OT - 10 year old cracked tooth

[DaniB]

So my daughter meets me outside of school and mentions someone told her they could see blood beside her tooth.

Now the dentist told us she had 5 loose teeth awhile ago (lost one 1-2 weeks ago already) so I'm not worried. I look inside her mouth to discover a tooth (beside the new one growing in) has cracked!!

I have no idea if it's a baby tooth or an adult tooth. I'm thinking the dentist will have to pull it, right? Can't leave a cracked tooth in, even if it's a baby tooth?

I phone my dentist and he's only in until 7pm today, then not again until Tuesday!

His office staff said they feel I should contact my daughter's normal dentist first, but she's so darn hard to reach! I almost always get an answering machine and do not always receive a phone call back the same day. I left one regardless, about 10 minutes ago, and am keeping the phone line cleared.

If I don't receive a phone call back by 5pm, I'm not sure whether to take her to my dentist or hope her dentist is in tomorrow... ughh! My daughter is such a drama queen, which is why she sees a dentist who specalizes in children. I know everyone all around would be more comfortable if our daughter went to her for this - but I don't think I can take a chance that she may be in tomorrow. It's a long weekend, and I don't know many dentists who will work a Saturday on a long weekend!

This is more of a frustration vent. Since I'm trying to keep the phone line clear, I can't phone my husband or parents and tell them what happened. In fact, I just hung up on my dad telling him I have to phone him back later!

 

[PiperPizzaz]

As long as she isn't in pain you can just wait until after the weekend. If it is an adult tooth I would think they would put a crown on it. Dh just had a cracked tooth and that is what they are doing to his. (He still doesn't have his on and it has been a couple of weeks so probably no hurry).

 

[MyDizneyBoyz]

I would take her to your dentist just to have a professional look at it. He may take a peek and then tell you that it's okay to wait for her regular dentist to pull/repair. If she's not in pain, she should be okay waiting. If she's in pain, your dentist should be able to give you some options or suggest medication.

 

[dizneechic]

And if it's any help this weekend isn't the long weekend... Memorial Day is 5/31, a week from Monday.

FYI I broke an adult tooth when I was 9ish, they just filed it down, let it fully grow in, and then took care of it. I've also cracked a tooth down below the bone line. I had to have the broken parts removed, and then a procedure to file the edges and then had a cap placed on the rest. As I have aged I needed to replace the cap with a crown (and get a root canal) but while the initial crack seemed scary it wasn't so bad (occurred at 7pm on New Years eve so we had to wait to be seen as well!).

 

[BLAZEY]

And if it's any help this weekend isn't the long weekend... Memorial Day is 5/31, a week from Monday.

The OP is in Ontario, Canada, and doesn't celebrate Memorial Day. This weekend is the Victoria Day long weekend for us Canadians, so Tuesday would be the earliest a dentist would see her unless the paediatric dentist calls and can squeeze her in on friday.

 

[dizneechic]

And if it's any help this weekend isn't the long weekend... Memorial Day is 5/31, a week from Monday.

The OP is in Ontario, Canada, and doesn't celebrate Memorial Day. This weekend is the Victoria Day long weekend for us Canadians, so Tuesday would be the earliest a dentist would see her unless the paediatric dentist calls and can squeeze her in on friday.

Well what do ya know!

 

[amamax2]

If it is a baby tooth, it is no big deal at all. Some of my baby teeth fell out in pieces, and my youngest DS has gone through the same thing - he had about five loose at the same time, too, and two of the teeth split. Part came out and part stayed in. Our dentist actually let the one piece stay in for nearly a year as the new tooth wasn;t really coming in yet;after six months he said either my DS needed to wiggle it out by his next appt or he would yank it (my DS is not a wiggler with the loose teeth). My DS got it out just before the next appt, lol.

PS I am not saying it is a big deal if it is an adult tooth - I don't have any experience with that.

 

[bartleby1]

Hopefully it is just a baby tooth.

My DD had that happen to one of her molars which thankfully turned out to be a baby tooth. Basically what happened was that due to teeth crowding in her mouth, the molar didn't have any wiggle room. So, the tooth was being pushed out by the adult tooth but it was kind of wedged in between her other teeth so it cracked. The pediatric dentist pulled it, but it came out so easy that she probably could have wiggled it out herself if she knew it was definitely a baby tooth. Would have saved me quite a bit of money!

 

[DaniB]

UPDATE!

The pediatric dentist did phone back yesterday and she didn't seem concerned either. (Our family's regular dentist wasn't concerned either).

Now that I know it's a baby tooth, and my daughter is still in no pain a day later I'm not worried anymore.

We have an appointment set up for next Saturday to have a look at the tooth. If anything happens in the meanwhile, they won't be in to see her until Wed but it sounds like that is unlikely.

Thanks for all the responses and re-assurances! I was glad to hear it happened to other children's baby teeth and that all was well.

I have to say I wish dentist offices would remember that while they deal with these situtations regularly - it's all new to parents/people who have never experienced it before. A little more information and re-assurance would go a long way in calming a person down, you know.

 

[DaniB]

Yesterday a tiny piece of her tooth came out. When I checked her mouth, the tooth is now breaking up into 3 or 4 pieces and I guess will just come out a piece at a time.