Daoust

So here's my story. My little 14 month old daughter fell the other day and knocked out one of her front teeth. It can't be fixed so she has to live with a bit hole in her front for the next 6 years until it falls out.

My wife is just a mess about it. She thinks it's her fault because she was watching her when it happened. I told her at least she'll have all new teeth eventually. I mean, it's not like losing an eye or an arm. Teeth can be replaced.

As of now its not noticable since she hardly talks or smiles much, but as she gets older she will.

I feel bad for my wife and my daughter. I was wondering if anyone else was in this situation and could offer some words of encouragement.

__________________
I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace
But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys

cj22009

Daoust sorry to hear about your daughters tooth but reassure your wife stuff happens like this all the time to kids and it's not her fault accidents happen that's why they are called accidents and your right it will fall out and another one will grow in eventually

Bill O'Rights

16 years ago, my daughter, aptly nicknamed "Bump", had almost permanent black eyes (yes...eyeS), and numerous bruises over any given part of her body, from falling and running head on into things, like...oh, the picnic table comes to mind. So much so, in fact, that I worried about being turned in for child abuse....seriously. I mean this kid was (Oh, who the hell am I kidding...still is) a huge klutz. The tooth thing sucks, to be sure. But, as you've accuratly pointed out, she will grow a new one. "Mom" feels guilty. It's reasonable for her to feel so. This is her "baby". She is supposed to be there to protect her. She feels that she has failed. Give her constant reassurance that kids, being kids, are going to get beat and banged up, no matter how good of care that is provided. The best that we, as parents, can hope for, is to fend off the huge injuries.
It still amazes me, to this day, how much children can bend and bounce. I've seen my two year old take dives, that would've rendered me a quiviring mass on the floor, just get up, giggle, and keep going like hell.

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omega2K4

She'll get another one, its not like my front left tooth, chipped in the 4th grade and had the chipped part was glued on (I have no idea what they actually did, but I assume it involved some sort of adhesive). Years later (I was like 15 or 16) I was drinking some bottled water when I noticed something in my mouth, I spat it out into my hand and I saw the edge of my tooth...again. I was freaking out because it was like 10 or 11PM and there were no dentists offices open, so I did what I was told to do by my teacher (her husband was a dentist) in the 3rd or 4th grade, put the chipped part in some milk, and keep your mouth shut so none of the nerve endings could die off. I guess the milk part helped preserve it because of the calcium or some shit. They glued it on hardcore that time, and haven't have a problem since. It took some getting used to, mainly because my tooth felt "thicker" than it used to.

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Arroe

That sucks. A few more years and she'll have a new tooth though, so no big deal.

agball

No biggie, my 14 month old son went teeth first into the tile bathroom floor & chipped both is front teeth!. I first we felt terrible too, but accidents happen, just be happy that she is ok. Before you know it the new tooth will be coming in.

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DewMan

I know that when I was about 2 years old I was running around with a matchbox car in my mouth, tripped, and knocked out my 2 top teeth. Actually, I only knocked out 1 of my teeth. The dentist found the other one crammed way back up into my gumline. He had to extract it.

Fortunately, I remember none of this. It sounds horribly painful. I learned about all of this when I was much older.

The upshot is that I had no long term problems because of this accident. I can even suck soda through a straw without opening my mouth... (j/k)

Edit: Oh, and for your benefit, my mom seemed to fully recover as well.

littlebighead

I say, get over it, it's just a tooth. You don't want your daughter growing up, thinking there's something wrong with her appearance. If your wife winces and feels guilty every time she sees your daughter smile, your daughter may notice and internalize feelings of inadequacy.

Daoust

In those words?

__________________
I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace
But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys

Averett

Bwahaha!

Anyway, I feel for the poor little thing. She'll bounce back though.

My cousin knocked her tooth on a table. Knocked it dead. She had a dead, grey tooth inside her head for years.

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snowy

I knocked out two of my front teeth when I was young. I had to go a year or so before the new teeth came in. It's no big deal. As long as you let her know it's not a big deal, all will be well.

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discotequi

the same exact thing happened to my nephew when he was 2... he is now 7 and is very excited to be close to getting his front tooth back! don't worry... survive!

dksuddeth

Daoust, find a better health insurance company that provides great mental health benefits because if your wife is this upset over a 14 month old falling down she's in for one hell of a wakeup call for the next 15 years or so. Kids are kids and they will fall down, out of trees, run into doors and walls, lose more teeth, break bones, get cuts and scrapes, and wait for the boy crazy years when she has her heart broken every other week.

On the serious side, get her to talk to other moms who have gone past the infant/toddler stage and have them relate the bruising experiences. It will help to let her know that it happens to everyone and not everything is going to be her fault.

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