Supernumery Tooth Surgery

On Thursday, R. had his mouth surgery to remove his extra tooth. It was up where his permanent teeth are and was making the two right front teeth turn completely sideways.

First, let me tell you that we had a consultation at the military hospital oral surgery clinic in August. This would have made the surgery free, but my gut just told me not to do it there. First, the doctor was a resident. He never introduced himself, but seemed intent on not letting me know that he was a student. He kept saying "I need to consult with my staff. . ." After about the 10th time I wanted to scream "Do you mean you need to ask your teacher because you don't know the answer?!" I understand that everyone has to learn sometime, but I like medical professionals who are willing to say "I don't know the answer. I'm going to find out." Then I know that they are aware of their own limitations and willing to work within them. I don't need some cowboy with a scapel getting near my kid's mouth.
After consulting with "his staff" he concluded that due to R's age (and the fact that I was barraging him with questions) he had decided that they would do general anesthesia in the operating room and intubate him. He also said that permanent damage could be done to the nerve in R's mouth and to the permanent teeth. He ALSO said we could always wait a few years, because his permanent teeth won't be coming in for at least 3 years.
The next day he talked to S. on the phone and S. asked him a list of questions I had made. One was how many times have you done this surgery. The answer "A couple, but my collegue (read teacher) has done a few more." What the HELL does that mean? Several? Three? Whatever. . .you aren't getting your hands on my kid. I know everyone has to be a student, but find another practice dummy. He told S. that they determined that it was too dangerous to do the surgery because of R's age and we should wait until he was at least 5--remember this later. . .it's important.
After these phone calls, I called the civilian guy that the dentist had referred us to orginally. He was the Chief of Oral Surgery at the military hospital before he retired, and has been in private practice a LONG time. He's done this literally 1000's of times. He had done 2 the day I called. I asked him a lot of questions about what I should do. He had actually suggested that I try the military hospital first, since I hadn't thought of it. Anyway--he said it would probably be fine to go to the military hospital because the attending surgeon would keep a close eye on the resident. I decided to go to him instead. So that brings us to Thursday.
We got there at 8am. They put some cream stuff on R's arm to numb it so he wouldn't feel the IV. In about 10 minutes I carried him to the room for the surgery. They put laughing gas on his nose for a few minutes. I was supposed to leave at that point, but I decided to stay until they got the IV in. I was talking to R. and keeping him occupied so he wouldn't notice what was going on with his arm. I'm glad I stayed, because it took 30 minutes to get the IV needle in a vein. The doctor is VERY GOOD, but he's just small and his veins are hard to get to. They tried at his elbow, then they put some numbing stuff on his hand and started checking his other arm while the cream had time to work.
They eventually went back to the orginal arm and used his hand. The numbing stuff combined with the gas must work, because he never noticed what they were doing. Even when they said "You're going to feel a pinch." He didn't feel it. At one point, I looked at his arm and it was a scary blotchy purple color from the tourniquet being on so long. That brought tears to my eyes, so I quit looking at it.
Once the IV was running, they got set to put the sleep medicine in it. I did not want to leave him there until he was completely asleep, but I wished I hadn't watched him fall asleep. He was very groggy from the gas, but all of a sudden his head rolled sideways, and his eyes were still open and they rolled back. I didn't like it. I wish I hadn't seen that. I keep seeing it over and over. Even though I know it is normal and that is what is supposed to happen. I just didn't like it.
So--I went back to the waiting room, called and checked on J. who was with my friend. I read one article in a magazine and in less than 20 minutes they came and told us that they were putting in the last stitches. The whole surgery was quicker than the IV! They said they would move him to the recovery area (right behind the reception desk) and we could go back there. A few minutes later I heard him crying and I jumped up. I was already going to the door when she opened it to get us. She told me to get my stuff, but I just kept walking past her and left S. to get the purse and stuff. A nurse was between R. and I and she said "He isn't in pain, he's just confused by the anesthesia." I said "Fine, but move! If he's confused OR in pain, he needs me!" So, I went around the corner and he was laying in a bed and the doctor was standing over him rubbing his hair back off of his forehead and talking to him.
He was a little confused, but mostly he didn't like that the roof of his mouth was numb. He kept sticking his finger in his mouth to scratch it. Finally, I convinced him to suck his thumb and I wrapped him in a blanket and sat down with him. Everyone in the office was running around getting him toys, offering him a ride in the wheelchair, whatever they could think of to get him to stop crying. This child had every woman in that office charmed! The receptionist (who also happens to be the doctor's wife) has already decided which granddaughter she wants him to marry!
The were all so great. This doctor is just absolutely GREAT! He put the stitches between R's teeth (remember he's still small so there are still spaces between his teeth) so that food doesn't bother them. Other than the fact that there are 3 black strings in his mouth, you can't tell anything happened. No blood, no swelling, no bruises--nothing! This guy explained every single step to R. at the consultation and again at the actually surgery day. He was just so good with him. I think being a parent changes you forever, but so does being a grandparent. It was very touching to me to walk into that recovery area and see him leaning over brushing R's forehead with his hand. It just seems more telling even that the quality of the surgery or anything else.
He told us that within a couple of hours, R. would be up and running and playing. He was right! As soon as the numbness wore off, he was his old self. He is on a regular schedule of motrin, and all is well!
Oh--here's the thing. . .the doctor said that the surgery was a little more complicated that he had thought it would be (how quick would it have been if it hadn't had the complication? It was only 20 minutes anyway!) He said that the tooth had shifted a little in the 2 weeks since the xrays, and that it was not just a little tooth chip. It was a whole tooth, it had roots and it was growing. If we had waited 2 years, it would have tripled in size, and totally destroyed his permanent teeth. They would never have come in, because the supernumery tooth would have grown completely through them and the bone. . .(Always listen to your inner voice!)
The two permanent teeth will stay sideways. We will have to put braces on him pretty quickly after they come in, but other than that, there should be no issues. BECAUSE WE TOOK CARE OF IT THIS SOON!
So, today we got a HANDWRITTEN note from the doctor thanking us for trusting our child to him and telling R. that he was the best patient he ever had--even better than adult patients because anyone else would have been getting upset with the IV thing. He even thanked me for staying and helping R. stay calm! What a great guy! I love him!
We go back in a little over a week to have the stitches removed. Oh--we left the tooth out for the tooth fairy. It was a really weird looking tooth. It looked like a molar, instead of 4 sides, with 4 points on the bottom, it had 3 sides with 3 points on the bottom. And, one of the points was longer than the other 2--really weird. Anyway--the tooth fairy left 3 dollars. When R. woke up Friday morning, he hadn't had any Motrin for about 10 hours, so his mouth was sore. He handled this by crying and saying "I didn't want dollars! I wanted pennies!" Do you suppose he will EVER say that again?