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Two Sets of Teeth at the Same Time

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I need some advice because I think our dentist is doing some damage to my daughter’s bite. Her baby teeth stubbornly did not seem to be coming loose. I approached our dentist about it and he said just to give it time that the adult teeth will be loosened. That didn’t happen and now she has two sets of teeth on a few of them. There are her baby teeth and her adult teeth coming in behind them. I’m not sure what to do.

CallieAnn

Dear CallieAnn,

Four smiling children

The first thing I am going to say is you need a new pediatric dentist. This one is going to practically guarantee your daughter needs orthodontics when she gets older. Not to mention the social trauma it will cause her to have baby teeth in front of her adult teeth when she smiles.

Now, once you are set up with a responsible dentist (the sooner the better), you will need to have her baby teeth extracted, at least the one which have adult teeth already pushing through. You didn’t mention your daughter’s age. There are age ranges in which some teeth should be coming out. Those which haven’t will also need to be removed.

What happens next will depend on the situation. I would have full panoramic x-rays done. to be certain there are not any congenitally missing teeth. If all her adult teeth are there and none of them are impacted, your dentist can open up the gums and hopefully that will be enough to cause them to break through and erupt. It’s possible they may need some assistance.

If there are congenitally missing teeth, the thing to do there is to procure an inexpensive temporary tooth replacement for her. I would suggest a dental flipper. Once her jaw is fully developed, you can get her a permanent replacement. The best replacement is a dental implant. It will give her the closest thing to a natural tooth.

If it turns out your daughter needs orthodontics, I would get Invisalign Teen, as long as she is responsible enough to wear them when she’s supposed to. The treatment aligners are invisible and because they are removable, she’ll be able to brush and floss easier, which will help the health of her teeth and gums during treatment.

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

 

Baby Teeth Haven’t Falled Out

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I’m a little worried. My six-year-old son has some adult teeth coming in, but the baby teeth aren’t out. He hasn’t been to a dentist yet. Do I need one to help him get those teeth out?

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

A family: mom, dad, son, daughter

Even children can develop dental emergencies

I’d start by wiggling the teeth to see if you can get them loose. If you can’t, then yes, he will need to see a dentist and have them removed. The remaining baby teeth can deflect the adult teeth coming in and cause misalignment, which will mean expensive orthodontics later in life.

It will be good for your son to see a dentist either way. Sometimes, parents mistakenly think children don’t need a dentist until they’re older. They don’t see any problem and young children’s teeth often look very white so they think they’re fine.

Decay can sneak up on a child, though. Too often that means their first visit to the dentist is usually for a dental emergency. That is a traumatic first experience and can negatively impact their view of the dentist for many years. It’s much better if their first appointment is a good, pain-free experience.

Pediatric or Family Dentist

You wouldn’t necessarily have to see a pediatric specialist. There are plenty of family dentists who are great with children. I’d speak to your dentist and ask if he considers his a family practice and what age he first likes seeing children.

If he says two or three years old, you can know he enjoys children. If he says around eight years old, I’d look elsewhere.

There are benefits to a family practice. You can have all your appointments at about the same time. Plus, the dentist is familiar with your family’s genetics. He’ll know if you are prone to decay and will keep a closer eye and maybe recommend more fluoride treatments to help protect your children.

It’s always a good idea to get sealings on your son’s molars. There are lots of grooves and crevices in there. Sealings will protect them from decay. This is especially important on his back teeth which he’ll need to keep until he’s around twelve years old. Though, all of this your dentist will talk you through and let you know what is useful.

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