Not quilty

Our school holidays started early and in dramatic fashion. James and Eleanor's school had a student-free day on Friday before the official 2-week break starts, but our quiet day didn't go as planned. I'd hoped to do some quilting.

At 11.30 Eleanor had a silly accident tumbling over the arm of the sofa and bumping her mouth on the coffee table. It was quickly obvious she'd knocked one of her top teeth loose, and by 12.45 we were at the children's dentist, with the surgeon who'd removed James' teeth after a similar (but more dramtic) incident at almost exactly the same age. It turned out, she'd badly loosened her centre-left top tooth, and the one next to it, and they didn't want to wait to deal with it. They also decided that since, also like James, as her front 2 adult teeth are coming through at the bottom and the baby teeth weren't at all wobbly (they obviously share genes for long roots) they may as well take them out at the same, to make room for the adult teeth. This takes copying one's older brother to a whole new level!

So by 2.45 we were at the SurgiCentre and not long after I took her through to the operating theatre and held her in my arms as they administered the gas, then went and read for a while. She was out within half an hour, and the dentist came along with the teeth in a pouch for the tooth fairy to tell me it had all gone well. She even got to keep her little teddy by her side from start to finish. Not long later she started to stir, and spent the next hour or so snuggling on my lap on a very comfy recliner and having a few licks of an ice block while I was plied with food and drink when the nurses realised I'd somehow not had a chance to eat all day!

By about 8pm she was quite cheery and managed some home-made custard before going to bed and sleeping all night (though I did wake her when I went to bed and top her up with some panadol). She was a bit quieter than usual most of Saturday, but is pretty much back to her usual self.

(less than 10 hours after the accident; giggling at her new toy whispering in her ear)

I'm sad to see the last of her cute mouthful of little baby teeth, but very thankful at the same time that they were only baby teeth. She'll be gappy at the top for a while to come, but we expect no ongoing issues, and the new bottom teeth should fill the space there quite quickly.  While it obviously wasn't a nice (or cheap!) way to spend the day, especially for Eleanor, it was remarkably easy, all things considered. Once again, I can't speak highly enough of the dental staff, surgeon and SurgiCentre staff fro the way they handled everything. To be home, fully treated, so soon after the accident is wonderful. I'm also grateful to my parents, who looked after James at such short notice (and even took him to an appointment I'd expected he'd have to miss) since I couldn't get hold of Simon at work until minutes before the surgery.

(The 'before' photos were taken during their Easter egg hunt - as an aside, you can see James' gum was damaged in his accident, leaving more of his upper left centre tooth showing, but with no ongoing trouble)