AimeeM Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 A couple of years ago, DD (now 13) had a relatively minor bicycle accident while riding with a friend; she flipped over the front of the bike and landed face down (friend's dad brought her home, as they were riding around the subdivision). DH and I can't agree about whether or not it was the bike or the scooter, since her and her friend were pretty accident-prone during that time, lol. At the time, there was a bit of nose bleeding and a scratch. She did hit her mouth, but according to the dentist, there was nothing alarming about her teeth - at the time. A year or so later, when she had a regular exam and x-ray, there was nothing amiss; but then another exam later, she complained about feeling like her front teeth were "wiggly" - sometimes. They took a closer look at the two front teeth on another x-ray, and the roots are dying. They know she will lose them at some point, but they said it could be a year, or 5 years, or 10 years. They just want to keep an eye on it with x-rays. According to them (the ped's dentists AND my own prosthodontist) our only option is to wait for them come out "naturally," at which point we'll have a removable prosthetic placed, until she's old enough for an implant (at least 18). This is slow torture for DD - knowing that at some point a tooth (well, both front teeth) will just "fall out" prematurely. Has anyone had something similar happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonesinIndiana Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Can they put an orthodontic wire on the lingual to splint them together to strengthen them? Those teeth will get progressively looser, they won't just fall out. At some point you will need to do treatment but the looseness will determine how quickly it needs to be done. When you say the roots are "dying", does that mean they are abscessed and need root canals or is the root resorbing and becoming foreshortened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Dd20a took a rock to the mouth at 12. It broke one front tooth off about at the base. The tooth to the side broke above the gum line and had to be completely removed a couple of days later. A bottom tooth broke off about halfway up. It was a long 6 years to wait for her implant. She had a root canal and...can't remember the term...put on the front tooth. A cantilever bridge coming off of that for a fake tooth in the gap, and a build up on the bottom tooth (with the stuff they make fillings with?). Braces required to widen the gap where her tooth was completely gone because the gap was congenitally too small for an implant. At 18, bone graph to do away the loss from 6 years with nothing there and then veneers on the front teeth to make it all match up. So, yes, wait. Leave those teeth there as long as possible because that will keep bone loss from happening. You want as much bone there as possible because the graph is the worst part of getting the implant. Also, they are making tremendous strides right now in implants. At this moment, you can't have two side by side. Soon, that may be possible. So, as far down the road as you can is your best bet. Dd will likely lose her front tooth at some point. The root was dissolving when we went in for her implant. The dentist, a supreme specialist in his field, worked hard and managed to save it...for now. We know that one day it will likely be an issue. We are hoping it is at a point that doing two implants will be possible. If not, she will probably give up the implant she has, have one done where the front tooth is, and bridge off of it for the side tooth. Also, you could take her to a specialist. When dd's tooth reabsorption was found, the endodontist??? was able to save it (for now) by cutting away the root that was "rotten" (not the right word, but I don't really have the terminology). She was treated with multiple rounds of antibiotics also, not for infection/ but to cut down the inflammation in the area. LIke I said above, this guy was absolutely at the top of his field. Most doctors would have just let the tooth go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 Can they put an orthodontic wire on the lingual to splint them together to strengthen them? Those teeth will get progressively looser, they won't just fall out. At some point you will need to do treatment but the looseness will determine how quickly it needs to be done. When you say the roots are "dying", does that mean they are abscessed and need root canals or is the root resorbing and becoming foreshortened? The root reabsorbing, I guess. I asked several times about a root canal and they said that wasn't an option - that they were dying because of the injury. On the outside of the teeth, there is no graying or anything to indicate this - they look perfectly fine. I'll ask about an orthodontic wire. This also means no braces for her, because they said that when they go to take the braces off, it would probably pull the teeth out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 Ouch! Your poor daughter! I have an endodontist that I love. I can take her there. Thanks! Her teeth look fine, which was why, when they said the two fronts were "dying" I was like huh? She fell once as a young child, and "killed" one of her baby teeth... and it definitely LOOKED like it was dying - but not these two front adult teeth. Beautiful teeth :( Dd20a took a rock to the mouth at 12. It broke one front tooth off about at the base. The tooth to the side broke above the gum line and had to be completely removed a couple of days later. A bottom tooth broke off about halfway up. It was a long 6 years to wait for her implant. She had a root canal and...can't remember the term...put on the front tooth. A cantilever bridge coming off of that for a fake tooth in the gap, and a build up on the bottom tooth (with the stuff they make fillings with?). Braces required to widen the gap where her tooth was completely gone because the gap was congenitally too small for an implant. At 18, bone graph to do away the loss from 6 years with nothing there and then veneers on the front teeth to make it all match up. So, yes, wait. Leave those teeth there as long as possible because that will keep bone loss from happening. You want as much bone there as possible because the graph is the worst part of getting the implant. Also, they are making tremendous strides right now in implants. At this moment, you can't have two side by side. Soon, that may be possible. So, as far down the road as you can is your best bet. Dd will likely lose her front tooth at some point. The root was dissolving when we went in for her implant. The dentist, a supreme specialist in his field, worked hard and managed to save it...for now. We know that one day it will likely be an issue. We are hoping it is at a point that doing two implants will be possible. If not, she will probably give up the implant she has, have one done where the front tooth is, and bridge off of it for the side tooth. Also, you could take her to a specialist. When dd's tooth reabsorption was found, the endodontist??? was able to save it (for now) by cutting away the root that was "rotten" (not the right word, but I don't really have the terminology). She was treated with multiple rounds of antibiotics also, not for infection/ but to cut down the inflammation in the area. LIke I said above, this guy was absolutely at the top of his field. Most doctors would have just let the tooth go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonesinIndiana Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Ask the doctor if they can they put a lingual retainer wire on the anterior maxilla to stabilize the teeth? In other words, ask if they can splint the teeth together with the lingual retainer to strengthen the teeth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 Ask the doctor if they can they put a lingual retainer wire on the anterior maxilla to stabilize the teeth? I'm going to copy and paste that, and text it to myself so I can remember it, but I will definitely ask. The reason it came to mind again is that she's complaining that they feel looser, and she has a cleaning coming up. Should I ask her pediatric dentist, or get an appointment with an orthodontist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 A pediatric dentist should be able to do a splint. Once her teeth come out, she can get a flipper like a retainer with teeth on it. That can hold her until she is able to have the implants. There is no way to determine how long the resorption will take. It may slow down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 A pediatric dentist should be able to do a splint. Once her teeth come out, she can get a flipper like a retainer with teeth on it. That can hold her until she is able to have the implants. There is no way to determine how long the resorption will take. It may slow down. And we were told that there's no way to fit for the flipper until they come out? Is that accurate? Of course, I understand that it just isn't prudent to have one made now; they could very well stay in for many years yet, assuming she always babies them as she has been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 And we were told that there's no way to fit for the flipper until they come out? Is that accurate? Of course, I understand that it just isn't prudent to have one made now; they could very well stay in for many years yet, assuming she always babies them as she has been. Right. Her mouth will be doing a lot of changing. Fitting for a flipper now would not work. It is a good idea for her teeth to stay in as long as possible to retain the integrity of her bone level. I know it is hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Sue Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I had a bike accident with a similar outcome. My front teeth did turn dark for a couple of days/weeks and then cleared up to close to the same shade as the other teeth. My teeth are still in place some 30 years later despite having dead front teeth. I had a root canal on one about 7 years ago but otherwise nothing has happened to them and the average person would never know from looking at me. I use caution when eating bread & apples (I simply avoid tearing and chomping with my front teeth.). My dentist always reminds me that I'm going to lose my front teeth and I probably will sometime but not yet. I hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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