Sometimes a baby tooth gets knocked out or has to be removed due to dental disease. Do you need to replace the missing baby tooth? If the missing tooth is in the back, you will likely need a space maintainer to "hold" the space till the permanent tooth erupts. It's not really a fake tooth but acts like a tooth to hold space. What about that ugly space right there in the front?If the missing baby tooth is in the front, you really don't need a space maintainer. Can't you make a partial with a fake tooth on it for looks? Well, you can but you don't have to. There are several types of "Pediatric Partials" to replace knocked out baby teeth. The normal time a front permanent tooth takes to come in varies, but is usually around seven years old. So, if your three year old has lost his tooth early, he will be without something there for about three or four years. Does he care? No, probably not. He can eat and speak just fine even with all four front baby teeth gone. It's us parents that get all bent out of shape over the appearance of the teeth.
These partials are more difficult to do of there is not a lot of room between the gums and the bottom teeth or other related concerns. It is somewhat difficult to take care of these things, but most kids do well. I usually only do these on "cooperative" patients. Keep in mind that kids are rough on their teeth and they are rough on things like this partial. Many times I see the fake teeth get broken off or some other kind of problem. The younger the child the more likely there will be a problem. For these reasons and others, I do not do many "partials" like this.
Here are a couple of photos of different kinds of pedo partials. You can do one tooth or up to about four teeth. In fact I think it looks better when you have more than one tooth because there is not just one tooth that stands out as being "fake". It is attached to the back baby teeth with orthodontic bands. The partial is removed when the new teeth are ready to erupt.Here's one in place (the fake teeth are the upper four middle teeth):
Just as an aside, I have done one of these partials that was a removable one when the child only had three remaining teeth on the lower arch. He was slightly older (5 I think)and it also acted as a space-maintainer. The poor child also had no upper baby teeth which had been removed due to extensive decay!---and, yes, I did make him a little kiddie denture. He used to take it out and scare other kids with it. This was early on in my training. The last time I saw him, he was erupting in a few permanent teeth and the "dentures/space maintainers" were being adapted to the new teeth. That's the only time I have done a kiddie "denture".
ReplyDeleteMy dog knocked out my 3 year old niece's front tooth and I am trying to get a sense of how much one of these partial dentures would cost so I can send my brother the cash. Any idea?
ReplyDeleteWell, like I wrote, a partial is not necessary in the front except for appearance. If there were no additional damage, ie. chipped tooth, etc. then the fee is usually at least several hundred dollars (500+). It may not be covered by dental insurance. This all presumes she has a regular dentist, otherwise they will have to do a complete new patient examination, etc. It also presumes she (a three year old) could cooperate for all the procedures.
ReplyDeleteSorry to be vague, but the cost may vary a lot. I would ask for an estimate from the dentist.
My 4 yr old daughter's xray showed an extra tooth in between the baby tooth and permanent tooth. The ped dentist wants to pull 4 front teeth to extract the extra tooth and wants to put partials to replace the baby teeth. I asked if there are any other options but I did not hear any answer rather he insisted on the 4 extractions. I took my daughter to another (regular) dentist for a second opinion and the second dentist said that if the child is not in any discomfort then I can wait and see how the extra tooth comes out. The second dentist also said that the baby teeth roots are long which may cause extra pain when extracted. The second dentist also stated that she did not see any root for the extra tooth and that it may just be pushed out by the permanent one. I am not concerned of the cost rather I am concerned for the pain that this may bring my 4 year old should I go for the extractions. I have to go back to the peds dentist because my daughter needs fillings. Can I refuse the extractions? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou can always refuse any treatment. You are her parent and she is your child.
ReplyDeleteRemember, I am not giving professional advice here as I have not seen the x-ray etc., so I can't comment on her case in particular. In general, however, I would not be overly worried about "pain" because any dentist will always numb up the area for something like that. I have never seen a permanent tooth "push out" a mesiodens (extra middle tooth). I have seen them develop a root and erupt. I have also seen them form upside down and all kinds of other things, and something like that can interfere with the eruption of the permanent teeth. (Hmmm, I'll have to post something on this one)
If you are still concerned, I suppose I would ask your pediatric dentist what would be the consequences if you waited a little while. Good luck!
