Rusty Teeth. Literally.

Some time ago, I noticed some discoloration on Aerin's 2 teeth. I promptly freaked out because preemies are prone to a host of dental problems ("Preemie Mouth"). If a baby has cavities that aren't caused by human error (giving the baby juice, putting the baby to bed with a bottle, feeding the baby lots of processed sugars, etc.), often the only solution is to pull the baby teeth. I was so upset at the thought of Aerin having to have all her baby teeth pulled. I made an appointment with a special needs pediatric dentist.

We had our appointment Friday morning and it couldn't have gone better. I had filled out the paper work at home, so we didn't have to wait very long at all. I have a 2 page summary of Aerin's medical history that I give to doctors to save the time of telling it. Doctors are always thrilled to get it and Dr. Atkins was no exception. The let Aerin stay in her stroller and everyone was fussing over her, as usual. When Dr. Atkins put on his gloves and mask (with visor) and stuck his fingers in Aerin's mouth, I braced myself for the furious scream. Nothing. She just let him poke around in her mouth without a peep! She did kind of pull away at first, but when he didn't hurt her, she totally relaxed and just watched him. I was very pleasantly surprised. She didn't even mind when he scraped a little.

It turns out that Aerin has actual rust on her teeth from the iron supplement she takes to prevent anemia from the ulcers on her hemangioma. It's apparently not uncommon in patients with blood disorders who take iron. I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined that teeth could get rusty. It won't harm her teeth at all and if it doesn't go away by itself, Dr. Atkins will just scrape it off at her next check-up. Her teeth look great, especially for a refluxer. Enamel erosion is common in patients with reflux because the of the stomach acids that wash over the teeth. Thank goodness Aerin's reflux is managed to the point where she rarely spits up. The doctor also saw where other teeth are coming in, even without an x-ray. Aerin only has 2 teeth (the front bottom ones) so far and she's already 15 months old (1 year adjusted). I was happy to hear that there are teeth up there, though I'm not looking forward to more teething.

BTW, I always get paperwork ahead of time if we're seeing a new doctor (or dentist). Most offices are happy to mail it to you if there's enough time before the appointment. If there's not, it doesn't take much time to stop in if the office isn't too far and it makes things much easier to show up with the forms already filled out. It's also a good idea to have a summary of your child's medical history on hand. I keep one in my diaper bag and, as I mentioned, give it out to new doctors. It's very important that the doctors know your child's complete medical history and you never know what you might forget with the stress of a doctor's appointment with a little one. This includes any remarkable prenatal history, as well. Aerin's history is 2 pages long, single spaced.