Last week I had a nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away. It had been a year since Landon’s last dentist appointment. I had been putting it off because his first visit to the dentist was, let’s just say, unsuccessful.
We didn’t go back and I waited too long to find a new dentist for him. Until finally, last Friday, I reluctantly looked up our dental insurance and started searching for a reputable pediatric dentist. One with a fun atmosphere filled with toys and pops of color. And a staff that knew how to work with kids’ teeth.
I clicked on a random link and noticed they had an after-hours emergency line. I’ll probably never need that, I thought, but you never know. And I put it out of my mind. Since it was Friday afternoon I made a note to call the next week.
Fast forward to Monday afternoon when I received a call from Naaman. When I saw his name come across my phone I knew something had happened. It was mommy intuition.
Naaman told me that Landon lost his grip and tumbled off the jungle gym at the park. He fell smack on his face and lost a bottom tooth. I was shocked. But of course I was asking if the rest of him was okay before caring about the tooth. He assured me Landon was fine and was begging to stay at the park to play even after the accident! So I kept my Girl’s Night Out plans with friends because I guess it just didn’t register to me that it was that bad.
When I got home he was already asleep. Of course I went in to see what he looked like with one less tooth. But when I pulled his lower lip down I noticed the two teeth to the side of the missing one had a huge gap between it. My heart sunk. I touched the teeth and they wiggled back and forth. He grimaced in pain when they moved. Naaman was right next to me and was very upset. I asked him if Landon had eaten anything and he said not much. I knew that the other teeth would probably have to come out.
I surprised myself when I did not freak out. Ordinarily this type of situation would have sent me into a ball of tears with expletives flying out of my mouth left and right. But this time? This time I knew what to do. I went downstairs and looked up the same pediatric dentist that I had found just three days earlier. And there it was. The after-hours emergency phone number. You just never know.
Or do you?
I called and the dentist actually answered at 11:00 p.m.! I was already impressed. She was so kind and told us to come to the office first thing in the morning. We were there by 8:30 and they squeezed us in. Landon was terrified even though the entire office was decorated in dinosaurs. He screamed, cried, flailed about and refused to open his mouth for the x-rays, which meant his mouth had to be pried open with tools. Sure enough, one of the loose teeth would have to come out.
We toyed with the option of an oral surgeon and general anesthesia. Only because he was so upset that we didn’t think they could get through the procedure if he was trying to escape the whole time. But we decided against that approach. Naaman held our sweet boy as they gave him the shot and that part was the worst of it. I’ve never heard him cry like that in his three little years. It was heartbreaking.
Before we knew it, it was over and he was missing two teeth. We decided to keep the third loose tooth in to try to save it. But if it hurts him too much or turns a different color it will have to come out too.
Two missing teeth. Possibly three. And his permenant teeth won’t come in for years. I didn’t cry until he was in bed for the night. Then the tears came.
But Naaman has cried more about this than I have. He feels like it’s his fault. The guilt is really hurting him. And I just want to say (because I know he reads my blog) that you are the best daddy our boys could ever have, honey. It was not your fault. Our child is a daredevil and thinks he is invincible. But you’re a daddy that will always try to catch your sons’ falls. That is ALL that matters.
I am trying to keep perspective. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who are like, it’s just teeth. What’s the big deal? Well, I was kind of used to that perfect white smile. He would flash that grin at me and I would just melt into a big love puddle. I am so worried that kids will make fun of him as he starts kindergarten or first grade with missing teeth. I am worried that his language might be disrupted. But I understand that it could have been much worse. Broken jaw or cheek, concussion, eye wound. Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.
Landon is doing great. He has been so brave and was telling everyone about his “big accident” at school. All the girls were concerned for him.
So the dental drama is over (hopefully). But I keep going back to one thing. That nagging feeling I had three days before the accident. I know not everyone believes that everything happens for a reason. But I do. I always have. It’s like I knew before it even happened that I would need that dentist. That I would choose to click on that link that led me to a website where they just happened to have an emergency dental line.
Three days before. It was more than a coincidence. Landon was supposed to lose those teeth. I don’t necessarily understand why.
But I know his smile is uniquely his. And I still melt into a big love puddle when he flashes it at me.