My 23 mth. old daughter fell and knocked out her front right tooth this past Thursday. I have looked at this web site numerous times over the past 4 days and just at this moment realized that you are located in Huntsville AL. I live in Cullman AL. Anyway, we saw a pediatric dentist in Huntsville this morning and he said that there should be no spacing issues, these issues are normally associated with the back teeth. Do you agree? Also, my daughter is still cutting teeth. When would be the soonest that we could consider doing the ped. partial? One last thing...do you feel that the loss of a front tooth leaves the remaining tooth more vulberable to being knocked out as well because it does not have the support from the other tooth? I am so nervous about this whole thing, especially the spacing. Thank you so so much for your help.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear of your daughter's accident. As you have been told, a spacer is not usually needed in the front. For looks only you might consider the pedo partial. I usually wait at least 6 weeks for healing, then evaluate if there is enough room to do one. Also, as I mentioned in this post, you need to consider the young age of the patient.
ReplyDeleteMost parents (hey, my daughter fell too at about that age) are quite upset about the missing tooth. See how you feel after a few more weeks. Things don't seem quite as bad after a little time and healing has taken place. Then see what your options are.
My daughter needs two upper front teeth extracted. Doctor offered the pedo partials for looks but said she wouldn't do it for her own child. My daughter is 2 years and 3 months old. Just concern because the pediatric dentist said I would have to decide on partials on the day her teeth are extracted. Does that have to be? Are pedo partials not available if we don't take the imprints on the day she still has her teeth?
ReplyDeleteI am very worried and stressed...there are no other pedo dentist near my area so it's hard to get a second opinion.
I usually like to wait till the area is healed at least a few weeks before I make an impression, but I am guessing the doc wants to take an impression at the time of extraction because she is very young and will be either sedated or under general anesthesia. Well, that's just a guess as it would usually be much more difficult to get a good impression without good cooperation on the patient's part. You could always wait till she is older or more cooperative. I would ask about that.
ReplyDeleteMy 3 year old fell at daycare and knocked out all 4 of her front top teeth. What are the options for a partial for her? She is doing well but I do not want this event to alter her outgoing attitude, but I can see how the older she gets that it could. I almost think that if we get a partial now that it will grow on her and become normal rather than waiting - I don't want to be selfish but just the best for my little princess.
ReplyDeleteIf not too much of a big deal is made by the parents about missing teeth, I suspect there will be no problem either way. I have never seen a young child that having missing teeth bothers them. As I mentioned, a partial with four teeth often looks better than with just one tooth. The main issue on timing is often the ability to cooperate. It's certainly ok to ask about something just for looks.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of expense would a partial with 4 teeth cost?
ReplyDeleteWith your experience, when is a patient too young for a partial?
On cost, see the above comments. The child must be young enough to cooperate for the impression, delivery, and hopefully to take care of it.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteMy 29 month old fell and pushed back his front tooth. An X-ray was taken on Saturday by general dentist and today (four days later) another by a pedo dentist. The pedo states that there is infection and it's actually gotten a little bigger since Sat. He suggests we have the tooth extracted. They administer a conscious sedative (I believe that's the term) through a feeding of pudding. It shouldn't take more than 20 minutes and it's up to me if I want to shell out 500.00 on a partial for the one tooth. I have several concerns. One is I don't think my two year old will eat pudding from them and he's going to be very upset at the fact I can't be back there with him. Is this normal dental procedure? I think my presence would be comforting but obviously they think otherwise???
I have a phobia about anesthia and administering to one so young.
Two, are partials really a good investment? I know it's his front tooth and he'll look funny for a while but I worry if not having a front tooth will affect his speech and also the dentist said these partials are not strong but mostly cosmetic. Does that mean if he eats a biscuit the partial can become chipped or fall out? This kid loves food.
Thanks sooooooo much for answering my questions.
In addition to this post on the partials, you may want to read these posts I made on all this:
ReplyDeleteLink to all my Sedation posts
Link to all my posts on behavior management
I wish it were easy to get kids to take their medications, but sometimes it is difficult. In fact anything is difficult on a two year old. I did an extraction of a front tooth on a 3 year old this morning with no problems. Many parents are anxious about any treatment on their young child, it's just the way us parents are. Sounds like you may need to discuss this some more with your pediatric dentist if you still have concerns.
