The good news is that Tommy did a great job at his dentist appointment. He had no cavities, despite having very deep crevices in his teeth that make him naturally cavity-prone (just like his Mum!). The dentist also said that he could tell Tommy didn't eat a junky diet, because if he did he would have had a mouth full of problems. Go us! Also in the good news category - Tommy's x-rays came back looking great and the tooth that was the most askew has almost settled back into it's old position. The bad news is that he has some tooth discoloration (although as of right now it is minor), which means his teeth are bruised. The dentist was quite pleased with how light the bruising is, as he was expecting that Tommy's teeth might be quite purple by now, but because the bruising is there we are still on gangrene watch. Also under bad news, dentists and x-rays are absurdly expensive and dental insurance is not as good as health insurance. I can't believe how much this little escapade has cost (or at least how much I think it will cost...verdict is still out on how much insurance will pony up). But since it's December it was time to drain the FSA anyway.
The good news for Nic is that his teeth are now clean. He had some gunky build up near his gums that I just could not get rid of (and we ALWAYS brush), so I was concerned that maybe it was a side effect from all his penicillin or something. However, it turns out that some kids have extra salts in their saliva, and this type of saliva causes plaque to calcify and look nasty...no matter how often you brush. It's a genetic quirk. I'm just glad it wasn't something we were doing wrong. The very bad news is that the dentist informed us we should start saving for Nic's orthodontia. Now, Nic has a HUGE mouth, so I was really hoping that we would skip braces with him, but apparently he has a rather pronounced under-bite that will require correction. Neither Jeff nor I noticed this, so I felt a little silly when the dentist was talking to me about it like I must have known. I decided not to inform him of my ignorance. On the bright side, the thing he will have to wear (it's like reverse head gear) only has to be on at night, and we won't need to start it up for five or six years. It is nice to have the heads-up on that one.
It was funny to learn that both of my kids have unusual inherited dental issues. Nic's got the crazy saliva and the under-bite, which according to the dentist is very rare for people of African descent. Tommy's got baby teeth that look like adult teeth. I know that even if we had contact with either of the boy's families that we would not have information about dental history, tooth shape, cavities, and so one because no one would have dental charts to offer us, but it does make me wonder about where these traits came from. Was it first mom or first dad who had the funky teeth?
The other good news is that the threat of Tommy's teeth turning purple motivated me to take the boys in for some brother pictures. Well, that and I had a great coupon.
How cute are these boys?
The good news for Nic is that his teeth are now clean. He had some gunky build up near his gums that I just could not get rid of (and we ALWAYS brush), so I was concerned that maybe it was a side effect from all his penicillin or something. However, it turns out that some kids have extra salts in their saliva, and this type of saliva causes plaque to calcify and look nasty...no matter how often you brush. It's a genetic quirk. I'm just glad it wasn't something we were doing wrong. The very bad news is that the dentist informed us we should start saving for Nic's orthodontia. Now, Nic has a HUGE mouth, so I was really hoping that we would skip braces with him, but apparently he has a rather pronounced under-bite that will require correction. Neither Jeff nor I noticed this, so I felt a little silly when the dentist was talking to me about it like I must have known. I decided not to inform him of my ignorance. On the bright side, the thing he will have to wear (it's like reverse head gear) only has to be on at night, and we won't need to start it up for five or six years. It is nice to have the heads-up on that one.
It was funny to learn that both of my kids have unusual inherited dental issues. Nic's got the crazy saliva and the under-bite, which according to the dentist is very rare for people of African descent. Tommy's got baby teeth that look like adult teeth. I know that even if we had contact with either of the boy's families that we would not have information about dental history, tooth shape, cavities, and so one because no one would have dental charts to offer us, but it does make me wonder about where these traits came from. Was it first mom or first dad who had the funky teeth?
The other good news is that the threat of Tommy's teeth turning purple motivated me to take the boys in for some brother pictures. Well, that and I had a great coupon.
How cute are these boys?
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4 comments:
Yes they are
They are the cutest!!!
They are really really cute!
I don't think I have ever commented on your blog but have been reading for a bit. My Miss Macy bumped and bruised a tooth about 3 1/2 years ago. It was a scary thing! She still has that goofy, smaller than the rest, and slightly grey tooth *sigh* but at least it wasn't anything serious. I just wanted to let you know (because I have yet to meet another mama to go through the same thing) that your beautiful boy will most likely be ok even if the color bothers you a wee bit ;) My sweet girl has never even noticed LOL!
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