Chipped toddler tooth?

[twotimesblue]

I noticed when I was putting my 26-month-old to bed that one of his front teeth has chipped, leaving a jagged edge. I have no idea how he did it and it doesn't seem to be bothering him but I worry that it's going to cut his lip repeatedly as it is very sharp.

I'm going to make an appointment with the pediatric dentist - has anyone else been in this situation? Will they tell me to just leave it be or file it down? The very idea of anesthetic freaks me out and if his pediatrician visits are anything to go by, the dentist visit is going to be very traumatic for all concerned!

[Mommy_Mea]

DS2 chipped his tooth falling off his bike about 2 years ago, I didn't notice until a couple of days later. I didn't do anything about it at the time, but it didn't look particularly jagged/sharp. We were at the dentist last week, and she noted the chipped tooth and just said to watch for it turning grey. The tooth will fall out in a few years, so I didn't think much of it!

[JBaxter]

It happens a lot a dental appt probably isn't a bad idea but generally they just leave them and it will smooth down on its own. Watch for it turning gray ~ which isnt a problem by itself but also pull up their lip and take a peak for anything that looks like a tiny pimple ( usually how an abscess presents) MOST often they chip them you cant figure out how and life goes on.... it does happen a lot I think all 4 of my boys had small chips in their front baby teeth ( and well some in their permanent ones too that they didnt know how happened)

[mmsmom]

BTDT! The dentist will just make sure there is no nerve exposed. No need to file it unless there is a sharp edge. In DS's case they did file it but it was no big deal, not painful, took a few seconds & they did it while he was sitting in my lap. We did have the tooth bonded when he was about 3.5 and able to sit for the 10 minutes it took. Again simple & painless but I would not have done it if it were any more involved. It was mainly DH who wanted it done.

[rlu]

Same advice here. DS chipped his front tooth around 18months. We called the dentist and he wasn't worried since it wasn't bleeding/gray or bothering him in any way, but still had us swing by the next day. The dentist came out, had DH hold DS upside down so his mouth would open natually, bent down, visually and physically check out the tooth and sent us on our way.

[ellies mom]

My youngest ended up with matching chips on her front two teeth. We called the dentist and they told us what to look for if there were going to be problems. They offered to smooth the edge but said that because it will smooth itself out pretty quickly, they usually didn't recommend it unless it was sharp enough to be a problem. They didn't feel it was worth the risk of a child having a bad experience at the dentist and then dreading future visits. We didn't have any problems and within a surprisingly short period of time, you barely noticed it.

[OKKiddo]

DS2 got knocked down the stairs (4 steps) by our dog and it chipped his front tooth. It was really noticeable. We ended up getting it patched up (not sure what they call it) to make it match the other side because he was just 4 at the time and it was going to be a while before his baby teeth fell out. That patch job has stuck and we've been very happy with it.

[123LuckyMom]

I think DS was 2 when he chipped his front tooth in a fall on a set of stone stairs. He definitely cut his lip and was bleeding pretty profusely. We called the pediatrician in a panic. They gave us the name of a pediatric dentist who agreed to see him right away. He filed the tooth down just to take the sharp edges off and make it look better. It wasn't a painful process at all, and they were great at dealing with young kids. DS was pretty unfazed. I was a little freaked out. The good news was that that established our relationship with the pediatric dentist, and both kids have gone since for regular checkups and cleanings. DD had her first appointment at 18 months. I'd go and get the tooth filed just to be safe.