Fangs

Jersey #3 is missing all 4 top, front teeth now.  

Unfortunately, they did not come out by natural means.

He knocked them loose in a bicycle accident the summer after he turned 4 years old. 

3 fell out early on, leaving 1 tooth that made him look like Larry the Cucumber from Veggie Tales.

That lone tooth started wiggling loose a few months ago.  It recently started dangling by a thread.  

We had to convince him to just let me pull it now, because his gums were getting all red and angry.  I was starting to fear he would end up with an infection, because his gums were not looking good.  The wiggly tooth seemed to be agitating them too much. 

The Referee held Jersey #3 in his lap, to comfort him.  I took a wet paper towel and used it to get a grip on the tooth.  It was dangling so loosely that just holding the tooth was more than it needed to snap free.  There was no blood.  

At first, Jersey #3 was upset, saying he wasn't going to be able to eat apples now.  (Apples are his favorite food).  I explained to him how he would still be able to eat, even with missing teeth.  He calmed down quickly.

Within minutes, he was smiling and admiring his fangs, which are more visible now.  He said, "Cool!  I look like a bat with these fangs!"  

The permanent versions of those top front teeth are not even due to grow in until closer to 7-8 years of age.  They are slow growers anyway.  Much like baby teeth cutting through for the first time, the permanent versions are expected to take even longer to grow in for Jersey #3, because the baby teeth came out sooner than expected, and the gums have healed.  The permanent teeth are going to have to cut through the healed gums in order to emerge.  This process could take a while.

Typically, the two front bottom teeth are the first to fall out naturally, sometime between 5-7 years old.  The dentist has already warned us that those teeth are already loose for Jersey #3.  They are even moving in his mouth, and starting to turn inward.  It is going to be interesting to see what his smile looks like, as teeth start to fall out the natural way too.  

The good news is that he will have less teeth to brush and keep clean!