Traumatized

I took Logan to the dentist today.

I had been planning to make an initial appointment for him before the end of summer, but hadn't gotten around to it. Then after noticing some changes in his teeth recently, I couldn't put it off.

We were at Tropicanoe Cove a few weeks ago when Logan and a friend crashed into each other (twice!) while running through the fountains. I didn't see the actual event, but was told that the other little boys head hit Logan's mouth. (Not a big deal. Accidents happen. I'm glad the other boys head was alright.) Logan was crying and complained of his teeth hurting a lot right after the incident, but said nothing later so I kind of forgot about it.

Then about a week and a half ago I noticed that his front teeth looked like they needed brushing. Bad. I brushed them, but to no avail. Within the next two or three days they got darker. That's when it became apparent that something was wrong. So after talking with some "experts" we decided a dental appointment was necessary. We went to Dr. Sammons.


The verdict: Apparently the blow to Logan's teeth was hard enough that it made them die. The nerves are shot and the darkness is the blood that shows through from the inside. The left one is almost purple! (Apparently a pretty rare thing.) The x-ray showed no damage to his permanent teeth, but the dentist said Logan's baby teeth will abscess; it's just a matter of time. So we're going to have them fixed. We scheduled the appointment for next month.

 

Logan was a trooper today. He made me proud. Now here's the big surprise. I didn't expect to be so emotional when we were at the dentist's office. I didn't expect to be emotional at all!

I have been secretly panicking while watching Logan's teeth darken. Apparently it brought back insecurities from my childhood... My permanent teeth are discolored from tetracycline. The front two are splotchy and the rest are gray. (Not that you'd notice. Or say anything if you did!) I remember the feelings I had as a child when people would look at or ask about my teeth. It wasn't my fault that they looked the way they did, but I felt like something was wrong with me. Even as an adult I'm still self-conscious about them.

So. I'm grateful for good doctors and modern medicine. My nerves have calmed. I'm glad to know that even though I have been, Logan won't be traumatized from this event. He may not even give it a second thought.