Now, first of all, let me tell you that tooth has to come out. No question about it. It’s badly abscessed, and it will never go away. We’ll prescribe antibiotics, but that’ll just keep it calm. Luckily it’s a first tooth, but we need to get it out now so it doesn’t affect the new tooth coming through.

It’s a bad one. You say he was adamant he didn’t feel any pain? I can tell you, as a dentist of many years experience, I can’t imagine why he doesn’t, it’s quite bad. He must have a very high pain threshold.

The first thing I need you to do is go here and get him x-rayed. That will show me where the new teeth are. Then need you to make an appointment with an orthodontist. You see, he’s got another problem.

He’s got this secondary malocclusion. You know how when we bite down, the top teeth… Oh, his sister’s got the same thing, and you’ve just finished the course of braces with her? Oh, OK so you already know what I’m talking about. Boychild’s teeth are fairly crowded as well. He doesn’t need the braces right away, he’s still too young, but the orthodontist might want to take more teeth out, you see. And if so, I’d like to remove the teeth while he’s under, so he doesn’t have to go back and have more out. I also need her to tell me if he needs a spacer for the tooth that needs to come out, so the new tooth can grow properly.