Grey teeth after hitting mouth

Three weeks ago, S was getting a little over-excited playing with J bouncing around on the sofa (no, she's not supposed to be jumping on furniture but that's another story) and suddenly, went a bit too far forward and hit her mouth on the windowsill.  The scream went up instantly.  Hubby and I rushed over to her and, after consoling her and getting her to calm down a bit (which took some considerable time), we looked at her mouth.  Her top lip was swelling to a fair size but I was more concerned about her teeth.  Gently getting her to open her mouth and, with the greatest care that I could, I moved her swollen lip out of the way a bit and checked her teeth.  All in place, no bleeding and no wobbles that I could detect.  Phew, that was a lucky escape.

Her lip stayed swollen for just over 3 days and she talked with quite a lisp, bless her.  The swelling began to go down and by the end of 5 days, she was back to normal.

About a week ago - 2 weeks after the bump - I noticed that her top two front teeth were looking a bit darker, as you can see in the picture.  Hubby said perhaps she wasn't brushing them very well.  This couldn't be the case as she brushes her teeth morning and night and whilst I let her do the morning brush all on her own, the nighttime one I do with her to ensure that she has clean, sparkling teeth for bedtime.  In fact, neither she nor N will go to bed until their teeth have been done so even if it's late and, for some reason, we forget, we are soon reminded :) Anyway, I made sure they were brushed well morning and night but they didn't seem to change in colour. In fact, they were getting a bit darker.

A few days later, we were having dinner and I noticed that they were getting quite grey in colour.  Would you believe both hubby and I had forgotten about the bump to her mouth!?  Well, kids do so many things and I think we'd need a portable diary if we wrote down every bump/scratch/twist that happened to them both.  On realising this could have something to do with her mouth being banged, I looked up teeth getting darker on the web.  I found two excellent resources regarding teeth changing colour.  The first from Pediatric Dentistry which helped me to confirm what was happening and the second from Tom at Oral Answers who is an active blogger dentist.

I phoned our dentist and today we went on a visit to her.  S has no fear of dentists (unlike me who is terrified of them but getting braver with my girls watching me!) and she hopped into the chair whilst N tried to join her :)  Our lovely lady dentist took a look at her teeth and confirmed that the problem was indeed due to the trauma to her mouth and it was very common in young children. She said it all looked clean and no problems, a very minor bit of movement  but she felt her adult teeth should be just fine.  She did tell me that her teeth were unlikely to get whiter again (which some people have said happened to their children) as they were, in effect, dying.  However, they were also unlikely to get much darker either.  She told me to just watch out for any bumps on the gums as this can be a sign of an absess.  So, so far, so good.

Children are sent to keep us on our toes and our nerves in tatters aren't they! ;-)

I thought I'd add a quick update to this.  Now, almost a week later, S's teeth are going even more grey/red.  I'm starting to notice it and it breaks my heart to think she will have her teeth like this for the next 3 or so years but what other options are open (certainly not going to have 'fillings' to make them white again or veneers).

UPDATE: 1st August 2012 - S's teeth are beginning to pink/white up again! I can't believe it but it looks like the damage isn't permanent despite what the dentist suspected.  We are making a very careful effort with teeth brushing in the evenings to ensure that her gums get a good little massage around those front top teeth so whether that is actually doing anything or not, I'm unsure but I'm pleased with the result so far :)

Here's a photo taken on 3rd August.  Almost back to normal :)  Glad our dentist was wrong!

UPDATE #2: May 2015 - For anyone who would like to know how she's getting on now, in 2015, she's losing her teeth slowly and as you can see from this picture, those top teeth look almost exactly the same as the others.  She's very proud here that she's lost her second bottom tooth. Top ones are next!  I'll update you when the new ones come through there.

UPDATE #3: November 2015 - I had a lot of requests for pictures of S's new top teeth when they come through.  One is almost through completely now and the other is just starting. Here's a photo taken today (22nd).  Hopefully you can see that the tooth is the same colour as all of her others.  Hooray! Will let you know when other one is through and post again then.

UPDATE #4: March 2016 - Here we are with both front teeth now firmly through (sadly she's still suffering cold sores as you can see but that's another post). I hope this gives people hope for their little ones.  Thank you for all the wonderful comments.

Here's the very final picture taken today - January 2018.  One happy girl with lovely, naturally coloured teeth.

RHS Wisley

We have just taken out membership for RHS and yesterday, despite the weather, decided we needed some fresh air so where better to go.

We packed our waterproofs and headed off.  Parking up, we decided that we were going to retrieve a couple of geocaches at Wisley Airfield first.  We had missed two on our last trip around.  Well, I couldn't find one and we forgot about the other but it's close enough ;-)

S went on her scooter and did really well bar one little accident where a crack in the road stopped her dead.  Fortunately she was ok but a little shaken (she has a lovely hat that she wears just in case).  

The first cache was along some trees beside a field. Everything certainly has sprouted since we were last there.  It was an easy find for S and she was very proud of herself for spotting it before daddy did (well, he never said he saw it).  The second was one I couldn't find before in a tree.  Would you believe that this time within minutes I spotted it. Ironic really as last time there were barely any leaves and this time the tree was covered.  Cachers eyes were working today clearly.

Back we went to RHS and started our wander around.  The girls seemed to enjoy looking at all the flowers and we went to see the fountain.  As we went under the little tunnel, a duck with her ducklings came along. How cute!  Unfortunately for us, we seem to have children who are petrified of pretty much all wildlife.  As the little fluffy ducklings approached, S had to be picked up by daddy and N, sitting in her pushchair, began to cry.  Who'd have believed it. 

The fountain was very pretty and the backdrop of the house was great.  I would like to live in a place like that (less people in my garden though).

