The Tooth Fairy

In our house, we believe the tooth fairy lives across the street from the diaper fairy and the paci fairy. Yes, every time something has to go away, we blame it on said fairy. Maybe it’s a parental cop-out but it works for me. That way I have someone to blame it on.

When Eli was two (actually one week before his second birthday), he fell and broke his front tooth in half. It was not a pleasant experience. I took him into the dentist the next day, and since he had exposed the nerve, there was no way they could save the tooth. They told me they could pull it or put a crown over it.

Just FYI, if you are ever in this situation, have them pull the tooth. Looking back, I could have saved a hell of a lot of pain for Eli and money for me if I had just had the damn thing pulled. But no. I didn’t want Eli to go for several years with no front tooth, so I had them put on a crown. They had to strap him down to do it, and it was not pretty. But at least his teeth looked good. For about two months.

Then, his teeth started to grow. The little pimp tooth (I call it that because it’s silver on the back) stayed put. Here it is three years later, and the pimp tooth looks horrible. It stayed put and now looks like it is growing out of the front of his gums. Not. Pretty.

So, I made a dentist appointment because I just want to have the damn thing pulled. It would look so much better. Well, unfortunately, nothing is ever as easy as you think it is going to be. In my mind, we would walk in, they would pull the tooth and we would leave. Yeah, right.

First, just getting Eli in the chair was an ordeal. I’m sure he has memories of the past dental visits, so this is not something he enjoys. Getting him in the dentist’s chair was like wrestling a cat into a bathtub. Luckily, the dentist was very nice, so Eli seemed to calm down. He really liked that they let him play with all the tools and that he got to choose the flavor of tooth paste and fluoride. (Side note: Did you know they have cookie-dough flavored toothpaste??)

After X-rays, the dentist (who told me to call him “Gramps”) said that the reason the pimp tooth hadn’t grown was because it had attached itself to the bone. So, not only does it need to be pulled, but if we don’t pull it, it will hinder the growth of that adult tooth, causing it to grow up instead of down.

Fine with me – pull it!! Again, not that easy. Since it had attached to the bone, they couldn’t do it in the dentist’s office. Eli has to see an oral surgeon. He will actually have to be put under anesthesia so they can pull the damn tooth.

I am kicking the hell out of myself because this could have all been avoided if I had just had them pull the tooth three years ago. Grrrr!! So, they wrapped up our dental visit, and gave Eli his bag of goodies. Dude! When I was little, I got a toothbrush. Eli got a little sack with a Blue’s Clues toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, a little coloring book on dental care, and two toys off their cart that he got to choose himself.

Needless to say, he now LOVES going to the dentist! I just hope he feels that way after our visit to the oral surgeon. I called to make the appointment to have the tooth pulled, but they’re making us go in for a consultation first. Grrrr! How long can they drag this out?! I’m about ready to pull the damn tooth myself.

Not only that, but the oral surgeon’s name is Dr. Krueger. All I can think of is Nightmare on Elm Street. I have a sneaking suspicion this won’t go well. I certainly hope I’m wrong.