There was a big line to wait in, but thankfully a playground was nearby. I asked Landon to take the little girls over there and play while I waited. He disappeared with them. Just before it was my turn, Landon comes over to me, holding his mouth and crying. His entire soccer jersey is covered with blood, running down his face and chest. I feel nauseous and light headed.
It took me a minute to gather myself together enough to think what I needed to do. I didn't panic, but I was in a stupor. Just stood there while the women around me asked what they could do.
Someone handed a burpcloth thing to Landon to keep in his mouth, while I went and got the little girls. Someone else gathered my food and helped me to my car. She was actually trying to carry Norah, who was pitching a royal fit the entire time. But I am already carrying Annie, so I just keep going.
I try to open Landon's mouth to see the damage, but he is in so much pain he can hardly cooperate. I thought his teeth had been knocked out, but then I see that the front two teeth have just been shoved right back up through the gums. It is disgusting.
We get in the car and my mind is racing. I call Brian, but can't hear him very well, and he is already at the soccer fields with Julie. I contact a few people about the dentist I know in our ward. I leave him a few messages. After a few minutes, he calls me back and tells me to come over and he'll look at Landon. I am incredibly grateful, as it is Saturday.
I show up at his house and the entire family is outside doing yard work. I feel even worse. He takes one look at Landon and says, "Yep, we need to go to the office." I feel hopeless.
Once there, he starts working on Landon's mouth. He keeps telling me it doesn't look good, but I keep praying for him to keep his teeth. His PERMANENT FRONT TEETH! Please, please, let him keep the teeth.
My little girls are out in the front part of the office, so I go to check on them. When I come back, one front tooth is gone. The dentist said in his effort to pull that tooth down a bit, the whole thing just came out. I am shocked and want to throw up. That was a lovely answer to a prayer. As he keeps working, I have to sit and look away, feeling lightheaded and unsteady again. I hate myself for being such a wuss.
The office part only takes about 15 minutes, and then we are driving home. I am in disbelief about what has happened. I feel incredible guilt. What if I just hadn't taken him with me? Why did I have to ask him to watch the girls? why am I so lazy? What if I had gotten there sooner...or later? What if? Why did I? It could go on forever. Still, I wish I could go back and change it. I have an incredible amount of guilt.
So now Landon looks interesting. He has a flipper, which is a retainer with the missing tooth attached. He has lost it multiple times, dropped it in a wave pool (where it was stepped on), and he constantly flips it up and down in his mouth like gum. He is a 9 year old boy, after all.
So we just keep doing this until he is about 17 and can get an implant. He will also need a bone graft for his gum, since he broke his maxilla right above the tooth that came out. The whole deal stinks, and my heart hurts for Landon. I would much rather have a broken arm, broken leg...those things heal! Dang teeth are irreplaceable.
I'm not beautiful, but I am vain. I know it. If I wasn't, maybe this wouldn't bother me so much. But it does. And patience does not come easily to me. My children's misfortunes are the worst part of parenting. To have to sit on the side and watch bad things happen is torture, but what can be done? It is a part of life. But I will hate that part forever.
