Need dental help from Parents!

[conorsmom2000]

Help!!

Conor has been losing quite a few teeth this summer (he's 7). This is always very traumatic as he had to have 2 teeth pulled at the age of 5 so, even though he's lost 4 or 5 teeth since then, he's still very freaked out by it. He will barely eat when he has a loose tooth and will do anything to avoid helping it along.

So, his two front teeth have been loose for a while (and it's the teeth on the other side that had to be pulled, so soon the poor kid will have no front teeth! ) One of them was super loose - not to be gross or graphic, but it was literally hanging into the middle of his mouth. He could barely talk and wouldn't eat!

Well, it finally came out! But, (again may be too gross or graphic for squeamish people like myself...) there is something still hanging there - I have never seen this before! Is it the pulp? a nerve? It's almost as long as the front tooth that's still there and Conor is sooooo upset right now - it looks really awful.

Has anyone seen this when their kids lost a tooth and knows what it is? Is there anything I can do? My sister said to pull it out, but Conor says it hurts if he pushes it with his tongue (and to be honest, there is no way he will let me try to pull it out - and I'm afraid it will bleed a lot ). I can call his dentist in the morning but maybe this is more common than I think it is...? Or maybe there isn't even anything he can do....??

My husband is still at work so I just sent him a picture of what it looks like and his reply just came back "Yikes!" So, as you can tell, this is definitely new territory for us!

[Terra]

Goodness loosing his baby teeth!!! What a milestone!

I rememer distinctly when I was little one of them that I lost had the same thing...it was almost like a "string"/part of the gums and it kind of shrivled up/ went away in a week or so...

But again, I was little so what did I know about dental stuff! lol

[conorsmom2000]

Originally Posted by Terra

I rememer distinctly when I was little one of them that I lost had the same thing...it was almost like a "string"/part of the gums and it kind of shrivled up/ went away in a week or so...

See? I had a feeling it might be common! But, it's new to us! And I guess because it's a front tooth/space that it just looks so odd!

[Terra]

LOL...

this is bad, but I only remember because I was the biggest chicken ever and I would never want to pull my teeth so it was literally hanging by that thing and my mom was so worried that I would swallow it that she sat on me and pulled it!!

I wasn't so scared after that! he he

[I believe]

I know just what you are talking about. My daughter has had it too. Although I can't tell you what it is, I can tell you it goes away.
I am not sure where it goes, I guess it shrivles, but by morning it should be less noticeable, also less sensitive for your son.
Not to be gross, but I think it is the meat of the gum, you know,the part between your teeth when you floss. It could be that his stretched because his tooth was dangling for so long.
I hope, as disgusting as my reply may be, that you feel better knowing your child is normal!
By the way, our oldest daughter is almost 10, wait till you see those molars fall out! talk about gross! She has one out now and three are very loose. My husband says she looks like a pirate! Im not sure if the child will be able to eat when she loses the others!

[mttafire]

This thread has became...ANTI DENTITE... Sorry, Had to say it.

[MsMin]

I remember those days. I've seen the piece of gum that lies on the rim of the tooth rip like that.
Having never met Conor, I can only imagine that he would be the type of child that would respond well to using logic- an intellectual approach. Having a better understanding helps some children to feel in control.
I usually explain how the next tooth is releasing an enzyme or "liquid" to help melt the old tooth and that's why they are coming out, but it's his job to loosen it and help it out. (not too descriptive or scary he is what only 6?) Tell him stories too about how other people have done just like him and how much it helped. My dd had her teeth pulled b/c her mouth was so small and was prone to having a crowded bite. It did work and she never needed braces.
In the meantime try things like shakes, smoothies or ice cream to sooth his irritated mouth and sensitive bite and with dinner things like mash potatoes or chili. Our dentist actually recommended apples to help pull the tooth out. sending Conor toothfairy dust to help with the future loses.

[Here we go again...]

It sounds like the pulp of the tooth. Since it is full of blood, it will be absorbed by the body.

Kids health.org has so much information you can you to help Connor understand what is happening with his body.
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/teeth_noSW.html
This is the link to the tooth page, but if you look down the left side there are lots of things to read about... ears, eyes, skin, and more. The site is great for putting things in a way that kids can understand. And there are some games that you can play together.

