled at childrens mercy.
I left it alone and let her adult teeth come in on their own. Yes I have pictures of her without her front teeth but I was not going to put her through more producures and pain just for vanity. The adult teeth come in fine with no problems to them at all. She also is not scared of the dentist-which is a problem you might have to face if you go through with it. As she grows you can have her in speech classes and when teeth do come in she will be able to talk right.

I look forward to hearing your replies. My son had a dead tooth from an accident when he was two, and it fell out a couple of months ago (He's 3.5 now). I noticed it centering the other day, and he also has a bad problem with drooling. I'm going to take him to the dentist next month for a regular checkup (after our accident they told us not to worry about it and just to leave it in), but hearing what you say makes me nervous...

Hi J.,
The same thing happened to my daughter, Brenna when she was just over two. Her dad was watching her and left her alone in the bathtub. She also had to have her front tooth pulled. In her pictures for kindergarden and 1st grade she is missing a front toothe. I agree with your friends. Brenna's toothe was pulled, traumatic enough for a toddler, and she did have to sing "All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" in her first grade Christmas pagent, but it was really cute! Her adult teeth have all came in just fine, she will be 13 in July. So don't worry, just wait and see.

A. c.
Kansas City

J.,
My sister broke her tooth in the bathtub when she was 2 years old. She ended up with one less tooth on top until the adult tooth came in years later. Her other top front tooth never moved over to the center and she never had any problems when her adult teeth came in. Hope this gives you some comfort when deciding what to do. Sorry you had to go through such a tramatic experience with your daughter!

A cousin of mine went down the concrete steps in a walker, when she was a few months old and lost her 2 front baby teeth. This was about 50 years ago and the doctor said he didn't know, if she would get her permanent teeth and there was nothing they could do except wait and see. When she was in grade school, her 2 front teeth did come in and were just fine. She still has them. I don't recall anyone making fun of her and she got along just fine, since she was young when it happened. S. H.

I would strongly suggest seeking a second opinion. (I like our ped. dentist Kurt Aarons- who is just off the Plaza in KC MO)

My oldest chipped a tooth and we were just told to watch it. Fortunately for us it only discolored and didn't abcess until she was 7 or 8 and then it was pulled.

Whatever you do, I think I would try to get your child comfortable with a dentist and dental procedures before putting her through a more traumatic procedure.

My ds just had a molar fall out - a root canal that fell out prematurely-- at age 7. A spacer was put in. Now it just keeps the teeth from shifting. And was easily placed --no painful stuff done to the surroundin teeth.

I don't know if they can just do that to a front tooth and have it look ok.

I would likely ask a dentist what ALL the options are ...
and the consequences of each.

I know I wanted dd's tooth capped for appearances and couldn't get the doc to do it(in another state). She said the caps are fragile and that the child usually just rechips/cracks the tooth during childhood before the permanent tooth comes in...so it would be a waste of money and an uncomfortable procedure for the child.

I would also be concerned if it is affecting her speech-- as learning to speak correctly when she is older may be more difficult. (My ds has speech issues - and has never had problems with his peers b/c of it...just hard to understand.)

I can see why this is such a hard decision. You don't want to traumatize her, but you want to do what is best for her in the long run.
I think I would leave it alone and see what happens. I think when she gets older and looks back at her toothless pictures as a child she can look back and see what she was really like at that age. I have two boys, age 9 and 12, and when we get school pictures back and their hair is sticking up, or they have a big stain on their shirt from lunch, I never return them. I love looking back at those pictures and seeing who they were at that time. I think it is fun to let kids be kids (within reason).
If it is optional at this point and you bring your daughter to dentist and she is traumatized by it, it could affect how she feels about the dentist and may hinder her tooth health in the long run.
Many teenagers get braces, so if she ends up needing them, it will be much less traumatic getting them as a teen, than getting all of this work done now.

I don't know what you should do from a medical standpoint but I know what happened to me. When I was about 3 1/2 I knocked out my front tooth on a marble coffee table (my first clear memory from my childhood!). At that time I don't think they even considered putting false teeth in in place of baby teeth. My teeth turned out just fine. I did have a small gap between my front teeth when the adult teeth came in but I don't think it had anything to do with the missing tooth. I don't recall being teased about it and everyone just got used to how it looked. Just a little insight from someone who has been there.