2.5 Year Old's Front Teeth Need to Be Extracted - Help!

G. - my daughter had two of her teeth extracted and 4 crowns put on when she was 2.5-3 years old. She did perfectly fine with the anestetia and other than a little swelling, the gums healed fine. Her "big girl" teeth will come in when it is the appropriate time. She'll just be able to enjoy popsicles and soft foods for a few days!!

When my soldier boy was 3 he had bottle rot and they had to pull his 4 teeth i was as intense about it as I bet you are feeling right now. The day of the operation i sat in the waiting room and cried and held my friends hand as every time i heard a yelp from the direction of one of 4 of this dentist chairs. I thought it was my son. After the operation as we called it the dentist said he only yelped once when they gave him the needle to numb the area taht he was fine and did well. He now serves the PA NAtional Guard and at 6'5 can smile a handsome smile and charm any womans heart. So worry not about the effects as a good dentist knows how to make the experience as painless as possible both for his patient and the parent.

If I was you (after freaking out), I'd take ten deep breaths and try to realize that the dentist will know exactly what to do and everything will be fine. It's an adventure you'll have to talk about for a life time! Don't worry about side effects or anything else until the time comes. One thing at a time, it will all work out and you will have support. Best wishes!!!

Hi G.,
I can give you some info as a dentist and a mom. I am not sure if the dentist doing the work is a pediatric dentist or not, however, as long as the office is equipped to deal with kids, don't be worried. The laughing gas is pretty harmless in weight appropriate doses, and kids usually recover from the "loopiness" almost right away. It is actually better to have the gas, because your daughter won't care about the "strange" stuff, like Novocaine and all the instruments. Make sure you get all your questions answered prior to the extraction. Most of the time it is easier to not be with your child while the extraction is going on; having said that, I always allow parents to stay in the room if they insist. The doctor will give you all the after-care instructions. The most important ones are: keep the area clean, don't give her anything with little bits in it (like sprinkles or crunchy stuff). Make sure that before the Novocaine wears off, your daughter does not "pull" on her lip or bite it (just watch her); it is very common to see kids with swollen lips after anesthesia, since they like to "test" the area to see if the lip is still there.
As far as the missing teeth, try not to worry...2 year olds are not too vain :) Her adult front teeth will most likely come in earlier than expected (they usually come in around 6 or 7), which will not have any negative effects on her future bite or other teeth.
Hope that this is at all helpful,
Wishing you and your daughter the best,
I.

It's hard to say how she'll be after the teeth are pulled, everyone reacts to pain differently. For my daughter she has an abnormally high tollerance for pain. Where as I have none. As for the gas....it really does effect everyone differently. I can't have it, it has the opposite affect on me. My children haven't had it so I can't be of help there, sorry. Don't worry things happen, just remember that this is in no way a reflection on what kind of mother you are. Please try not to feel stupid. I hope everything goes well, and that she recovers fast. Her adult teeth will most likely come in beautifully, I'm sure. Take care, just make her as comfortable as possible.
C.

I don't know about the gas. I would expect it to be a very brief procedure and laughing gas is local and the effects should be short term.

My dd has 4 wisdom extractions done in a quick 20 minutes and was fine.

Has the dentist discussed keeping the teeth from shifting while the primary ones come into place in the gum/jaw line?

My son knocked a tooth out at 2.5 years old. I did not know to put it in milk to help save and possibly re-root the tooth. In order to keep the space for the adult teeth and not shift the baby teeth he had to wear a partial that was cemented to the 1st molers.

It all worked out ok. It fell out a couple of times he cried that he needed it put back in and eventually it was not needed any longer when all the adult teeth showed having come into position in the jaw bone for the next step.

Good luck. I think it is safe to say your dear child will do fine.