My son fell with a whistle in his mouth about 2 weeks ago and knocked out one of the front top teeth. The other tooth was loose and his pediatric dentist advised me to leave it there in the hopes that it would heal and re-root. It was not terribly loose, but had been knocked out of position a little bit. From about the second day after tyhe accident, I thought it looked a tiny bit grey, which I know if fairly normal with trauma like this. It seems to be doing better in the loose-ness department, but in the last 4 days has gotten considerably browner. Does that mean the tooth is not reconnecting it's blood supply and might die, since it has happened so long after the accident instead of immediately? Is there any hope that it might return to normal still?
ReplyDeleteCheck out this link:
ReplyDeleteMy Child's Tooth is Turning Dark
thanks so much. i knew i had read that blog entry right after it happened, but could not find it this morning when I decided that I should freak out a little about the tooth browning. Appreciate it. I am sure you put a lot of parents minds at ease with this blog.
ReplyDeleteI've got a 2 year old who's had an odd space between his top teeth for a while now - but hadn't been worried as our older daughter has quite a bit of space between her baby teeth. But I just noticed that there's a tip of a tooth poking through right there and it seems an extra tooth is trying to emerge! He already has all his baby teeth so this much be an extra one that shouldn't be there. It looks like the tooth might be trying to come in sideways and it's pushing the other teeth out of the way. What would you recommend we do? Of course we'll take him to a pediatric dentist but I'd like to know what you would consider good options for a case like this. Can a dentist pull this tooth now before it fully emerges? Should we wait? will the other teeth space themselves OK once this tooth is removed? If we left it alone and let it come in, would it affect his permanent teeth?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your help!
That could be any number of things. Of course, get it checked out. I have seen supernumary (extra) baby teeth and other weird things, but it has never been anything that isn't managable sometimes by removing extra teeth (often not), etc. It is hard to get an x-ray on a two year old of course, so just let them take a look, it might not be as bad as you seem to be thinking. It is usually easier to remove a tooth after it erupts by the way.
ReplyDeleteMy son is three and had to get all his front teeth extrated i feel so bad, and worried more about his eating habits and speech more than appearence, the Dr. said his teeth were abcessed..I'm curious if he made the wrong move, could they have been saved, why didn't he cap them. Well, now they're gone what can I do about replaceing them with a partial, are the partials removable?
ReplyDeleteMy son is three and had gotten his four front teeth extracted due to abcessed teeth from bottle rot. I was curious what is abcess? I'm so sad now I have doubts that the dentist did the right thing and that I should have had a second opinion. I've seen worse teeth saved and capped compared to my sons. Just wondering if abcessed teeth are completly neccessary to remove. Now that its' gone what is the second step? I'm thinkig a groper pedi partial that the Dr. suggested What is it? is it the best option out there for him, I need a second opinion..Will a partial cause his molars to decay ?
ReplyDeleteA "groper" partial is like the one in the photo above wth the blue border. I't s just what they call it, but their all very similar.
ReplyDeleteIf a baby tooth is abscessed I want the tooth removed. I want it out of there. It is usually impossible to save an abscessed baby tooth. (an abscess iswhen the nerve/pulp of the tooth is infected/dead-not just a large cavity). The tooth is dead and the infection begins to destroy the remaining tooth root and the surrounding bone and can damage the developing permanent tooth. In addition, the infection can spread in to the face and might even need hospitalization--it can even be fatal! So you see why we don't fool around with that kind of thing. Now with a permanent tooth that is abscessed you might be able to save with a root canal.
My 22 month old has knocked out one front tooth... haven't had our appt. w/ the dentist yet but I am anxious to have some kind of cosmetic solution as she has so many years to go before it will look "normal" to have a missing tooth and adults are already making dumb comments to her about it!
ReplyDeleteShe has her 1st molars but not 2nd yet, all of her teeth have been very slow to come in. Any reason the pedo partial is usually attached to the 2nd molars and can that be changed? Also, I assume the partial does not interfere with normal growth of the jaw/teeth??
Thanks you!
I have seen no evidence a pedo partial interferes with normal growth/speech development or anything else, so long as a dentist is following it. I think it would be very difficult to get a partial right now at such a young age. Cooperation is also an issue in addition to the second primary molars not even being erupted yet. See what your dentist says, but I would be prepared for a little wait on that.