We then went around to the Pagoda and S fed the fish with her puffs. They seemed to enjoy Organics Spicy Tomato noughts and crosses :)

Over to the glasshouse for a final bit of a walk in the drizzle.  I have to say the orchids are my favourite and RHS have nearly got theirs to look as nice as the ones on my kitchen windowsill ;-)  S loved the waterfall and N was busy shouting at the plants as we went past, quite happy though.

After that we headed to the cafe for a sit down and suddenly, halfway though our drinks, noticed we were in the area for feeding mums.  Oops.  We just thought it was a nice secluded little seating bit and now we know why.   At least there was noone who needed it so we stayed put.  I was a little surprised by the high prices in the cafe and the lack of cakes that were not covered in nuts of one description or another, but at least we had a nice sit down.

Back we headed to the car with both girls running around on the grass happily wearing themselves out.  They were both asleep in a few minutes as we set off.

I think we will get a lot of use of our annual membership as we only saw a small part of the gardens and are looking forward to exploring more - hopefully in the sunshine next time.

Early miscarriage is just a late period

At least, that is what I thought until I had my first one.

What was the fuss about?  So, you're pregnant and you've missed your period, you've done your test and the line has appeared.  Then, out of the blue, a few weeks later, your period starts.  It's clearly a miscarriage but so what?  There isn't anything much there is there?  It's only a heavier bleed after all. It's not like it's a proper baby or anything.

Yeah - right.

I had my first miscarriage in 2007.  We came back from holiday and my period didn't start.  I honestly did not think I could be pregnant so did a test and the positive result came up.  Immediately the emotions hit me - both the joy and the fear.  The excitement took over as hubby was just so made up to think he was going to be a dad.  We talked.  We would wait until after the 12 week check and then tell our family.  We waited...well, about 30 minutes....then called folk up.  The excitement went around our families and close friends quickly.  I found a Haynes Manual online about babies and bought it ready to give to hubby at our 12 week scan.  I called the doctors and went down to officially confirm my pregnancy and had a booking in appointment with the midwife.  How exciting!  Everything seemed to be going well.  The sickness started.  This was a good sign right?  And then....

....I woke up in the early hours of a Saturday morning at the end of September bleeding.  Hubby was on a night shift so I called him in tears. He held it together for me and said if it was still happening in the morning, we'd go to A&E.  I hardly slept.  I kept checking.  Maybe the bleeding had stopped a little?  I went online and Googled.  If the blood was a brown-ish colour it could just be 'spotting' and hopefully everything was going to be ok.  Who was I trying to kid. There was nothing brown about this. It was bright red and getting worse.  Morning arrived and hubby came home.  I had phoned the midwives and they said this can happen and everything may still be ok. Try and rest.  I tried (and failed).  By lunchtime we went down to our local A&E.  Same things were told to me then but there was nothing that could be done until Monday at the EPU (Early Pregnancy Unit).  They said go home and rest and call the EPU first thing and they would see me. 

Monday arrived. Our 1st wedding anniversay.  We went down to the EPU.  I had an internal scan.  The sonographer wasn't exactly kindly.  No baby, she announced.  Nothing there.  You've clearly already lost it.  Thanks for your care and gentle words - not.  We cried - both of us.  We were very upset.  Maybe I was too old to have any more children?  We went home. Not an anniversary to celebrate.  Hubby was due to start Jury Service that day but had phoned the court to explain.  No problem they had said, come in on Wednesday.

That day arrived and off he went.  I was still curled up in bed when a friend called to see how I was.  We spoke and as I sat up, it came out of me.  It wasn't just a little bit of blood, it was large and I felt it leave.  Clots and what seemed a huge lump. I cried like I hadn't cried before. I hung up on my friend and phoned the court. Hubby arrived home within 30 minutes.  I didn't know what to do with 'it' whilst I was waiting. It was there, in our bed.  I phoned the hospital. They said flush it away or put it in a clean jar and bring it down so they would confirm the miscarriage if that's what I wanted. I wanted neither of those.  Eventually, just before hubby came home, I put it down the toilet.  We were sad for a long time afterwards.  I know that it is likely something wasn't right and that's why it went but it still hurt.  I put the manual I had bought away hoping there would be a time I could give it to hubby.

Our daughter, S, was born in 2008.  I had 'spotting' with her and you can imagine the fear that washed over me and hubby.  We had an early scan with her and there she was.  Utter joy!

In 2009 I was pregnant again.  Sickness was well and truly happening and our 12 week scan was booked for the clinic in London.  Off we went on the train, leaving S with my niece.  We waited excitedly for the scan and both had butterflies when we went into the room.  The sonographer put the gel on and we watched.  There was the sac but there was the tiniest little 'blob' inside.  She was quiet for a moment and did a few measurements.  It was clear, I had a missed miscarriage. The news still made us cry.  A doctor came in to confirm it. It looked like the baby had stopped growing around 5-6 weeks.  It was a long train journey home.  Worst of all, I still felt sick. My body thought I was carrying a good pregnancy. I phoned the hospital I had had S in (not the local one - wouldn't go back there) and went down for a scan straight away.  They confirmed the missed miscarriage and booked me in for the Monday for an ERPC in day surgery.  I felt sick still the whole weekend and up until I went under.  It had stopped when I came round.  I was out that evening.  Somehow, although still so sad, this miscarriage didn't have the same affect on me.  I think it was just a bit more clinical in my head.

In 2010 N was born.  Again I had spotting and an early scan. That reassurance meant so much.

So, to anyone who has never experienced a miscarriage, please be assured, it is not just like a late period.  It is far more than that and more devastating than you could imagine.

(Image source)