I completely understand what you are going through, my 3year old just had his two front teeth extracted in Feburary. Unfortunately we did not know any better, when he was a year and a half he fell and did exactly what your daughter did, but all of our family members that were there kept saying that the bleeding stopped and he didn't go throught his lip or tongue so he would be fine. Well just to check, at his next check up I asked the doctors and they said they will come down and he will be fine. I even asked our dentist, and he said the same thing, but never actually sat him in a chair and looked because he didn't look at anyone until three. Well, as a mother (and even my husband) we knew that was not the case. So when he turned three, he went to his first dentist appointment, sat in the chair and our dentist said "I can't touch those. They are to bad, he will have to go to a pediatric dentist and more than likely have them extracted." We took him to two different pediatric dentist and ultimately we went with the second and ended up going to Children's Hospital to have him completely put out. General Anesthsia! It was unbelievably minding boggling and very scary. It was the safest thing we had heard and was the best for him. What more can you ask for. Complete professional care from pediatrics. He went in was in there for 1hr to 2hrs came out in pain, the gave him pain medication ate two popsicles and drank some juice within two hours later. Then he was ready to go home. It looked painful, but once we left the hospital he did not complain and was back to eating normal the next day. I think its harder as parents than it is for the children and if you are worried about speech. Don't most children don't have and problems with their speech afterwards, and my three old was talking normal within hours.
So, explore your options, maybe get a second opinion. Your her mother and you know what is best for her.Good Luck and remember to have them save her teeth for you to do the toothfairy thing with her. It helped out so much. Please let me know how she does. And I will be praying for her and your family. It is a dramatic thing to have to go through.

Hi G.! Same thing happened to us - she will be fine. My daughter was in no pain afterwards - the teeth came out and left a little hole in the gums that healed very very quickly. The gas really calmed her and she was still and the extraction went very quickly and well. Let us know how it turns out!

Hi G., Are you taking your child to a pediatric Dentist? or just a regular dentist? If you are taking your daughter to a regular dentist PLEASE go to a ped's dentist and get a second opinion before you let them do anything. I take my girls to a great practice called Dentistry for Kids that has three offices in the Pittsburgh area and the best peds dentists you could ever ask for!

My oldest knocked a tooth back up in when she was two and it came back down fine, the only result of her fall is a small, extra white spot on her permant tooth. If you didn't know about it you would never see it.

My middle one had to get 4 crowns and have four baby root cannels on her 12 yr molars when she was in kindergarten just as we were moving here from out of state. The first one was done in Ohio and Dentistry for Kids did the other three. They did such a great job that she had little pain the day it was done and none after...and to this day all three of my girls like going to the dentist! Good luck and best wishes!

Our situation was a litte different, but my son just had his two bottom front teeth pulled a few months ago. He is 6 and the permanent teeth were coming in behind the baby teeth. They gave him a gel to numb the area, then gave a little shot, then counted one, two, three and pop. He said is was nothing. He barely flinched. Afterwards he didn't complain about any pain, there were little holes, which filled in, especially since his perm. teeth were coming in. We had a few days of eating soft things. I think seeing a pediatric dentist of oral surgeon may be a good idea for their expertise. We go to a pediatric dentist's office and they are phenomenal with the kids. Best of luck and don't do anything until you are completely comfortable with it. If you are not comfortable your daughter will pick up on that and I am sure you don't want to add that to her stress.

First of all I undrestand how scared you are for your little girl. But you don't have to worry about the actual extraction, she will be relaxed and it should go very well. Secondly I want you to know that a very similiar thing happened to me and I barley remember it. I had to have all of my bottom teeth removed(they all died after I hurt myself) and then I fell down a flight of stairs and knocked out all of the top front teeth and had to have emergency oral surgery. So I was the pitiful child without any front teeth!
For right after do lots of soft foods, jellos, soups, pudding etc and she'll be back on her feet before you know it. After she heals she may have to learn how to eat a little differently; corn on the cob will be the best example. Without those front teeth she'll have to either have things cut up pretty well for her, or do what I did and eat on the sides of her mouth. It can get a little messy but it works. And her pics will be very cute with her missing teeth. Let her have fun with it, show her how she can suck on a straw(after she's healed) and have her mouth closed. Good luck and remember she may not even remember the ordeal she's about to go through!

I was a dental asst. for 15 yrs and have two grown children and a new grandbaby that is 15 months old. Your daughter will do fine if you take her to a pediatric dentist. The assistants will be able to control your child and keep her calm. children behave better when their parents are not present. I know that it will be h*** o* you but it is better for your child to let the professionals handle this. The whole procedure will take less then 15 minute from the time she is numb. the gas will calm her down just make sure her belly is empty. They will put a very small block to bite on to hold open their mouth that way they don't hurt themselves.
(at least that is what the did will my children for fillings)
Hope this information will be a little help to calm you.