ReplyDeleteMy 2 year old has an extra tooth (like a little fang) growing on the top next to her middle teeth. She also has a space between the two top front teeth and as a result the ones on either side are overlapping and the extra tooth is creating a "clump" on one side. IMPOSSIBLE to really clean and she's sensitive there (or so it seems) and fights me at every attempt. Twice a day it's an excercise in massive frustration. She now has decay, particularly on the clumped side and looks like a possible cavity developing on the other side. Two professionals have recommended removing all 5 teeth. There was talk about possible root canal as an alternative. My own dentist says to try and save the teeth no matter what. She's concerned about speech problems when a child this young has all four top front teeth missing (plus the pesky extra snagal tooth). I'm terrified to put her under but also know how uncooperative she'll be otherwise. In the old days I suppose these teeth would have rotted and fallen out eventually?
ReplyDeleteWould having this many teeth removed effect her speech development? I'm sure you'd have to see her but any advice would be appreciated...
My 3 1/2 year old son has some soft enamel or "soft teeth" as they have called it. He underwent general anesthesia yesterday and all 4 front teeth were extracted along with 8 crowns and I believe 4 root canals. My mother is desperately trying to get me to find someone who would do a partial for his four front teeth. She is worried about his speech, self esteem and him being able to eat properly. The pediatric dentist who did his surgery said he did not recommend a partial. What can I tell my mother other than I am not willing to have my child go through any more trauma right now. Do you feel like his permanent teeth may come in earlier now that there is nothing there. He got his first baby tooth at 5 months. Thanks for your time
ReplyDeleteI have seen no research that would suggest speech problems due to missing baby teeth. Any treatment always is dependant on the child's cooperative ability. I would suggest you reading my other posts including this one:
ReplyDeleteJust Got an e-mail-Bad Decay on a Two Year Old's Teeth
Well, as to your comment above (the 3 1/2 year old), I don't recommend a partial if at all possible because they are hard to care for and are only for looks. Most teeth come in when they are ready whether there is a tooth there or not. There is slight variations and things can change, but generally teeth don't come in sooner unless they were pretty close to comming in anyways.
ReplyDeleteDr.Dean,
ReplyDeleteI am an American living in Russia and have a Russian wife, Daughter, and we have a son together. He is an American born abroad. Today he fell and hurt his upper gums above the teeth. He was bleeding a little but the Russian Dentist said that with all the blood/ swelling that was in his gums, that he needed to remove his 2 top fron teeth. My wife did not know what else to do. She believed him (I didnt, we wont go there)Unfortunatly before I could get there and stop it my sons teeth were pull out. He is 2 years and 3 months old. He is my life and I want to do what is bet for him. Is there a time limit for getting Pdeo teeth imprints? OR is this something I can do soon as I can get the time to get back to the US. I work full time in Russia and I desperatly need to know what to do. I dont care what it cost. I want the best for him. And yeah you are right, its the Dad and Mom that it seems to bother the most. Your soonest reponse is greatly appreciated.
I have not done a Pedo-Partial after the age of about 5years old. They can be done anytime after teeth are removed (well you have to wait about 6 weeks for healing).
ReplyDeleteYou need a cooperative patient with enouugh room to place the wire and material for the fake teeth and all his back teeth erupted. So, you can get one of these at any time--No Rush--you can wait. Hey, after a while you may change your mind and be just fine without a partial.
My 12month old hit her front left tooth. It wasn't even fully out yet. It was only out 2-3mm. It turned pink and dentist said to leave it.. 2weeks later it was black and still growing out but, her lip was a little swollen and an abcess was on the gum. We extracted the tooth straight away. will the space be an issue for the adult tooth? Will there ba a problem with the adult tooth? When do adult teeth start to form?? Was the nerve damage to severe for a tooth not to grow at all??
ReplyDeleteOn September 3, 2007, my 18-month-old baby had a terrible fall, landed on his mouth, and caused some major damage to his two front teeth.
ReplyDeleteI live in El Paso, Texas and took him to a pediatric dentist, and was told that he needed to have those two teeth removed, because they were a class I mobility (no one explained to me what that was).
I am not happy with the suggestion, and was disappointed that after waiting two hours to see this dentist, she examined him less than 30 seconds before having her assistant tell me that he needed to have this life-altering procedure done, without an explanation of what the ramifications would be.
Is there anything I can do for him other than remove the teeth? Please help!
What are your recommendations on a 10 month old baby who knocked out his front tooth? How long until his molars are large enough to have a partial etc...