Twitter: angelaamman
says:
Mommy Intuition is a powerful thing. I am glad to hear he’s doing well, though I am so sorry you had to go through that scary experience
Kids will probably think he’s cool for having missing teeth, not make fun of him!
Twitter: kellynaturally
says:
Happens to me all the time, and I so often dismiss it in the rush of day-to-day. If you knew how many times I picked up my phone to call my husband, and he calls me…
Weird.
I’m sorry about your little; I’m sure his new teeth will grow in big & strong!
kelly @kellynaturally recently posted..Inspiring Breastfeeding Quotes
Your love for your husband has me in tears. So wonderful to see. And you’re right, there is nothing he could have done to prevent this. Boys! AND I’m with you on the intuition. God knows what we need to know. AND you did an awesome job with this, Molly. Give yourself a whole bunch of credit for how you handled it. You rocked it.
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Aww hun, I would have been SO UPSET too! Not only about the fall but the fact that he’s now missing teeth that won’t come in for years
I’m sorry! I hope Landon is doing okay!
PS- I think this will make an amazing story when he’s older and looking back at his pictures though
jenni from the blog recently posted..Jules Ford Maternity | Giveaway
Oh, man that sucks. At least they are baby teeth and bottoms. There is a little girl down the street who lost her two front teeth when she was two. :-/
Right after Charlie got his first adult teeth (the bottoms) he fell off the playground and put his teeth through his lip. I have never heard a scream like that and of course you know it’s serious. But here I am, as he’s bleeding, making sure he’s still got his teeth (he did).
I was thinking just yesterday about a scar Max has on his forehead. He was messing around with his brother a couple years ago and the gate hit him and cut his forehead open. I was watching him sleep and thinking that they are so perfect and beautiful when they are born and I was feeling sad that Max has this scar that somehow makes him imperfect. But then I realized, something happens to them even more important than being perfect and beautiful, and that’s LIFE. Life creates scars and missing teeth and imperfections that make these little people so very special and unique.
Cyn
Crap, you made me cry Cyn. Thank you for that perspective
molly recently posted..teeth & intuition
Twitter: Rsimplelives
says:
You’re crazy! I’m sure he’s still the most beautiful thing ever. The years will go by so quickly and then he’ll have these huge horse teeth and you’ll be thinking about how funny he looks with these grown-up teeth.
Take care.
Good call!
m.
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of course you made this into a beautifully-written post, Molly. Big hugs to you and your precious boy!
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Twitter: momgosomething
says:
Oh no!! Poor Landon.
My cousin who is like lightyears younger than I am…fell off the kitchen chair while attempting a superman act and the chair slid from under him and he ended up smacking his face off of the table. He knocked out 3 baby teeth on the top.
It did take years before it eventually grew in but he was adorable. He wasn’t made fun of at school. In fact the kids thought it was super cool.
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Thanks for this story, Kim. I do hope the kids think it’s cool. And it probably will make a funny story when he is older . . . I hope!
molly recently posted..teeth & intuition
I’d say that’s spooky, but I totally believe in mom intuition. Mom-tuition? So glad you were ready when it happened. And I’m glad he’s ok.
Missy | Literal Mom recently posted..We Moms Need to Cut Ourselves Some Slack
Wow, Molly. I can only imagine how you felt. This summer Kendall fell while playing on a little chair. Her lip puffed up immediately and there was so much blood. I was so concerned if she knocked a tooth out also. She didn’t, luckily but easily could have. Those darn kids will try anything and we just catch them when we can. I’m sure he looks perfect just as he is, and will show off that gap to his advantage.
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Oh, poor Landon, and poor Mommy and Daddy! On my niece’s 1st birthday (she’s 11 1/2 now), she fell with her bottle in her mouth, pushing one of her top middle teeth back up in her gums. I still cringe thinking about it. The dentist was awesome, said it woudl come back down evnetually, might have to be pulled someday…and it did, when she was 3, and there could be some damage to her permanent tooth, but not necessarily. So far, all appears fine. But I remember feeling so awful when it happened to her, even though I was not even there, worrying about the gap and how she’d look. Now? I don’t even really remember the missing tooth. I do cringe thinking about it, but kids are resilient…it’s us adults who need to get over it, right? Hang in there! Accidents happen!
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