When you have a child you know that everything works on a timeline. Their first step, trying new foods and moving into a toddler bed. They also have some milestones that are met as they begin to grow. The sign of the first tooth is worthy of its own post to social media. You also wait for the first tooth to come out and so does your child. They might notice a wiggly tooth and the days to count down for the tooth to come out. The interesting thing is that kids will lose teeth when they need to and most of the time there is no intervention that is needed. That is not to say that there are not times that your child should lose teeth and it is important to know when it might be a problem. You want to make sure you understand the needs of your child’s dental care. Smile Reef outlines what you need to know about losing teeth too early or too late.
Losing Baby Teeth Early; Premature Tooth Loss
You might think that your child’s baby teeth will come out when they are ready. They usually will come out when the tooth that is underneath the gum line starts to come up. The roots are broken down and the baby tooth will come loose and fall out. Although this is the ideal time to have a tooth come out it does not always happen like that. There are times that a kid can have a sports accident or a fall and knock a tooth loose or even out. The tooth has to be removed and that will leave a gap in the gums. When a tooth comes out prematurely it can cause trouble by letting the space that it was intended to hold close up. That will make it difficult for the adult tooth to come in where it belongs. If you have a child who has a tooth that comes out too soon you may need to consult a dentist about adding a space maintainer.
Losing Baby Teeth Late
There are some kids that might have a tooth come out early or even right on time. There are other kids that are late to the game and could have all their baby teeth at a later age. This is not always a bad thing to have happen but could be a sign that there is a problem. You might have adult teeth that are coming in behind or in front of your baby teeth. The issue is that the roots of the baby teeth will not be broken away and it may require them to be extracted by the dentist. Once they are not needed for maintenance of the space they should be removed.
Missing Permanent Teeth
If you have a child that has baby teeth that are not coming out and it seems late, an x-ray will be necessary. There are times that the adult tooth did not form and that means that the baby tooth will not come out. This is an issue that you need to consult with an orthodontist to move the teeth around to close the gap.
Dental Care For Kids
Smile Reef can consult with your child about their dental health and when they should be losing teeth. Call us today!