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay. I've been out of the country.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking, --everything that happens to a child is life altering. I hope things go well for your son. I usually discuss what would happen when no treatment is done.
As to the last comment above, baby molars are not fully erupted till almost three years age. Plus you have to have enough room there ---AND cooperation from the patient.
Hi. My almost 9 month old daughter had a terrible fall early this morning. At first just one of her bottom front teeth was missing. I called the trauma nurse line and they informed me that I should put direct pressure on her tooth to help stop the bleeding. When I tryed to do that, the other tooth must have been loose too, and I believe I then knocked it out. I am very devistated!...Can't stop crying and don't know what to do for my young baby. She just got her teeth not too long ago, hasnt learned to talk yet, and just started eating people food. How is this going to affect her? Is there ANYTHING I can do to help her speech, eating, and jaw development? PLEASE HELP!!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't give direct advice, but I wouldn't worry too much. As I have written here, I have seen no evidence that the loss of baby front teeth (especailly the lower incisors) effects speech, eating, development or anything else. I would get it checked out, but as I have mentioned here before, after seeing thousands of kids with traumas, well, kids just find a way to get themselves into trouble busting lips/teeth, etc. You are not alone on this one. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteMy son has had a partial for the past 2 1/2 years. His front adult teeth are finally cutting through and we are out of state. Will it harm his teeth/effect how they grown in if I leave it in for another week or two? His adult teeth look like they are raised when you look at his gums and I want to make sure they will receed and grown in straight once it is removed. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you what to do , but I have not seen a week make a big difference. I don't like those things in there too long if the new teeth are coming in because they can interfere with proper eruption.
ReplyDeleteMy son had an accident in December impacting 2 of his baby teeth (F & G). Our pediatric dentist suggested we let the teeth come down into place on their own and wait to see what damage would result. We have been going to him for routine follow up and just found out that the two teeth may have an abscess. The dentist has suggested we remove all 4 front teeth because of the way they will come back in. Our son who will be 3 in December was put on an antibiotic. Can you explain why the teeth with a possible abscess need to be removed? I understand why he want to take all 4 but do not quite understand why the baby teeth have to be removed.
ReplyDeleteIf a tooth is abscessed, -that is infection. The body cannot properly heal as the "dead" part is inside the root away from the blood suply. Infection like that can further damage developing permanent teeth, dissolve the supporting bone and potentially spread. Sometimes you can do a root canal on baby teeth rather than removing them, but it's not very predictable and you can only do it in certain circumstances.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter just turned two and she only has ten teeth - upper central, lateral and first moalrs, loower central and first molars. The bottow central are going sideways because there are no teeth to push them together. I have researched a lot on missing teeth and have appoinment with ped. ortho. next week. Do you have any ideas on what they may want to do?
ReplyDeleteThey will advise you accordingly once they examine her. I see lots of kids with delayed eruption.
ReplyDeleteMy son who will be three in December fell on the playground and fractured his two front teeth. Unfortunately, they had to be removed. My husband and I are devastated. We are praying that he could wear a partial called a pedo band loop. My fear is that he won't have enough space between his back teeth to attach the rings. Are there any other alternatives, and is there a high risk of pain or infection with these partials?
ReplyDeleteI have seen no real problems with pain or infection..mostly just problems with the appliance itself like breaking the fake tooth off.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to contact another blogger who has had a child wear a partial to get information regarding how it worked out?
ReplyDeleteI would suggest one of two things. Firstly, you may be able to click their name and link to their blog if they have one. Secondly, you may ask the question here, and someone may post a reply.
ReplyDeleteHow obvious is the pedo partial when placed? I have heard various opinions from you would never know to only if you pull back the child's teeth. Four years seems like a long time to go without front teeth. The picture of the one in place on your web-site looks beautiful and authentic.
ReplyDeleteThe photo on the site is real and looks pretty good I think. I will tell you most of these things can look "fake" especially if it's just one tooth--better looking if there are four up there. It's hard to tell till you do it, but don't get your expectations too high as far as looks. However, I would'nt do them if they didn't provide some esthetic benefit.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that a pedo-partial can affect the development of the child's jaw? I cannot imagine that this would be true if the device is secured to the child's back teeth. I heard this through a speech pathologist and am worried as my husband and I are hopeful to go through with the partial.