I never had this problem. Taylor would rip her teeth out as soon as she said they were loose... the problem was that they never felt loose to me. She would just rip them out...and I do mean RIP... you could hear the tooth ripping away from the gums. This used to freak me out and scare me. I was always worried that she would come out with a permanant tooth....

[Terra]

Originally Posted by mttafire

This thread has became...ANTI DENTITE... Sorry, Had to say it.

Originally Posted by Here we go again...

I never had this problem. Taylor would rip her teeth out as soon as she said they were loose... the problem was that they never felt loose to me. She would just rip them out...and I do mean RIP... you could hear the tooth ripping away from the gums. This used to freak me out and scare me. I was always worried that she would come out with a permanant tooth....

Oh man, I was cringing on that one!!!!! So brave!!!

[Disneyatic]

My daughter is turning 8 next month and last summer it seemed like all of her teeth started coming out at the same time!
She is the same way with loose teeth, she will NOT touch them or help loosen them at all. We called her loose teeth draw bridges because they got to the point where they were so loose they would just hang like little draw bridges that were let down! The last one that was loose we eneded up having to take her to the dentist for because she refused to get it out of her mouth and so I let him handle it!!

[DisneyDudet]

I don't know what exactly the "thing" is, but if you watch it and it doesn't get any smaller, then I think a call to the dentist is warranted. In fact, just calling and asking to speak to a hygienist couldn't hurt anyway.

Also, why not go out and buy some books about kids or animals with loose teeth. I remember I had a book about a rabbit that was losing her teeth. I think it worked on me, b/c I would always pull my own teeth, as well as everyone's at school!

Hope the little problem dries up quickly! Your boy is growing up!!

[iheartmickey]

Natalie is the youngest of all her friends and we've been watching all their teeth fall out! I do NOT envy you at all! I'm not looking forward to that in the least. Remember Natalie had to have that dental work done on her when she was 2. It still upsets me now ... and she turned 4 this summer.

I know exactly how Conor feels, and I feel so bad for him! I don't want to mess with Natalie's teeth, if she ever need anything (for her teeth) she goes right to my dentist (not her dentist, the one who did the work) she's not as afraid of mine!

Give the dentist a call ... I'm sure they'll reassure everything is fine and if you need to do anything to his 'stringy thing'.

Good luck and Conor will get through this .. tell him I'm sending him Dental pixie dust ... .... to make it easier on him!

[conorsmom2000]

Thank you everyone! It looks soooo much better today - about a 1/4 of the size it was yesterday, and you can already see a white speck of the permanent tooth, so we are both feeling much better!

Originally Posted by I believe

I know just what you are talking about. My daughter has had it too. Although I can't tell you what it is, I can tell you it goes away.
I am not sure where it goes, I guess it shrivles, but by morning it should be less noticeable, also less sensitive for your son.
Not to be gross, but I think it is the meat of the gum, you know,the part between your teeth when you floss.

Thank you - I think you were exactly right that that's what it was!!

Originally Posted by mttafire

This thread has became...ANTI DENTITE... Sorry, Had to say it.

Actualy, I am! Nothing personal to any dentist, but I'm terrified of the dentist and anything tooth related (as this thread will show! )

Originally Posted by Here we go again...

Kids health.org has so much information you can you to help Connor understand what is happening with his body.
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/teeth_noSW.html
This is the link to the tooth page, but if you look down the left side there are lots of things to read about... ears, eyes, skin, and more. The site is great for putting things in a way that kids can understand. And there are some games that you can play together.

Thanks Angel - that's a great site!! It helped (both of us!) a lot!!

Originally Posted by iheartmickey

Remember Natalie had to have that dental work done on her when she was 2. It still upsets me now ... and she turned 4 this summer.

Kristy, I remember you talking about this before - poor Natalie!! That was awful - and I know how you feel! Conor's had major dental work twice, which still upsets me, and has definitely left him with a fear of the dentist and what might happen. Luckily his last two visits have been perfect so he's getting a tiny bit better, but these loose teeth still freak him out - and honestly, I can't blame him. He's been through so much with his teeth already!

But, now that whatever it was is almost gone, all is calm - and now he's just excited that the tooth fairy came!

Thanks again!