Teeth Check Time

Josh went to the dentist this week. While Mama Tess was here Josh got his mouth bonked by Jack's head. He had a blood blister looking sore show up above his chipped tooth. A while ago we had his tooth looked at by a dentist in California. At the time he told us not to worry about the tooth, since it's just a baby tooth. Well when this sore showed up a few weeks ago, and wasn't getting better, Jarod and I got concerned. After taking an x-ray, we found out that he has an abscess above his front tooth, between the baby tooth and the permanent tooth. The dentist prescribed an antibiotic for Josh and we're hoping that it will clear out the infection. If it doesn't, he'll have to have a root canal to get the job done. The other bad news we received is that this tooth will probably fall out before its time leaving an empty space in the front of his mouth longer than most kids. Depending on how long the infection has been sitting there, his permanent tooth might be discolored. Having had bad luck with my teeth since my accident when I was eight, this news really bums me out, to say the least. When the dentist told me he might need a root canal, the sensations I felt when having both my root canals came screaming back. Needless to say, our fingers are crossed that the antibiotic will clear up the infection and our little boy will be able to have a healthy smile. I was relieved that Josh did extremely well during the visit. I was able to leave my other two kids with my mom (I love living so close to my folks) while Josh and I went to the dentist. I had prepared him earlier in the day by telling him that the dentist wanted to see his pretty smile, and look to see how pretty his teeth are. He was practicing his smile all day. I was nervous about taking him, since the last time he went he freaked out about sitting in the chair and having someone look in his mouth. I guess that's one of my big worries, having him come to fear and have anxiety about the dentist. For now though, he did great, and I was very proud of him.