Dental Woes

There was a good reason why I didn’t manage to write a post for six weeks in between the kids’ birthdays: Oral surgery times two. Yeabsira’s was most urgent because one of her molars was crumbling apart in her mouth and every once in a while, she would spit another chunk of it into the sink (and because that one came out in the sink, it didn't make the photoshoot.) Fortunately, all of hers were baby teeth, so a new set will come in, but the dentist has explained that her abcesses (infections) were deep and the permanent teeth below the surface have been forming in a “sea of puss.” We can only hope they have managed to form well, in spite of the harsh conditions… Yahbi woke from the anesthesia terrified and disoriented. Our house looked like a crime scene the first night after she played with her sutures and broke them open with her tongue, but we all got through it and within a few weeks, she became a much happier and more energetic girl.

Etsegenet was next and her surgery was far more extensive: Five teeth extracted; four of them her permanent six-year molars. (The fifth was an over-retained baby premolar that was never nudged out because she is congenitally missing her permanent lower premolars and will likely need implants to fill in those spaces.) With the miracles of modern orthodontia, Etsegenet’s 12-year molars will slowly be moved forward to take the place of the missing 6-years and her wisdom teeth (she has all four) will function as her 12-year molars. She will need at least one lower jaw surgery, perhaps two (the thought of this is almost too much for me to bear, so it’s hard for me to imagine her experience.) Why is all of this necessary? Well, at this point, her lower jaw is so small and her overbite/misalignment so major, that only one tooth on either side touches one above it. She is only able to effectively chew mushy stuff, even with the painfully rotten teeth removed. Fortunately, this process will happen in many steps over many years and the first jaw surgery will not happen for another year or two. Etsegenet is very self-conscious about her teeth and so wants them to be healthy and beautiful. She is always commenting on other people’s “many, many beautiful teeth” and even during our first week together in Ethiopia, she pointed out the teenage son of another adoptive family who had braces. It was one of the first things she asked me in English: “Mom, can I have?” I asked her if she wanted braces...she got teary and said, “yes, Mom, yes. Thank you, thank you.” So, we’re committed. Etsegenet had a tough time with the oral surgery (mainly with the recovery & the altering effects of the much-needed pain medication) but now she’s on the mend and loves that eating doesn't hurt…and when she opens her mouth, there’s not a black tooth in sight.

After the oral surgeries, we started in on the rest of the cavities. So far, Yeabsira has had four additional fillings, with one more to go, and a crown on one of her remaining baby molars. Etsegenet will get two more fillings and sealant on two smaller spots of decay, which we have appointments for in April (one for each side.) Caleb skated through the dental experience easily—only two small fillings and a spot of decay that is already sealed. With little dental excitement of his own, he managed to create some at school the other day by accidentally knocking out his two front teeth (some strange series of playful events at story time in which he threw his head forward & into the back of his own hand.) Only one of the teeth actually came out, but the other was so loose and painful, he asked me to pull it out that afternoon when he finished his snack. Those teeth would have fallen out in a couple of months anyway, so it’s all fine and Caleb is proud of his new look. Sascha and I had a moment of heartbreak over the loss of his “little-boy smile,” but we’re grateful we had the chance to enjoy it for a short time… One of the strange poignancies of older-child adoption is, as you begin to fall in love with your kids, you recognize the many early-life “events” you didn’t experience with them. I do love knowing, though, that most of the biggies were shared with their birth parents, which is far more important for them than what I did or didn’t get to see. Our children are kind-hearted and beautiful because of the parents they lost, and because of the many fabulous care-givers who nurtured them in Ethiopia—something Sascha and I appreciate beyond measure... (Ahh, if only they'd been able to go to a dentist...)