ReplyDeleteThank you
With proper use I have seen no such problem.
ReplyDeleteI understand about parents being so upset. My four year old bumped the same front tooth twice and it was hard. It needs to be removed, We are so upset.Other kids as we all know can be cruel! She was also the first to already lose a tooth, in class, now this. Two years is a long time to wait. She is so upset about having it removed that I know she will fight the dentist!! Distressed Mother
ReplyDeletejust noticed that my 4 year old daughter's front top tooth is loose. This seems young to me not to mention in the wrong order to loose a tooth. Should I be concerned? The baby tooth appears to be healthy..just loose!
ReplyDeleteAlways good to get it checked out. I have seen loose teeth that early sometimes because there is a pretty short root there and other things too.
ReplyDeleteMy son has a slightyly loose tooth that appears to be turning grey. He had to have his front teeth pulled due to fracture. Could this tooth be bonded to appear whiter? He has been fitted for a kiddie partial. It looks greyer by the day.
ReplyDeleteMy son went to the doctor Wednesday with a toothache. They said his molar was coming in. He complained of tooth pain throughout the weekend. I took him back yesterday and the dentist said one of the front teeth and the one next to it were anscessed. They extracted them and now I am having second thoughts. His swelling is going down but I do not like the gapine hole there. What can I do?
ReplyDeleteHelp! My 19 month year old daughter has fell over and has badly chipped her 2 front teeth. One is shorter than the other and they are quite pointed on the edges now. What treatment can she have done? Can something be put on the bottom of her teeth to make them straight?
ReplyDeleteMy son had a partial fitted today and did terrific. We are satisfied with the results as far as fit and color. The teeth look pretty authentic unless you are on top of him examining them. However, the teeth are a bit short, meaning the eye teeth are exactly the same size (one might even be a touch longer) Also, there may need to be a bit of spacing added. We may re-do after a bit. For now he has been through enough and it looks far better than the missing teeth. I am posting this for anyone who is pursuing the partial and is unsure. Our dentist is wonderful and think it was done very well. I am still concerned for what lies ahead, only time will tell.
ReplyDeleteMy almost 6 yr old fell last night and knocked out his remaining central incisor and one of his lateral incisors. There is a lot of swelling in his gums. I am concerned about damage to his permanent teeth since there is so much swelling. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI can't say, but get it looked at by your pediatric dentist. Most injuries to the permanent teeth occur at the time of the accident. Mouths heal quite well. Lot's of swelling the first day or so too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to sponsor this blog. It has been very helpful to me, because my dentist had no real advice about handling my 3-year old son's avulsed front tooth. He recommended leaving the gap, but I am seeing a pediatric dentist next week. I will ask him about the pediatric partials, because four years is a long time to wait for a front tooth. My son lost his tooth last night ... do you think we need to wait several weeks before we can have the procedure done? His other tooth was traumatized, too, so we are watching to see if it starts to discolor. Thanks for your time.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you find the information here of benefit. I want to make it clear, that it is best Not to do a partial. They are primarily for looks. I don't really do that many. If you choose to do one, all the ducks have to be in a row: cooperative patient, plenty of room to do it, fully erupted molars...etc. I usually wait at least 6 weeks after a trauma or extractions to make an impression, longer if I am waiting to see if another tooth is having problems or not.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that my 2-year-old's front tooth has turned dark. I wasn't alarmed at first because I had heard it was common for toddlers to bump their teeth. But then I noticed that her other front tooth is starting to turn dark too, and that her gums behind her front teeth are purple. Are the gums bruised from her bumping her teeth or does it sound like she might have an infection or abscessed tooth? I'm not sure if I need to take her into the dentist or not.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a good idea to get it looked at. See my post on "My Child's Tooth is Turning Dark".
ReplyDeleteMy son has been advised his front four tooth extractions by his dentist. I took a second opinion and the doctor too advised for extraction. How will they sedate him? I am a little worried.
ReplyDeleteMy 3yo daughter had her front two teeth and first primary molars removed yesterday (Feb8/08) and I am devastated. It was my decision to remove in order to evade root canals (an alternative health choice). But now, I TOTALLY wish I could do the day over, and am having serious anxiety over the situation.
