Two weeks ago we took Ashley to a pediatric dentist and they confirmed that something had to be done to the tooth. The dentist explained it best by comparing what is happening inside her tooth to the blood vessels in a bruise. Apparently it wasn't just one fall/bump that made the issue appear, but a series of falls/bumps. And each time she would hit the tooth the nerve would expand (like blood vessels do) until it had no where else to expand so it burst through the back of the tooth causing the hole. The dentist said that she has to be in a lot of pain with the tooth the way it is but has grown to accept it as "normal."
He then went on to say that the tooth needs a root canal so that it doesn't either become infected or shatter since the tooth is in fact dead. And since she is so young she needs a space maintainer to keep that space open and from shifting so that her adult teeth can grow in properly.
So we have two options:
1. root canal with a tooth extraction followed by a fake tooth that would be connected by a wire to her back teeth.
2. root canal with a cap on the tooth.
With either option Ashley would have to be out under through IV anethesia (which frightens me the most about the procedure and is super expensive) or harnessed to the table with local numbing medicine.
We have decided to put her under with IV anethesia and do the root canal with a cap on the tooth. We go in for surgery on Friday, September 13th, early in the morning. Poor thing won't be able to eat or, worse, have her milk bottle in the morning. Fingers crossed that the surgery goes smoothly and it fixes how she won't bite down with her front teeth, that she won't complain about the tooth anymore and overall be less fussy.
Oh and after her visit she was given a new Aerial toothbrush, blue toothpaste, chapstick, a warm chocolate chip cookie, two bath toys and a bracelet. Needless to say, they spoiled her so that when I asked her if she liked the dentist she replied with, "Yes I like the dentist but I cried a little bit." Let's hope she's still saying this after September 13th!
Oh and it's amazing what an Aerial toothbrush can do to a kid. She LOVES brushing her teeth now and even lets us help!
Wish us well,
Jenny
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