Monday, June 13, 2011

Frenulum

Saturday night Jeremy took me to the Melting Pot for my birthday (even though it was supposed to be a low key, no big celebration year!).  Minutes before the babysitter arrived Joey walked into the bathroom, slipped on some water, and BUSTED her face on the side of the bathtub.  She got a pretty bad nosebleed from it.  I felt so bad for her!  Anyway, yesterday in church it dawned on me that I didn't even check to be sure she hadn't chipped a tooth or anything.  So when she fell asleep during sacrament meeting I snuck a peek inside her mouth.  No chipped teeth.  Whew!  BUT, I did notice this weird, large piece of skin.

Did you know the piece of skin that connects your lip to your gums is called the frenulum?  Neither did I til I looked it up.  I feel bad, stupid, and like an inattentive mom that I never noticed before that both Shelby and Joey have this and that is what is causing the large gap in their teeth.  I always just assumed that because Jeremy and I both had gaps in our front teeth that that is why they did.  Anyway, so I was reading that they will likely need to have a frenectomy, or have the skin clipped a little bit. 

One site I read said that the younger they have this done, the better.  However, another site I read said it is better to wait until they are older, and the permanent teeth have already been moved (braces, retainer, etc.) and then do the frenectomy. 

Anyway, I guess we will talk to the doctor at their appointments next month and see what he says.  Here is a picture of Joey so you can get up close and personal with her gap.  Haha!  It's not the most flattering picture of her, but hey, she did a good job opening wide so I could get a shot of her teeth!


P.S.  Joey needs a haircut.

2 comments:

Jordan said...

Poor Joey! Lilly had a frenectomy when she was a day old because she was tongue tied and couldn't nurse. He said that usually kids will have to have it done when they are like 5 because it develops speech problems or something. Hope she feels better!

Coleman Family said...

Both my kids have hurt that too... Brycen did it today, he fell in his crib and when I went in there there was blood everywhere. It looked like a little puncture wound on both of them right on the piece of skin.