ReplyDeleteI am a little eased to read other parents posts and to know that I am not the only one. It may seem selfish to want to replace them as she seems to not really care. For me, the choice would be made for aesthetic, phonetic (she has a bit of a speech issue to begin with) and space maintenance reasons - I could maybe add psychological ones as I don't know what she will go through in school. The teeth may erupt anytime between 5 and 8, and I am hoping for 5! But in the meantime, this may seem like a good alternative.
I am eagerly awaiting a response from Dr. Brandon and/or parents of children who have opted for the partials. I would love to hear outcomes/stories/experiences.
Parents may email me at jah-4@hotmail.com to and for support on this matter.
Dr. Brandon,
ReplyDeleteAre there any other alternatives, such as a resin bonded denture - or something that looks more natural for a 4 year old? Are the teeth in the picture above supposed to resemble the child's primary or permanent teeth? They look like permanent teeth, and I prefer them to resemble primary teeth. Also, I just want to confirm that these do not interfere with any growth that the child will go through? Sorry for all the questions, just very interested at this point.
The teeth are supposed to resemble baby teeth, which sometimes mean there are more space between the teeth. I often place resin (pink) in between or just near the teeth to make it look more reasonable, but sometimes you just can't match that well. A"denture" is a thing you remove. I have only done one patient with that kind of thing anywhere near that age. The child only had three teeth on the lower arch left after severe decay-I placed a removable "partial" denture clipped in mainly to guide in the back 6 year molars, so the kid only had to deal with is far 6 months or so, then we switched to a regular space maintainer--a lingual arch if I remember.
ReplyDeleteMy child is 7 years old, and has not lost any teeth. I noticed he has 2 new bottom front teeth coming in behind the old baby teeth that are still in place. Will he be recommended to have teeth pulled?
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty common for teeth to come in like that.
ReplyDeleteSee my post on permanent teeth coming in behind baby teeth. The link is on the sidebar on the right side. I can't paste a link right now as I 'm on an iPhone.
My 10 month old daughter just recently started getting some of her baby teeth. Her first was one on the bottom in the middle. The second and third teeth are on the top, but not her two front teeth. They are one or two spaces over on each side. Not sure if they are the incisors or not. My bigger concern is this morning I saw her spitting something out, so I grabbed it. I thought she picked up something off the floor and was spitting it out, but looking at it closer I think it is a tooth! It is small with not much of a root. Is this normal for babies to have extra teeth that erupt and fall out? I've tried to look in her mouth to see where it came from, but it's a bit tough to get a 10 month old to cooperate opening her mouth. Should I be concerned about this mystery tooth? Also, should I be concerned about where her upper teeth are coming in? By the way, the three teeth I mentioned early are still in her mouth, so the extra tooth that I think came out is NOT one of those three teeth. Thanks for your help.
ReplyDeleteI don't really know, but I have seen "natal" teeth. I doubt it was anything major unless she had a fall or something knocking something out. Always good to get it looked at.
ReplyDeleteMy 10 month old fell and hit his 2 front top teeth, there was quite a lot of blood and when i looked they were shorter and were chipped, i took him to the doctor right away and he said they were impacted and to leave them alone and its not nessesary to see a dentist, that they should come out on there own. is that true? could they get infected?, i would have taken him to the ped. dentist but i have to go to another island to see him. what do you think?
ReplyDeleteIntruded teeth can re-erupt, but it is good for a pediatric dentist to take a look even if it is after several days.
ReplyDeleteMy son is now 14 months old. His 2 upper teeth came in at 11 months and grew in chipped. The chips are on the front surface of the tooth - not the edge as you typically see a chipped tooth. One of the "chips" recently errupted the gums and after a week fell out. I took him to the dentist who was not concerned about the chip coming through the gums but said we needed to put crowns on his front teeth when he gets to be about 2 years old. but possibly sooner if they start to deteriorate too fast then well need to consider general anesthesia. What would be the risk of not having crowns put on?
ReplyDeleteI can't tell by looking at the photos... is it just a wire or is there also a piece of plastic over the arch, kind of like a retainer?
ReplyDeleteThere is a small amount of pink acrylic on the first (top) photo, there is not as much on the other one, just what is connecting the teeth to the wire.
ReplyDeleteI am temporarily putting on hold the comment section, as I have not as much time to devote to answering questions. I think we've about worn out this topic for now anyways with almost 80 comments! I hope you will find the answer to your concerns here or elsewhere on the blog. Thanks,
ReplyDeleteDr. Dean Brandon