My daughter needed her teeth extracted last summer. Same thing, she took a fall and hit her teeth back when she was 3, the fistulas (infection blisters) showed up at 5, and we had them extracted. They used laughing gas and it was very simple and mostly painless - worse on me than her. The doctor asked that we stay in the waiting room (good idea) while the procedure was done - it took about 15 minutes. She was groggy and her mouth was a little swollen when she got out. We went home and took a big nap, milkshake for lunch (a big treat she still remembers) and by dinner, she was up and around. By the next day she was back to her old self. At that age, things heal so quickly and they bounce back so well.

I just would suggest that you go to someone who is experienced with young kids and understands their needs. We were with a doctor in Kennett who I really liked. The laughing gas was no problem and she doesn't remember a thing - much prefered to infection in the mouth which damages her big girl teeth as they grow.

Good luck!
L.

hey G.,

this very thing happened to me at 2 years old... i busted my head on a planter, shoved my teeth up my gums and had to have them removed.

my parents used an oral surgeon rather than a dentist, which i'm hoping your dentist has recommended. used the NO gas, and to be honest, i remember the procedure perfectly and don't remember any pain. just the recovery - i got to eat lots of popsicles and otter pops! my big teeth grew in eventually. for you, don't be worried. you daughter is resilient, like all of us were, and will be smiling with a huge gap in no time!!

good luck!
C.

Hi G.,
I have not dealt with this situation personally, but I know of another child in my sons preschool class that had to have her front teeth pulled when she was three. The mom said everything went fine. I am sure the laughing gas will relax your daughter so much that she won't realize that she is actually sitting still. I've had it several times and it enables you to just relax so much. Good luck with everything. Hopefully this gives you a little sense of ease.

Hi, I know this is a scary thing for a Mother. I am a Dental Hygienist and familiar with treatment for incidents like this. Typically, we refer to an Oral Surgeon since they perform extractions on a daily basis or a Pediatric Dentist. The Oral Surgeon we refer to puts children under a twilight anesthetic so they have no memory of the procedure and the Pediatric Dentist gives children chloral hydrate to make them "groggy". I haven't seen nitrous oxide or "laughing gas" used on a child that young, but I'm sure it can be. I know it does help to relax adult patients though. If the teeth are already pretty loose, it should be a quick and simple procedure. She'll be sore afterwards, but children bounce back so quickly. Just offer her lots of soft foods and if it were my child, I'd give her Children's Motrin right afterwards. I'm sure they will give you an instruction sheet for afterwards. Good luck and try not to worry, children injur their front teeth all the time in our office. It is fairly common and the infection should clear right up after the teeth are removed and she finishes her antibiotic. If you are still nervous, you may want to call a local pediatric dental office and ask how they would handle it (unless you are already seeing one.)

This is something you need to thoroughly discuss with the dentist and his assistants at the office. Have you had a sit down with them or a phone consultation? Write down all the questions you have before discussing it with them so you won't forget.

K. B
mom of 5 including triplets
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat

Don't feel stupid and scared. Things happen that are out of our control. And we don't like to see our kids go through things like this, but they happen.

I had teeth pulled when I was about 11 in preparation for braces. I had "laughing gas" and don't remember any of the procedure. I did get sick to the stomach in recovery, however, but not everyone does. If possible, I would suggest taking someone with you who can sit with your daughter on the ride home and comfort her or have a container ready to catch anything she spits up. If you have to go alone, maybe put towels on the floor and backseat. I didn't have much pain, just some minor discomfort. I ate soft foods for the first day or so - eggs, ham salad, mashed potatos, soup, milkshakes! Have some Tylenol on hand or ask the dentist what to give her for any pain. One more thing...my son (3 1/2) has frequent medical procedures due to his health issues. He is groggy for a while afterwards from the sedation, but bounces back quickly and rarely complains about any pain. Little ones seem to recover quickly, so hopefully you'll be presently surprised at how your daughter feels aftward. I wish you well. Please let us know how everything turns out.

My son had to have a total of 3 teeth pulled from 2 seperate injuries. Let me assure you that it is really a simple procedure for the dentist. Both times when we got there the dentist gave some medicine orally for him to "relax". After that took affect, there was the "laughing gas", then the novacaine. They came of so easilly, almost like pulling a really loose tooth. I was in shock at how quick and easy it was. My son is normally a baby with stuff and he didn't shed one tear. Both times the bleeding stopped by the time we were home. He just had to bite down on gauze till we got there. Just a soft diet for the rest of that day. He needed NO pain medicine!!! And was fine to eat anything the next day, just like the dentist said.
We see a pediatric dentist, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not. He only puts kids under in the hospital like a "surgery" for very extensive cases.

