A TOOTH BEHIND A TOOTH:
Question:
My child has a permanent tooth coming in behind the lower baby tooth. "Shark teeth" …two rows of teeth!. What should we do?
Dr. John Says:
In our office, we suggest the following for lower front teeth erupting behind the baby teeth:
First, realize that this is not unusual. Ten percent of six year olds will have a permanent tooth start to erupt before the baby tooth has fallen out. We call this "a tooth behind a tooth." Studies have shown that over 90 percent of these baby teeth will fall out within six months.
Therefore, we recommend having your child wiggle the tooth and give it another 2 months. If it is not out within two months, call our office and we can easily remove the tooth. The permanent incisor will slide forward into a better position once the baby tooth has been removed.
This only applies to lower front teeth. If an upper front tooth is coming in behind a baby tooth, then call our office right away. This is a different animal altogether and we want to remove upper baby teeth as soon as we can see the permanent incisor erupting.
In our office, we suggest the following for lower front teeth erupting behind the baby teeth:
First, realize that this is not unusual. Ten percent of six year olds will have a permanent tooth start to erupt before the baby tooth has fallen out. We call this "a tooth behind a tooth." Studies have shown that over 90 percent of these baby teeth will fall out within six months.
Therefore, we recommend having your child wiggle the tooth and give it another 2 months. If it is not out within two months, call our office and we can easily remove the tooth. The permanent incisor will slide forward into a better position once the baby tooth has been removed.
This only applies to lower front teeth. If an upper front tooth is coming in behind a baby tooth, then call our office right away. This is a different animal altogether and we want to remove upper baby teeth as soon as we can see the permanent incisor erupting.
Thank you!
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