Pediatric Dentist Won’t Provide a Dental Flipper

I’m feeling annoyed. My son had a fall which caused him to lose his two front teeth. He’s only three years old and I’m afraid his other teeth will shift if I don’t replace them. I mentioned a dental flipper to my son’s pediatric dentist and he just acted like I was a moron. He said there was no way he’d do a flipper for someone my son’s age. I looked online and they only seem to provide the DIY kits for adults. Do I need to switch dentists to get this?

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer,

It was unfair of your son’s pediatric dentist to treat you that way. It would have been better if he took the time to explain to you his thinking rather than making you feel foolish.

There are legitimate reasons for not giving your son a dental flipper, especially at his age. First, he is too young to sit still and cooperate for one to be made for him. While you could use dental sedation to create the flipper it is not a necessary procedure and there are other reasons not to provide him with one.

A second reason is the fact it is removable. It would not only be a choking hazard to him he would not likely keep it in at all. If he didn’t choke on it, it would eventually be lost and you’d have to keep replacing them.

The third reason is similar. His mouth is in a rapid growth phase. The flipper will continually need to be re-made to fit the new shape of his bite. You’d be wasting money and putting your son at risk to get a flipper.

Do Knocked Out Baby Need to be Replaced?

Some parents are of the mind that prematurely knocked out baby teeth don’t ever need to be replaced because their adult teeth will come in eventually. Others feel all of them need to be replaced because the teeth will shift. Believe it or not, both are incorrect.

There are certain baby teeth which you can ignore and some which need to be dealt with. Most baby teeth that come out “before their time” are not a problem. The exception to that is back teeth. Their baby molars are needed in place until children are about twelve-years-old.

Because of that, some action needs to take place. You don’t necessarily need to replace the tooth. That is an expensive proposition and it is hard to get the right replacement for little ones. Instead, your pediatric dentist can place a space maintainer. This will keep the remaining teeth from shifting into the empty space. If this isn’t done, it will lead to crowding and expensive orthodontics in later years. It’s an inexpensive preventative measure well worth doing.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.