That doesn't sound right. What happened to waiting and see if they regain their strength? Not only is it dangerous for a two year old to have the "laughing gas" but it is also a procedure that may hurt her ability to grow her adult teeth. If I were you, I would call it off and wait and see how they are doing in a few months. You would be suprised at how many times they want to remove good teeth. It's good money for them. You are scared because it is intuition, use it. Call it off. If there is nothing wrong, like pain or anything that would cause alarm, it is silly to go through with it. If they are effecting the gums, maybe you should take her to another doctor to get a second oppion. You would think they could straighten them out. Extracting sounds like they would cut them out though, and that worries me along with the anesthetic.

When my son was 2 (now 8)he had 19 cavities caused by "Baby Bottle Syndrome"...I'd had it as a child. He never even drank a bottle!!! Anyway, because there was so much work to be done they did it at the hospital under general anestesia. My 3 year old son had 2 fillings on Thursday...had the laughing gas and novacaine and never felt a thing. I doubt she'll have much pain at all since the baby teeth don't really have roots. Your daughter will be just fine! I would strongly recommend you making sure you're seeing a pediatric dentist. I won't take my boys anywhere else!!! Take care & hang in there!

Personally, I think that sounds messed up. One of the children that I babysat had to get 4 teeth pulled from cavities. They put her to sleep and she was only 22 months.

But I do know for some simple procedures, they will only do the laughing gas and novicane.

Another member said the teeth didn't have much in the way of roots...

Basic precautions after the extraction would be keeping it clean, maybe salt water rinses, and of course not using that area much lol.

GL hun. I promise you it will be alright.

hi G.,

This is scary, huh? I fell while carrying our almost 2 yr old, and a year later, one front tooth turned grey, and at 4 it abcessed and had to come out. That dentist didn't use laughing gas, just novacaine, which really pankicked her, and it wasn't a positive experience.

she later had 4 teeth extracted for braces (she's 14 now), with the laughing gas. Laughing gas doesn't really make you laugh. It relaxes you, and even then as a pre-teen the dental surgeon said that if she was good mom could stay in the room. Given her prior experience, there was no way Mom was going to wait outside. I held her hand the whole time.

However, the laughing gas is good. It'll keep your daughter calm, and then the gums will numb up, and the teeth are already dead. If you have ever had a tooth abcess, you know what that feels like -- it's incredibly painful. So whatever it takes to get the teeth out, is a good thing. It's also a good thing they are the baby teeth. And also, it's good that this is a time when kids look incredibly cute with their front teeth missing. :-) And that they are young enough not to be horribly concerned about their looks (like young teens), so the after affects won't be problematic.

I will be a little surprised if they have you stay in the room while they do the dental surgery. If they do, be aware that it may be difficult for you. But you kind of have to do what you have to do. It's FAR better than having abcess after abcess and constant antibiotics.

when our 4 yr old had her tooth out, we rented videos for her to watch all day, and she stayed on the couch ALL DAY -- I was kind of horrified, cuz it was a simple extraction, really. Finally I said, "Do you want to get up?" and she said, "can i?" She thought she HAD to stay there all day !!! Here I'd been thinking she was horribly traumatized, and she was wondering how long she had to lay around and be good. poor kid. The bottom line? kids recover faster than moms do.

There's some basic after-surgery care like no soda, and I think no straws ?? Not sure on that one. Bottles and sippy cups may have the same problem. They want to be sure nothing draws the clot out when it forms in the tooth hole. But they will give you all that info, and they will be available over the phone if you have any questions afterwards. Also, it's on a Monday, so if you do have questions, the Q's will come up on weekdays. That's another good thing.

Good luck ! Ir's one of those times when you wish you had the dental problem, not your daughter. It's tough to be a mom, but you will both get through this !! :-)

Hi G.,
I certainly understand your apprehension about this upcoming extraction. Personally, I have no first-hand experience to share with you, but a friend of mine's son had the same thing happen. He just needs to patiently wait til the new teeth arrive. I'm sure this procedure is no oddity to your dentist and in this situation, I guess all you can do is trust in and rely on their experience. Hope all goes well. Keep her as comfy as you can with Tylenol & the like.