Losing Teeth before Their Time
Posted by Ajeet Ghumman on November 2nd, 2015
Baby teeth or primary teeth are important for more than just chewing food and getting a cash payout from the Tooth Fairy. They also play a vital role in speaking and helping the jaws to develop so that permanent teeth can be guided into place when the time comes.
If a baby tooth is lost earlier than when it’s supposed to fall out it can have an impact on the rest of the teeth, both primary and permanent teeth. Each baby tooth, when present, acts as a natural space maintainer ensuring that when the permanent tooth is ready to come, there is space for it to erupt. When primary teeth are lost before their time, neighboring teeth begin to shift towards the space from the missing tooth. If space is lost then the permanent teeth may not be able to grow in properly affecting your child’s overall bite.
This can all be avoided of course by having our specialists evaluate your child when a tooth is lost early. If needed we may recommend maintaining the space with an appliance called a space maintainer. This will ensure that the permanent tooth will have space to erupt when it’s time comes. Depending on the age of your child, location of the tooth, and shape of the jaws, interceptive Orthodontic treatment may be required to regain any space lost if the teeth have shifted.
Not all instances require treatment, however to monitor spacing for growing teeth and the health of the surrounding gum tissues, we recommend your child come in at least twice a year for a checkup. Simply waiting for teeth to grow in correctly is not a good idea. Early prevention is key and our specialists can ensure your child’s teeth grow into a healthy smile avoiding complicated and costly treatment later on.
About The Author:
Dental Works 4 Kids is a pediatric & an orthodontic health care specialist in Ontario, CA provides the highest standard of specialized and comprehensive oral health care and orthodontics for infants, children, adolescents, and patients with special needs. Dental Works 4 Kids offer a safe and welcoming environment with a focus on education and prevention for families in our community.
